Solar Eclipse

Whenever you see spots of sunlight under a shady tree, you are actually seeing an image of the sun.

Proof? Above is an image of the ground under a shady tree during a solar eclipse.

The little holes between the leaves actually act like a pinhole camera and cast an image of the sun on the ground.

In a sense, any light around a shadow is an image of the sun.

Time-Space Storytelling

Published in 1869, Charles Minard's eloquent graphic story is peculiarly relevant in an age of geotagging our own personal data.

Minard's graph of Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812:

Through a sort of flow chart imposed on a map, Minard tells a story of time and space, gracefully documenting multiple variables:

• The army's location in Russia
  
• The direction and path the army traveled
  
• Where units spun off and rejoined
  
• The declining size of the army
  
• The low temperatures during the retreat (retreat shown in black)
• The dates

Look what happened when the army crossed the Berezina river. In France, the word "berezina" is synonymous with the word "disastre". For another data "berezina", check out this horrifying government PPT slide - they could use a few tips from Minard.