40 Times People Posted Pics That Kindled Our Fascination With The World, As Shared On This Online Group
Look, we might be a bit biased, but we think that Planet Earth is the best place in our Solar System (and probably the Milky Way Galaxy)! Earth’s full of cute cats, plenty of bamboo to keep us from going hungry, and it’s where we keep all of our stuff. It’s also full of so many wonderful and beautiful things that we lost count… and tons of mysteries to uncover in the future. Heck, the vast majority of the ocean is still left unexplored!
What we’re trying to say is that it makes perfect sense to learn more about our home planet. Some choose to study biology and all living things, others focus on human beings via sociology or economics, but when it comes to the fundamentals, you can’t go wrong with geography. The subject goes far deeper than just rattling off a few capital city names from memory.
Today, we’re featuring the r/geography subreddit, a celebration of all things related to geography. (The name really says it all, doesn’t it?) Scroll down for some of their best posts and if you enjoyed them, consider joining the online community. Geographers, amateur and veteran alike, are all welcome. Got your pencils and notebooks ready? Ready to have some feeky fun? Thinking caps: on! Let's go.
Patrick McGranaghan, a land surveyor from Colorado with a passion for map-making and travel, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions about the importance of geography. Check out what he told us below.
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Canada Still Has 91% Of The Forest Cover That Existed At The Beginning Of The European Settlement
You don't understand! Canada is huge! Most of Canada is undeveloped and untouched, you can and will get easily lost in anyone of the forrests in Canada! We also have 90 percent of the fresh water lakes in the world.
We do understand! We who have true intelligence and know the pricelessness of your resources, completely understand the treasure you have so please keep it safe!
Load More Replies...As a Canadian, I am allowed to say this: We have a lot that needs to solved in terms of poor land and forest stewardship. This includes stopping the cutting of irreplaceable old growth rain forests, the extremely destructive oil extraction from tar sands and staggering amount of raw sewage we dump into our rivers. Deeply, love my country, but not blindly and working to fix.
I’m also Canadian and I agree - I think the fact that we’ve got so much forest left is just luck and circumstance, not anything we’ve achieved. It remains because we’re a very large country with a small (and mostly southern) population compared to land area. We’ve failed miserably in many regions, devastating areas that were easier to get to, stripping them of natural resources with only the most minimal nod to conservation. We’ve consistently gone against the solid advice and wishes of indigenous peoples who have thousands of years of knowledge about our land. I will say that the 91% stat listed above gives me some hope that maybe we can still turn it around, but as you say we need to work at it to fix things.
Load More Replies...We screwed up a lot during the European colonization, but at least we kept our forests :)
through managed forestry we actually have more trees now than we did 100 years ago. No one likes talking about it, but we do.
Load More Replies...Canada is a great role model in terms of country and it's people. Hope to get to spend time exploring one day.
Canadian here. I don't have to drive more than 5 minutes find a forest. however, I live in an area where farmland is disappearing in favour of huge warehouses and new homes. I know homes are necessary for a growing population, but once the farmland is gone, it's gone. Then what? Every year, more and more farms in my area are replaced with some kind of building project. It doesn't seem sustainable.
Not old forest though; much, if not most, has been harvested. It is replanted and mostly monoculture.
Thank you mom24boys, I was wondering if anyone was going to bring that up. We may have most of our forest cover still but I wonder how much of it is old growth? How much biodiversity has been lost? Monoculture may bump that one stat but it ignores all the displaced forest beings..
Load More Replies...This is extremely impressive. Heck, the US imports more than 25% of lumber from Canada. It seems Canadians went for sustainability. Wonder if the US will pick up on this idea.
That's because 91% of Canadians live as close to the warmer parts of Canada as they can get. Look at where all their major cities are.
Good job Canada, if only certain rich pricks of the U.S would do the same.
Now all we have to do is keep all the dumbasses from below the border below the border. There is such a hugh percentage of the entitled US population that believe strongly that they can do whatever they want wherever they are.
We also have a price on carbon but only produce 1.6% of the worlds total carbon so once we're taxed to death and there isn't anyone left living in Canada because no one can afford to, the world won't even notice a carbon difference. Instead we will have all moved somewhere we can afford to live. My goal is to be out of Canada in 10 years. Something major has to change because Trudeau is an idiot and is f***ing up this country.
Not sure why you’ve been downvoted Phyzzi, it’s true that some of what gets cut down is for toilet paper… (we are good about replanting though which is why this particular number still looks impressive)
Load More Replies...I think it has more to do with not wantinng to build cities in the cold climate rather than conservation, but its still cool though.
Patrick, a surveyor, map-maker, and the founder of another huge geography-related subreddit, told us that "geography is a way to systematically understand the world we live in."
"For anyone that wants to explore and discover the world, they must first understand geography," he told Bored Panda about why geography is so important.
We were very curious about what Patrick prioritizes when drawing maps himself. "When I am making maps I am thinking about all the subtleties of the geography I am mapping. Such as the ways some coastlines will curve in certain places or names of places I've never heard of before," he shared a bit about his process.
This Person Really Took The Time To Travel To The Right Spot
Just Right!
"It gives me new ideas of places to visit. For me, accuracy is the most important thing as I've been trained as a land surveyor."
Bored Panda also wanted to know how Patrick would go about convincing someone that learning geography is vital in a world where we can pretty much just Google everything that we need to know about the world and we have access to maps on our phones.
"This is difficult because the omnipresence of the internet has made most people take geography for granted," he said. "However, understanding geography helps you make connections and feeds your imagination. If you really want to increase your vision and understanding of the world it must be based in understanding geography."
A Modern Photo Compared With A Photo Taken Over A Century Earlier In The Same Place
Nice F*cking Meme Bro
Mt. Fuji From The Iss
Geography used to be one of the challenging yet rewarding subjects we learned back in school. Obviously, part of that meant committing the names of all the countries (and their capital cities) in the world, as well as names of rivers, seas, and other geographical features, to memory. And that meant a lot of work and anxiety when you were tested in front of the entire class.
And while some students definitely enjoyed all that, others found it stressful. What we really enjoyed doing was drawing maps and learning about all the different systems working in-sync on the planet. From how mountains form to how rivers ‘work’ and beyond.
The r/geography subreddit is an academic community, so the posts there have to reflect that. “Geography is the study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena, and goes far beyond simple location identifications on a map or general trivial information such as capital and country names,” the team running everything writes.
Cross Sea Is A Very Beautiful And Rare Phenomenon That Happens When There Are 2 Wave Systems In The Sea Moving At Oblique Angles. It Might Be Beautiful From Above, But If You Get Caught In These Waves, Your Vessel Can Easily Turn Upside Down Or Lose Its Way
Fun Fact I Found On A Snapple Cap
The 22 countries that weren't invaded are Monaco, Mongolia, Marshall Islands, Mali, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Kyrgyzstan, Ivory Coast, Andorra, Bolivia, Belarus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Central African Republic, Guatemala, Chad, Paraquay, Vatican City, Tajikistan, Sweden, Uzbekistan and Sao Tome and Principle.
[Close-Up View] Of Antarctica From Space
“Geographers have a special understanding about the Earth and global systems and use analytical skills and applied methods to answer questions about human and physical phenomena. In short, geographers are particularly good at determining the ‘Why of Where.’”
Around since mid-Autumn of 2008, r/geography has carved out a nice niche for itself. At the time of writing, the sub had 157.7k members. There are actually a ton of geography-related subreddits (which makes our inner geeks really happy), and they’re all listed in r/geography’s sidebar.
So if you want to go down the rabbit hole and learn something new while being amazed by all the impressive photos from our planet, you’re given the keys to so much knowledge, all on a silver plate. Just keep in mind it’s like going on Wikipedia: before you know it, it’s several hours later and you totally got way too enraptured by what the digital library has to offer.
Topography Of The Indian Subcontinent
Wow, you can really see why it is it’s own sub-continent from this view!
For All Those Namibia-Zimbabwe Border Posts, I Humbly Raise You This Unexpected Afghanistan-China Border Touch
America By Trump Administration
The r/geography subreddit encourages discussions of all branches of the subject, suggests that users link to original sources, and asks that all members assign a post flair when submitting something. Meanwhile, anyone with a degree in geography can ask the mods for a custom flair for their specific area of expertise which is actually a super cool idea and we hope more subs do this.
We feel like academically-focused subs are more important now than ever. With access to the internet, we have the ability to learn pretty much anything about anything, but there’s a downside to this. As information can spread very quickly, misinformation can, too. (Sometimes, even faster than facts.)
I Feel As If Someone Just Got Bored Of Naming Things Here
Beautiful Aerial View Of Venice, Italy
The square island on the left is the city's historical cemetery, housing the remains of Ezra Pound, Igor Stravinsky, Canova, Tiepolo and others. On the far left corner it is barely visible Murano, the glassmakers island where Venetian's glass makers were moved in 1290 after a string of fires that ravaged the city.
Topography Of South America
You Can Sail In A Straight Line From Chile To Spain Without Ever Crossing Land
Stanislav Canyon, Kherson, Ukraine
Pretty much where the southern end of the front line in Ukraine is at the moment, between the villages of Oleksandrivka and Stanislav.
A Map Of The World Centred Around New Zealand
While being skeptical of information and double-checking things yourself are an important part of the scientific tradition, there comes a point where questioning well-established facts and mistrusting everyone and everything turns from quirky to stubborn.
Canadian-Us Border In Northern Idaho. They Cut Down All The Trees Along The Border To Mark It
Flew Over Horseshoe Bend In Arizona A Couple Weeks Ago, Thought Everyone Here Might Appreciate This!
The Only Geography Lesson You Need
Lee McIntyre, from the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, explained to Bored Panda during a previous in-depth interview that Flat Earthers should be commended for actually testing out their hypotheses, but they don’t actually understand how science works.
“One of their main arguments was that if the Earth was spinning, the water would fall off. Do they not understand that gravitational pull comes from the center, is based on mass, and works on water too?”
Pangea With Borders
I don't know. Things are too crowded as it is. Let's just keep the continents where they are, please.
Iceland In The Winter
The Elevation And Depth For Great Lakes
According to McIntyre, many Flat Earthers beliefs aren’t based on evidence in the first place. They keep moving the goalposts when debating scientists. For instance, if you ask a conspiracy theorist what kind of evidence would be sufficient to prove them wrong, the answer you get might reveal a lot about how they think.
“I used that question in person at FEIC [Flat Earth International Conference] 2018 and it was very telling. Most of them just said ‘proof’ and I said ‘proof of what?’ They couldn’t be specific,” McIntyre told Bored Panda.
The Vasyugan Swamp Is The Largest Swamp In The World, Which Is Located In Russia. The Swamp Is The Same Size As Switzerland. There Are Legends That Atlantis Is Located Here
Chile Is Gigalong!
Lake Chad In 1967 vs. Lake Chad Now
“At one session, I heard many Flat Earthers talk about losing family members, getting kicked out of their churches, losing jobs… who would do that for fun? These are hardcore science deniers. As hard as it might be to accept, there are people who believe this stuff and are willing even to put their lives on the line for it! One rocket guy crashed trying to prove Flat Earth. They aren’t pretending,” the expert said that there are quite a few people who genuinely believe in the conspiracy. So much so that they’re willing to risk their finances and reputation.
“Conspiracy theories have been around since Nero in the Roman Empire. They pop up in times of turmoil or mass unrest when people try to make sense of the world, but can’t. Flat Earth is in some ways just a run-of-the-mill conspiracy theory. They’ve all grown in popularity because beliefs (even fringe beliefs) are reinforced by peer approval, and that is now readily available on the internet. Virtually all of the flat earthers I met were converted based on YouTube videos. Some then went to the conferences. After that, they were ‘down the rabbit hole.'”
Uluru (Ayers Rock) From A Birds-Eye View
It's incredible at sunset. Changes colours. (BTW, you don't need to put Ayers Rock afterwards - it's like writing Mumbai (Bombay))
Actually There Are Quite A Few Natural Borders In There
I wish I could stand in one place in this picture, for example, Nepal, and then have two other people stand in India and Bangladesh, and then light fireworks and see if we could see each other.
Each Section Contains 10% Of The World's Population!
According to McIntyre, Flat Earthers try to convert others to their cause. “It’s important to remember that these pathologies of human reasoning exist not just to defend themselves but to proselytize new members. They are virulent. They are infectious. I wish Flat Earth were the worst of them, but it isn’t. It’s the scourge of our age. And it will only continue to get worse.”
The Oldest Current National Flag
I was surprised at the UK one, as I am sure that I have seen the flag in historical dramas, but according to wikipedia, the diagonal red cross of Northern Ireland was not added until 1801. Previously it just consisted of the red cross of St. George and white saltire of St. Andrew from 1606. The cross of St. George (England's flag) dates back to somewhere around 1190, and is still the current flag for England, and if Nicola Sturgeon gets her way, will soon be the flag for the Disunited Kingdom!
Egypt's Pyramids Of Giza May Be Considered One Of The Wonders Of The World, But Sudan Has Nearly Twice The Number Of Pyramids. Sudan Touts 200-255 Known Pyramids, Built For The Kushite Kingdoms Of Nubia, Compared To Egypt's Relatively Paltry 138 Pyramids
How Come We Aren’t Taught About The Mongol Empire That Much In School
Because it was more of a nomadic migration than a proper empire, lacking consolidation and with a military push which lost steam as soon as it encountered the outskirts of the european kindgoms at Wien. It failed to transition to a well structured and controlled empire, and lasted less than 100 years, fractured in a myriad of warlord states, leaving barely any cultural impression in Europe. This, compared to an empire spanning 6 centuries (or 12, depending on how you count it after the split) who laid the foundation for most of today's European nations and introduced major technical and cultural advancements still in use today. That said, the Mongol empire and the golden horde are definitely taught in school.
Second Language
This Is Me At The Lowest Point In Sweden, The Pole Indicates Sea Level
This Is Isla Incahuasi: A Small Rocky Outcropping In The Middle Of The Largest Salt Flat On Earth
This Map Shows All Of The Earthquakes With A Magnitude Greater Than 5.0 Over The Last 20 Years
Since Some People Didn't Know What Landlocked Countries Were, I Decided To Make A Map
Did You Know About The French Border With Brazil?
When, As An American, You Think How Strange It Is For Russia To Have This Little, Unconnected Piece Of Land Surrounded By Another Country… Then Remember Alaska
Note: this post originally had 72 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
This whole thing is a actually pretty interesting, especially the one about the depth of the world's lakes. Superior is by far the coldest of the Great Lakes in th US
Yes, I have been to lake Superior many times, and I only remember one time it was warm enough to swim in! It is about two miles from my Grandpa's farm.
Load More Replies...telemetr.io/en/channels/1485137145-jewishalternativemusic2/posts/4417
This was very enjoyable. I saw 40 entries in this post. If there were more then please bring them back.
This whole thing is a actually pretty interesting, especially the one about the depth of the world's lakes. Superior is by far the coldest of the Great Lakes in th US
Yes, I have been to lake Superior many times, and I only remember one time it was warm enough to swim in! It is about two miles from my Grandpa's farm.
Load More Replies...telemetr.io/en/channels/1485137145-jewishalternativemusic2/posts/4417
This was very enjoyable. I saw 40 entries in this post. If there were more then please bring them back.