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Category: Big Data and Visualization

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From Sputnik to Seismology to Solar Power: The International Geophysical Year

Posted by: Lena Mattson

On July 1, 1957, an unprecedented period of global scientific collaboration known as the International Geophysical Year began. Artificial satellites were launched, planetary weather observations were made for the first time, the understanding of plate tectonics was established, and more. Learn how the Army Map Service played a critical role during the IGY, providing the calculations that launched the U.S. into the space race.

a map of the US in 1880s with shading to show density of certain kinds of manufacturing in each state

Made in America: U.S. Manufacturing in Gilded Age Census Maps

Posted by: Lena Mattson

I recently heard a factoid in passing that fascinated me and sparked further investigation: after having been decidedly middle of the pack immediately post-Civil War, the United States’ share of total world manufacturing output became the highest in the world between 1880 and 1900, with a near exponential pace of growth during these decades. Oddly, …