Frank Jacobs

Frank Jacobs

Journalist, writer, and blogger

strange maps

Frank Jacobs is Big Think's "Strange Maps" columnist.

From a young age, Frank was fascinated by maps and atlases, and the stories they contained. Finding his birthplace on the map in the endpapers of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings only increased his interest in the mystery and message of maps.

While pursuing a career in journalism, Frank started a blog called Strange Maps, as a repository for the weird and wonderful cartography he found hidden in books, posing as everyday objects and (of course) floating around the Internet.

"Each map tells a story, but the stories told by your standard atlas for school or reference are limited and literal: they show only the most practical side of the world, its geography and its political divisions. Strange Maps aims to collect and comment on maps that do everything but that - maps that show the world from a different angle".

A remit that wide allows for a steady, varied diet of maps: Frank has been writing about strange maps since 2006, published a book on the subject in 2009 and joined Big Think in 2010. Readers send in new material daily, and he keeps bumping in to cartography that is delightfully obscure, amazingly beautiful, shockingly partisan, and more.

Everything Videos Articles
A world map displays global climate zones with colors representing varying levels of temperature and precipitation: green for temperate, yellow for arid, orange and red for hotter regions, and blue for wet zones.
Strange Maps
Why Earth’s oceans aren’t all equally salty
The salinity of the oceans is not just a matter of taste. Saltier water behaves differently, too.
Frank Jacobs
A historical timeline featuring notable figures from 1400 to present, including scientists, writers, politicians, and artists. The timeline is categorized by different historical eras.
Strange Maps
Mapping time: The surprising overlaps of history’s most influential minds
"The Big Map of Who Lived When" plots the lifespans of historical figures — from Eminem all the way back to Genghis Khan.
Frank Jacobs
This graph shows the highest recorded temperatures in five Middle Eastern cities from 2010 to 2020. The temperatures range from 49.9°C to 53°C. An inset map highlights the locations of the cities.
Strange Maps
Earth’s hottest cities are all in this little corner of the planet
You could call this rectangle covering parts of Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula the “Oven Window.”
Frank Jacobs
Map of Europe showing various countries shaded in blue with percentages indicating approval ratings for joining the European Union. Notable figures: Ukraine 77%, UK 52%, Serbia 44%, Turkey 49%.
Strange Maps
A continental shift: EU membership grows in popularity (even in the UK)
Absence makes the heart (and public opinion) grow fonder.
Frank Jacobs
Four images of tennis matches on grass courts, showing different stages of play, each with two players. The courts show varying degrees of wear from fresh to significantly worn.
Strange Maps
Do these pictures prove tennis is dead?
How has tennis changed in recent decades? The wear and tear on Wimbledon’s Centre Court may tell the tale.
Frank Jacobs
An old building with visible sections from four eras labeled: "REPUBLIC ERA," "OTTOMAN EMPIRE," "BYZANTINE EMPIRE," and "ROMAN EMPIRE" from top to bottom. Left side shows the building; right side shows the labeled eras.
Strange Maps
This Istanbul house was built in four historical eras
19 rooms. 1,636 square feet. 1,800 years of history.
Frank Jacobs
A map of Australia showing probability of species presence with color gradients from low (blue) to high (red). Insets display detailed regions. Arrows indicate the Northern and Southern entry points.
Strange Maps
The first Australians were Lévy walkers
A new method of mapping migration factors in erratic movements and changing climate.
Frank Jacobs
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