The First Cuckoo of Spring

The Cuckoo Tracking Project

At the end of March, Hafren (a male adult cuckoo) left the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to begin his epic migration north to England. From Côte d'Ivoire, Hafren skirted the eastern border of Guinea, crossed south-eastern Mali, motored through Mauritania, and—after a journey of around 1,370 miles—arrived in Western Sahara.

By early April, Hafren had reached Mijek in Western Sahara. Over the following days, he continued north, cutting up through Morocco. His path took him near the major cities of Marrakesh and Fes, before reaching the north Moroccan coast near Temsaman commune in Driouch Province on Saturday, 5 April. Hafren's most recent signal shows that he has now set off across the Mediterranean. If all goes well, he should soon arrive in Spain, somewhere between Malaga and Almeria.

Hafren is just one of 15 cuckoos being tracked as part of the British Trust for Ornithology's Cuckoo Tracking Project. Since 2011, the project has tagged more than 100 birds and tracked their annual migratory journeys from the UK to Africa and back again. Now is a great time to check out the project's live tracking map. Male cuckoos typically arrive in Britain towards the end of April or the beginning of May, which means the map is about to become very active. Wilfred and Hafren have already begun their northward journeys, and they will soon be joined by the other 13 cuckoos.

Over the years, the project has uncovered important insights into cuckoo migration. There are two main routes taken by the birds: one through Spain and one via Italy. Data shows that cuckoos migrating via Spain have a higher mortality rate than those taking the Italian route. Interestingly, the birds using the Spanish route also tend to come from areas of the UK where cuckoo populations have declined.

3D Racing Games

GLENN is a fun (though very basic) driving game built on a 3D Mapbox map. Essentially, it lets you drive a small 3D car around a map of any location in the world.

A lot of the appeal of GLENN comes from being able to explore a 3D version of your own neighborhood. However, there are several other enjoyable features that help keep the game interesting. For example, there are four time-trial races where you can test your driving skills on predefined routes set in some of the world’s most iconic locations.

There's also an option to view the locations of other players and 'teleport' to join them. You can then chase each other around the map, aided by a handy inset map showing the locations of nearby drivers. When you're tired of driving yourself, you can even kick back and enjoy 'cinematic' tours of famous cities around the globe. These 'cinematics' offer quick sightseeing tours of each city's most iconic landmarks.

The major drawback of GLENN is the lack of collision detection. This means you can drive straight through buildings (which I guess may not be seen as a drawback by some).

Via: Webcurios 

I’ve seen quite a few 3D simulation games over the years, and GLENN has quickly joined Travel Cat as one of my favorites. In Travel Cat, you pilot a feline-flown plane - and soaring past the Eiffel Tower in Paris or around the Statue of Liberty in New York as a cat is just as enchanting as it sounds. It’s also a lot of fun.

Travel Cat uses Google Maps API’s 3D view to create a flight simulator that lets you explore anywhere in the world. The game’s charm lies primarily in its whimsical protagonist - a fearless feline pilot. Google's 3D map view enhances this experience, delivering a surprisingly immersive low-altitude flight simulator. Whether you're gliding over landmarks or cruising through streets and waterways, Travel Cat offers a delightful blend of exploration and whimsy that sets it apart from other map-based 3D simulators.

The History Quiz Map!

Journey Through Time: Test Your Knowledge with "1000 Years"!

Are you a history buff? Do you love maps? If so, get ready for an exciting adventure through time with 1000 Years! This engaging map-based game challenges your knowledge of world history by asking you to guess the years of significant events.

What is "1000 Years"?

"1000 Years" is a unique educational game that combines geography and history. You'll navigate a world map, select countries, and answer questions about historical events that occurred within them. Your goal is to get as close to the correct year as possible, managing your "remaining years" as you go.

How to Play:

1. Start the Game:

   • When you first load the game, you'll see an introductory screen. Click the "Start Game" button to begin your historical journey.
   • The world map will appear, displaying various countries.

2. Select a Country:

   • Countries highlighted in red have questions associated with them. Click on a red country (either the country's label or its polygon) to begin a question round.
   • Completed countries will appear in green, with their achieved score displayed alongside their name.

3. Answer the Questions:

   • You'll be presented with 10 questions related to the selected country.
   • Read each question carefully and enter your guess for the year in the input box.
   • Click "Check Answer" to see how close you were.
   • If you are incorrect, the number of years you were off will be deducted from your remaining years.
   • If you run out of years, the game will end.
   • After answering all 10 questions, you'll see a summary of your scores for that country.
   • Click "Pick Another Country" to return to the map.

4. Manage Your "Remaining Years":

   • You start with 1000 years. The closer your guesses, the more years you retain.
   • An incorrect answer will deduct the number of years you were off from your remaining total.
   • A progress bar at the bottom of the map will display your remaining years.

Viewing Statistics:

Want to see how well you're doing? The game provides detailed statistics:

• Click the "Game Stats" button located at the bottom of the map.
• You'll see:
  • The number of countries you've completed.
  • Your completion percentage.
  • Your average score.
  • A progress bar showing your completion percentage.

Clearing Your Score (Clearing Local Storage):

If you want to start fresh and clear your progress, follow these simple steps:

• Press Ctrl + X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + X (Mac) while the game is running.
• A confirmation alert will appear, and your local storage will be cleared.
• The page will automatically reload, resetting your game to its initial state.

Play 1000 Years

The Treasure Hunting Game

I’ve been having a great time this morning playing Geotreasure, a new game that challenges you to find a hidden location on a map by solving a series of geographic clues. The game is apparently based on the 'Treasure Island' board game, though I haven’t played the original, so I can’t say how closely it follows the source material.

Each game takes place in one of three cities (currently Paris, London, or San Francisco) - where your goal is to uncover a hidden treasure. To guide your search, you’re given three location-based clues. Solving a clue is as simple as clicking on the spot you believe it refers to. If you guess correctly, you can then define a search area on the map, and the game will tell you whether the treasure is inside that area or not.

By solving clues, you gradually narrow down the possible location of the treasure. Once your search area is small enough, you can dig for it - but be careful! You only have three digs, so you need to be precise.

Overall, Geotreasure is a lot of fun. My only complaint is that there’s no real penalty for getting a clue wrong. Even if you misidentify a location, you can still define a search area, which reduces the incentive to solve the clues correctly. I think some nuance could be added here - for example, the size of the search radius you’re allowed after each clue could depend on how accurately you pinpointed its correct location on the map. This would encourage players to think more carefully about their guesses and add an extra layer of strategy to the game.

Donald Trump Surrenders the World to China

The China Index is an interactive map that ranks the expanding influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across the globe. Using 99 distinct indicators - from media sponsorships to academic partnerships - the index tracks Beijing’s deepening reach, updated annually to highlight its accelerating dominance.

The map ranks countries around the world based on how much they are under the sway of Chinese influence. According to the Index currently China has the most influence on Pakistan, Cambodia and Singapore. However China’s strategic investments and partnerships are reshaping political and economic alliances around the whole world, at a time when the United States is becoming more isolationist and, under Donald Trump, imposing trading restrictions on its economic partners.

The Lowy Institute’s trade map starkly illustrates the seismic shift in the global influence of China and the USA. The map shows that 70% of countries now trade more with China than with the U.S. - a dramatic reversal from 2000, when over 80% relied on American markets. Trump’s aggressive new tariffs, rather than reasserting U.S. economic leadership, risk accelerating America’s decline as a preferred trade partner. With half the world already trading twice as much with China, Washington’s protectionist turn will only cement Beijing’s advantage.

In terms of exports, the United States remains a larger export destination than China for more than half of all economies. However, given Donald Trump’s 'Liberation Day' tariffs, the United States' is quickly losing its appeal as an export destination. At the very same time Trump's economic policy has very few ideas as to how the United States' will increase its own exports. In fact there are growing movements abroad to boycott American products and service in response to Trump's tariffs.

The Global Influence Index further confirms China’s ascendancy. While the U.S. clings to historical ties in Europe - now jeopardized by Trump’s 20% tariffs on the EU - China is making decisive gains across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Beijing’s "sustained and deliberate engagement" has turned entire regions toward its orbit, visualized in the GII’s vivid red dominance.

Together, these maps reveal an irreversible trend: China is eclipsing the U.S. as the world’s preeminent economic power. As America retreats behind tariffs and isolation, Beijing’s calculated global strategy is rewriting the rules of influence - and Donald Trump is keen to help them.