Satellites
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists Satellite Database 2012
As a personal project I visualized all the satellites in orbit around the earth. Space science is a huge interest for me, and I wanted to see if I could discover insights about countries space priorities in a single set of data.
The UCS's dataset is thorough. It has information about altitude, apogee, and age but the few most interesting piece are what I selected to map: Which countries have the most satellites, and what are they using them for? Digging in to the data revealed 4 categories of satellites listed across the top of the graphic. I chose to break out these categories using an Alluvial Diagram to generate the most visual impact.
Walking Data - A Year in Steps
A Year in Steps catalogues an entire years worth of pedometer data (2013). Information was recorded from multiple iOS tracking apps including Moves and Argus. It shows the three different cities I lived in that year and the trends of walking in the respective cities. Dips in April and May indicate increased driving in Los Angeles, a city notoriously bad for walking. Contrasting that is the spike in September living in Seattle—a much smaller and more walkable city...
US Unemployment by County
Map of the unemployment rates in each county in the US. The trends show the Appalachian and Rust Belt areas with high unemployment rates. Contrast that with the middle of the country doing very well. This is likely due to the oil boom in North Dakota and the farming subsidies in Nebraska and Kansas. The 2 counties in Arizona with the highest rates of unemployment are home to the Navajo Nation reservation, bringing to light the very real problems native populations have with employment. Similarly, in the third highest county Wade Hampton, Alaska the county is around 92% Native American.
