Enormous mural by San Francisco art studio Ink Dwell spotlights the bittersweet beauty of the Monarch butterfly and the urgency of its protection.
Complement with environmental movement pioneer Rachel Carson’s stunning existential letter about the Monarchs.
Did you know that all six basic tea types come from a single plant, Camellia sinensis? Or that the tea bag was invented by accident? Or that tea is both a mental stimulant and an anxiety reducer, and the calculus of caffeine in it is quite complex? All this and more in the lovely Little Tea Book – an illustrated field guide to the art, science, and joy of tea. (Art by, of course, Wendy MacNaughton.)
The evolution of the Latin alphabet, courtesy of data artist Matt Baker. For a deeper dive, see the out-of-print treasure Shapes for Sounds, a comprehensive visual history of the alphabet.
via Swiss Miss
W.E.B. Du Bois’s little-known, arresting modernist data visualizations of the African American plight for socioeconomic equality, which he created for and exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair in 1900 to thunderous acclaim.
Dear Data – a lyrical illustrated serenade to how our attention shapes our reality, absolutely wonderful yearlong postcard project.
Atlas Obscura made this terrific visual comparison of athletic feats across the animal kingdom. The human animal’s performance is decidedly lackluster.
In the 1930s, infographic pioneer Otto Neurath designed a similar visual comparison of lifespans across the animal kingdom.
As NASA’s Juno mission approaches its historic arrival on Jupiter tomorrow, a visual timeline of Jupiter exploration by designer Kim Orr for NASA’s JPL.
Complement with Primo Levi’s timelessly beautiful words on how space exploration brings humanity closer together.
The Columbia Journalism Review takes a look at 100 years of Pulitzer data, revealing wholly insufficient progress on dimensions of diversity and inclusivity. Compare with a look at the exclusivity flaws of the Nobel Prize.
For an organization that does noble work to right these inequalities, see (and consider supporting) the Women’s Media Center, co-founded by Gloria Steinem.
The Gutsy Girl – from writer Caroline Paul, one of San Francisco’s first women firefighters, a wonderful manifesto for bravery, perseverance, breaking the tyranny of perfection, and savoring the joy of adventure in a culture obsessed with risk-averse achievement. Illustrated by the inimitable Wendy MacNaughton.
The timelessly brilliant Hannah Arendt on time, space, and where our thinking ego resides.
Wendy MacNaughton’s marvelous masterwork of visual philosophy is now available as a signed print – doubly delightful on Rilke’s birthday today, given his timeless wisdom on embracing uncertainty and living the questions.
For Independence Day, British vs. American government in rare vintage infographics.
What makes a hero – Joseph Campbell’s seminal monomyth model of the 11 stages of the hero’s journey, animated.
Wendy MacNaughton breaks down the true hierarchy of needs. See more of her brilliantly simple yet profound visual distillations of life in Meanwhile and Lost Cat.
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For more ideas on expanding your learning horizons, check out Noodle.
