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The languages that take the most (and least) time to learn, per the US...
Learning a new language takes time. But according to US diplomatic training guides, there are many languages that Americans should be able to learn in under a year. The map below shows how long it...
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Bees can solve the Traveling Salesperson Problem
Technology has made navigation easy for humans, with electronic maps that instruct us aloud so we needn’t learn directions at all. Bees, obviously, don’t have that option, and they also have very small...
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Two maps explain the racial history behind Alabama’s senate vote
America is a young country. We measure our history in decades, sometimes minutes. Last night, history changed when Alabama elected a Democrat, senator Doug Jones, for the first time in 25 years. Jones...
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A bitcoin millionaire’s fortune will fund psychedelic research, a cure for...
Philanthropy has entered the bitcoin era. Last week, a cryptocurrency enthusiast named “Pine” founded the $86 million (5,057 BTC) Pineapple Fund (motto: “Because once you have enough money, money...
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Indian apps are seeking way too many “dangerous permissions” on your phone
Indian apps may be a lot more dicier than you think. A report by data privacy consultancy Arrka estimates that, on an average, apps from India seek 7.9 “dangerous permissions” from users, significantly...
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We’ve been using bad Africa deforestation data for years
New research suggests Africa’s deforestation rate is likely lower than scientists previously thought. Unfortunately, it’s not because deforested areas are regrowing. It’s because earlier estimates of...
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The five most popular charts of 2017, according to Reddit
What resonated with the internet community this year? For chart lovers, it was terrorism, the solar eclipse, new life, humor, and deception. In 2017, over 10,000 charts and maps were submitted to...
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Here’s what people are actually doing on Snapchat
To boost usage, Snapchat has expanded into news and entertainment with its Discover platform, beefed up its voice-calling capabilities, and this year it launched Snap Map, which lets users see friends’...
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Tea if by sea, cha if by land: Why the world only has two words for tea
With a few minor exceptions, there are really only two ways to say “tea” in the world. One is like the English term—té in Spanish and tee in Afrikaans are two examples. The other is some variation of...
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TED’s new video series explores genius design we take for granted in daily life
Over the weekend, Hawaii’s harrowing false emergency alert gave the world a painful demonstration about how much design is hardwired in everyday systems. From drop-down menus, to forms, to buildings,...
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The exec who put Kansas at center of Google Earth is running to control...
Download and open up Google Earth. Click to zoom in. As you rush through the atmosphere, the flat expanse of the middle of the United States looms into view. A few seconds later, the viewer is...
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Trump’s nuclear proposal went through three versions before getting Asian...
Donald Trump’s administration is struggling with Asian geography—not a good idea in an area of the world where sensitive territorial disputes abound. India regularly punishes people who show disputed...
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We placed our chemical plants near waterways. That used to make sense. Now...
Chemical plants and sites of heavy industry are often located near coasts and waterways; they were originally placed to take advantage of the ease of shipping products by water, and the proximity to...
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Google Maps has found a better way to navigate India’s chaotic roads
Mapping a city like New York, where streets and avenues are neatly arranged in a grid, is a piece of cake. But a city in India is a different animal. So, on March 13, internet search giant Google...
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The best way to travel: Set out on a secret mission
Subscribe to the Quartzy newsletter to receive this in your inbox each Friday. Happy Friday! Last week, a work trip brought me to Milan, where I had just one free afternoon. Perhaps I should have gazed...
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A beautiful collection of rare maps shows how the world viewed India over the...
In the 1580s, the adventurous son of a Dutch innkeeper found himself on a ship sailing from Lisbon to India. Newly employed by the archbishop of Goa, Jan Huygen van Linschoten was headed to the capital...
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Beijing’s South China Sea ambitions now include nuclear-ready bombers
This is a video of a nuclear-ready Chinese bomber aircraft landing on an island in the South China Sea. It marks the first time Chinese bombers are known to have landed in the area. Chinese bombers...
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Here’s a t-shirt you could wear everywhere in East Asia without upsetting anyone
Last week, US clothing retailer Gap apologized for printing a t-shirt that didn’t include China’s claimed territories, including Taiwan, South Tibet, and islands in the South China Sea. In doing so, it...
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The German map that accidentally became America’s birth certificate
Until 15 years ago, the document that gave the United States of America the basis for its name was housed in Germany. US citizens may recall from grade-school history class that their country shares a...
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Sundar Pichai gave a sneak peek into Google’s playbook in India
Google has already delivered several India-specific innovations such as a lighter version of its Android operating system and the option to search in local languages. But the company wants to do more....
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