Pharyngula

Posted by: Holydust | September 8, 2009 12:56 PM

Damnit. I am a character artist, and a decent one... and I LIVE in Texas, and even *I* can't just draw it off the top of my head.

Posted by: Glen Davidson | September 8, 2009 12:57 PM

Ooh, that's impressive, if rather a useless talent.

I'll be more impressed when I see a politician draw the endosymbiotic relationships between eukaryotes and their mitochondria and chloroplasts, however. Probably more because they understand how to use evidence than because they know those particular facts, though.

Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/mxaa3p

Posted by: Bostonian | September 8, 2009 12:59 PM

I'd like to see Norm Coleman do that. In fact, if Minnesota hadn't had such a well-defined recount system, that's probably how the election should have been decided. :)

Posted by: Kausik Datta | September 8, 2009 1:02 PM

There is no way he had memorized the positions and exact boundaries of all the states including Alaska! How the heck did he do it?

Most impressive!

Posted by: Ian Monroe | September 8, 2009 1:04 PM

He would do this in the opening segment for the on-TV Air America show he did. I didn't realize it was simply freehand.

Posted by: Sigmund | September 8, 2009 1:05 PM

"Most Americans can't even point out all of the states on a map, let alone draw one, and that accurately. I think this is a sign that we need to start electing more SNL alumni to senate."
It could have done with more cowbell.

Posted by: murgadroid | September 8, 2009 1:05 PM

@#8 - might I add "select" SNL alumni!

Posted by: RM | September 8, 2009 1:09 PM

Anyone got a link to a long-form version where we can hear what he's saying as he draws it?

Posted by: nigelTheBold, Minister of Spankings | September 8, 2009 1:10 PM

There is no way he had memorized the positions and exact boundaries of all the states including Alaska!

Bah. He screwed up Alaska. He placed it about where the Yukon Territories are, and made it about 1/3 the correct size.

I'm failing him, since he completely misrepresented the greatest state in the union.

(Actually, I was too impressed with the rest to be offended. Much.)

Posted by: The Pint | September 8, 2009 1:13 PM

Jebus. You mean to say that Al has knowledge that extends OUTSIDE of his own state and representative interests? This guy is way too smart to be a Senator. I'm not looking forward to seeing his intelligence and well-meaning enthusiasm for his job crushed by Congress like a beer can against a frat boy's skull.

Posted by: Doug Little | September 8, 2009 1:14 PM

@17

He put a border around it which would indicate that it is not to scale and not in the correct position because of the scale of the continuous 48 states.

Posted by: Doubting Jerry | September 8, 2009 1:19 PM

My inner skeptic wants a good clean close-up shot of that white-board he was using, while he was doing it, just to prove that there weren't any faint blue lines already on it.

Otherwise...very cool!

Posted by: Die Anyway | September 8, 2009 1:20 PM

A senator who can draw a pretty damn good map of the U.S. and a president who speaks grammatically correct English (American style) and a half-a-nation of parents who don't want their kids listening to either one.
Republicans = sore losers.

Posted by: Gregory Greenwood | September 8, 2009 1:21 PM

Wow. That was quite the feat of cartography. I particularly liked the silent movie era background music. All that was missing were those old fashioned dialogue boxes. And maybe Ken Ham as a moustache-twirling, tophat-wearing villain tying an atherist to some train tracks.

Posted by: Ray Moscow | September 8, 2009 1:25 PM

One only has to read Frankin's books to see that he's a lot brighter than the average politician.

The video of him handling some tough "teabag" questioning showed him to have some really good communication skills, too.

Go, Al! We need more like you.

Posted by: AdamK | September 8, 2009 1:33 PM

He used to just do the contiguous 48 states, and only added Alaska and Hawaii after he joined the Senate and the senators from those states complained. He still doesn't do Hawaii very well, IMO.

Posted by: Carlie | September 8, 2009 1:33 PM

I have to draw a map of the world in class all the time, but it always looks kind of like a buffalo on top of a turnip next to a word balloon on top of another turnip with a wad of gum in the lower right corner. The students all laugh, but it gets the job done.

Posted by: Dennis | September 8, 2009 1:38 PM

Pretty impressive - I'm sure few (if any) other congress people could do that, even of their own state.
I had to do exactly that in order to pass geography in college, but couldn't do it today.

Posted by: Dornier Pfeil | September 8, 2009 1:41 PM

@Ray Moscow,
Linky?

Posted by: Jesse | September 8, 2009 1:42 PM

@#3 - Useless unless you're running for the Senate...

Posted by: Holydust | September 8, 2009 1:46 PM

To all skeptics, if he's been doing it for 20 years, it is not at all hard to believe he is doing it freehand, by memory. :) you could too, with that much practice.

Posted by: Amenhotepstein | September 8, 2009 1:52 PM

Peter G @ 32

Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and, ummmm, Hawaii?

Amirite?

Posted by: Ray Moscow | September 8, 2009 1:53 PM

Dornier Pfeil @37: I meant the vid that PZ linked to a few days ago: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/09/why_i_am_glad_al_franken_is_ou.php

Posted by: Peter G | September 8, 2009 1:57 PM

Close but no cigar Amenhotepstein. The Aleutians extend west across the meridian at which point by convention they become east. Next question. What is the most northerly continental state?

Posted by: Amenhotepstein | September 8, 2009 2:00 PM

Peter G,

East and west are usually measured through the prime meridian at Greenwich, no? You're using the international date line.

Using the prime meridian I would be, ahem, correct.

Posted by: Dornier Pfeil | September 8, 2009 2:04 PM

Many kind thanks Ray, I don't catch PZ every day and don't often go thru the archives.

Posted by: redwood | September 8, 2009 2:05 PM

Another quiz on the flight that someone did win was how many state capitals are named after presidents and what are they? You have 30 seconds--go!

Posted by: Dave X | September 8, 2009 2:09 PM

During the '87 Letterman video, see #20, Franken said he learned this skill for a bar bet.

I'd bet him a beer to see it live.

Posted by: Peter G | September 8, 2009 2:12 PM

@52 Another trap avoided. Continental would, of course again be Alaska. Let's try contiguous? Re my first question: the International dateline only roughly follows the 180 meridian, opposite the Greenwich. Yea redwood.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | September 8, 2009 2:14 PM

i'll be the first to admit i'd fail such an assignment (and not because I can't draw). I only have a very vague idea of where most of the states are located. I could probably do the westcoast plus the northern-border states up to minnesota, but that's it :-p

Posted by: JBlilie | September 8, 2009 2:16 PM

While traveling around the world, I was asked about the US by various people. I was able to draw (and correctly label) a nearly exact map of the US from memory. The only really hard bit is the Ohio River valley area.

I was also able to draw (and correctly label) a world map, pretty accurate except for the small nations in western Africa and northern South America.

(I always used to sweep the competition in the "Geography" category in Trivial Pursuit. Just don't ask me about the "entertain" (pink) category -- hopeless.)

Redwood @48:

No one could do it because it's a trick question. The answers are N-Alaska, S-Hawaii, W-Alaska (Aleutian Islands) and E-Alaska (same Aleutian Islands cross the International Date Line). If I'm wrong

You are correct and it's not a trick question. East and west meet on the globe and the rule (where they meet) is inevitably arbitrary. You just need to know the rule; and everyone should.

Posted by: classicsgirl | September 8, 2009 2:20 PM

I think it's 3 states: Mississippi (Jackson), Missouri (Jefferson City), and Wisconsin (Madison). Right or no?

Posted by: CW | September 8, 2009 2:22 PM

@nigel

He screwed up Alaska. He placed it about where the Yukon Territories are...

I meant to say "Yukon and Northwest Territories."

Posted by: NitricAcid | September 8, 2009 2:26 PM

NigelTheBold:

The Alaska he's drawn is nowhere near the Yukon; he's put it in southern British Columbia.

Canada ain't that small.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | September 8, 2009 2:27 PM

(same Aleutian Islands cross the International Date Line). If I'm wrong, sue the airline, okay?

weeeelll.... I just checked, and while the 180 meridian indeed cuts the Aleutian islands in half, the official International Date Line does a little zig-zag around them and includes them fully into the Western part.

Posted by: Rieux | September 8, 2009 2:30 PM

redwood @64:

@63 One more . . .

Posted by: Pablo | September 8, 2009 2:32 PM

The Alaska he's drawn is nowhere near the Yukon; he's put it in southern British Columbia.

Canada ain't that small.

Maybe he's doing a non-mercatur projected version? (or anti-mercatur projection?)

Posted by: JBlilie | September 8, 2009 2:35 PM

Cape Blanco in Oregon for Westernmost in the "lower 48"

Posted by: classicsgirl | September 8, 2009 2:39 PM

Doh! Nebraska!

Posted by: JBlilie | September 8, 2009 2:41 PM

The Alaska he's drawn is nowhere near the Yukon; he's put it in southern British Columbia. Canada ain't that small.

Maybe he's doing a non-mercatur projected version? (or anti-mercatur projection?)

He drew an inset line around Alaska: Obviously not intended to be in its correct position, except notionally as north and west. Hawaii as draw would be in the Gulf of Mexico (or maybe in Mexico).

Canada is about the same size as the US: Very big. But only about 34-million population, with something like 95% of them within 100 miles of the US border.

Posted by: --E | September 8, 2009 2:47 PM

In the lower 48, your extremes are:

N: Minnesota (the little nubbin up top breaks what would otherwise be a 5-way tie)

S: Florida

E: Maine

W: Washington, I believe, narrowly edges out Oregon and CA

Posted by: AlanWCan | September 8, 2009 2:49 PM

Posted by: Jake | September 8, 2009 1:02 PM
Most Americans can't even point out all of the states on a map, let alone draw one, and that accurately. I think this is a sign that we need to start electing more SNL alumni to senate.

This is from 2006, but I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if it had changed much for the better since then: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12591413/

Among the findings:

*One-third of respondents couldn’t pinpoint Louisiana on a map and 48 percent were unable to locate Mississippi.

*Fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news and just 14 percent believe speaking another language is a necessary skill.

*Two-thirds didn’t know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.

*Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

*While the outsourcing of jobs to India has been a major U.S. business story, 47 percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.

*While Israeli-Palestinian strife has been in the news for the entire lives of the respondents, 75 percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.

*Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.

*Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.

Posted by: NitricAcid | September 8, 2009 2:53 PM

JBlilie #79: I got that- it was Nigel I was correcting, not Al.

Posted by: Clemens | September 8, 2009 3:00 PM

@83
So much for "With great power comes great responsibility".

I guess for those people it's only the U.S. in the center of the world, the rest is labeled "here be dragons".

Posted by: JBlilie | September 8, 2009 3:12 PM

"I guess for those people it's only the U.S. in the center of the world, the rest is labeled "here be dragons"."

US national weather maps generally show nothing north or south of the 48 states either. Pretty silly, since much of the weather comes from "out there."

@66:

I was referring to the E/W in Alaska, not the IDL. The IDL winds all over the place and is only loosely with longitude, generally speaking. Like other time zone lines: Politics, not geography.

Posted by: Rieux | September 8, 2009 3:16 PM

redwood @74: I've posted a response, though it appears it's being held up (I probably threw in too many hyperlinks).

But c'mon, folks, does no one see a fifth capital-and-state that fits redwood's description?

[H]ow many state capitals are named after presidents and what are they?

Posted by: william e emba | September 8, 2009 3:17 PM

Related geography trivia: which states have land that can be accessed by land from Canada that cannot be accessed by land from the rest of the state? (In other words, islands don't count.)

Alaska is not on the list, although it seems close. One answer is fairly well-known, easily visible on most maps. The other answer is just plain ridiculous.

Posted by: nigelTheBold, Minister of Spankings | September 8, 2009 3:25 PM

*sigh*

After watching the video again, Franken put AK in BC. Damn my poor spacial perception.

Next time, I shall thoroughly research my off-the-cuff facetious comments.

My apologies to Canada, and especially the provinces which I have besmirched.

Posted by: Rieux | September 8, 2009 3:34 PM

which states have land that can be accessed by land from Canada that cannot be accessed by land from the rest of the state? (In other words, islands don't count.) Alaska is not on the list, although it seems close. One answer is fairly well-known, easily visible on most maps. The other answer is just plain ridiculous.

Depending on what "can be accessed by land" means, I would also offer Alburg, Vermont, which can be reached from the rest of Vermont (or from New York) by bridges across Lake Champlain, but whose only literal land connection is to Canada.

Posted by: Bill | September 8, 2009 3:42 PM

I can’t resist sticking in my own nerdy 2-cents’ worth:

So what’t the farthest south of all U.S. lands including unincorporated territories?

And how about the farthest west in the direction of travel from the continental U.S.

– among U.S. territories?

– among the freely associated states (members of the former “Trust Territory”)?

Posted by: Heaventree | September 8, 2009 3:46 PM

Bill #99: South: Scott-Amundson station. Does that count as U.S. land?

Posted by: captnkurt | September 8, 2009 3:48 PM

@ Rieux #91
Despite the awesomeness that would have entailed from having Gilligan as leader of the free world, Bob Denver never won an election...

But c'mon, folks, does no one see a fifth capital-and-state that fits redwood's description?

Posted by: Evolving Squid | September 8, 2009 3:50 PM

OK, I am officially impressed.

I bet half our Canadian representatives couldn't draw Canada off the top of their head.

Posted by: freelunch | September 8, 2009 3:54 PM

To be picky, Jackson was named after Andrew before he became president. Does that count?

Posted by: amphiox | September 8, 2009 3:54 PM

#105:
But how many of us would be those who legitimately don't know their geography, and how many would be the ones who just can't draw?

Though I must say, taking out the maritimes, drawing Canada is much easier than drawing the US.

#104:
By our pinko commie socialist utopia Canadian standards, certainly. By typical U.S. standards, Alberta would be just slightly right of center. (Take out liberal Edmonton and perhaps just a little bit more than right of center).

Posted by: amphiox | September 8, 2009 4:00 PM

re #98:

I thought the order was 1: Russia, 2: Canada, 3:U.S.A, 4:China (3 vs 4 might depend on things like including or not including Hawaii, Taiwan, Tibet, Outer Mongolia, Hong Kong, etc - it's that close I think)

But the difference in size between Canada, U.S.A, and China is pretty small, a couple percent total area or so at most. So to say the Canada and the U.S. are about the same size, as in post #78 is not entirely inaccurate.

Posted by: amphiox | September 8, 2009 4:03 PM

#92:

There is a way to access Alaska by land from the rest of the continental U.S.?

Posted by: konstanty | September 8, 2009 4:14 PM

Thats great, now fix the economy.

Posted by: william e emba | September 8, 2009 4:15 PM

There is a way to access Alaska by land from the rest of the continental U.S.?

No. Why are you asking?

Posted by: JBlilie | September 8, 2009 4:16 PM

Bismarck: Named after Otto von B, President of Prussia

State Capitals:

Alabama Montgomery
Alaska Juneau
Arizona Phoenix
Arkansas Little Rock
California Sacramento
Colorado Denver
Connecticut Hartford
Delaware Dover
Florida Tallahassee
Georgia Atlanta
Hawaii Honolulu
Idaho Boise
Illinois Springfield
Indiana Indianapolis
Iowa Des Moines
Kansas Topeka
Kentucky Frankfort
Louisiana Baton Rouge
Maine Augusta
Maryland Annapolis
Massachusetts Boston
Michigan Lansing
Minnesota Saint Paul
Mississippi Jackson
Missouri Jefferson City
Montana Helena
Nebraska Lincoln
Nevada Carson City
New Hampshire Concord
New Jersey Trenton
NewMexico Santa Fe
New York Albany
North Carolina Raleigh
North Dakota Bismarck
Ohio Columbus
Oklahoma Oklahoma City
Oregon Salem
Pennsylvania Harrisburg
Rhode Island Providence
South Carolina Columbia
South Dakota Pierre
Tennessee Nashville
Texas Austin
Utah Salt Lake City
Vermont Montpelier
Virginia Richmond
Washington Olympia
West Virginia Charleston
Wisconsin Madison
Wyoming Cheyenne

Posted by: NixNoctua | September 8, 2009 4:19 PM

That's your senator? You lucky bastards!

Posted by: Tilting At Windmills | September 8, 2009 4:26 PM

Then there's "What's the name of the only city in Canada that has a foreign country north of it?"

I assume you mean directly north and that would be Windsor, Ontario which is directly south of Detroit.

Posted by: Nominal Egg | September 8, 2009 4:32 PM

Nobody has mentioned Carson City, Nevada.
Johnny Carson was President of The Tonight Show for quite a long time.
I'm pretty sure that city was named for him.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | September 8, 2009 4:33 PM

Bismarck was a Chancellor, not a President

Posted by: Meng Bomin | September 8, 2009 4:36 PM

I wonder what world map projection you would prefer he do. I personally am fond of the Peirce quincuncial projection.

Posted by: Candy | September 8, 2009 4:37 PM

The discussion of the relative sizes of Canada and the U.S. made me remember Bob & Doug McKenzie and the Great White North skit on SCTV, which brought a badly needed chuckle to my day.

My ex, who is a professional artist, said he thinks Franken does this using pre-indentation, sort of an embossing by tracing prior to the event. There are no visible lines and it's undetectable from the audience. I told him he's just a cynic, but I suppose it's possible. However, the fact that Sen. Franken has been doing this for such a long time leads me to believe that he has, in fact, memorized it.

Posted by: freelunch | September 8, 2009 4:41 PM

But Bismarck was never president of Prussia or Germany. He was the prime minister (if you must keep a cognate: the presiding minister seems best but president of the parliament might do) and had the same role under the name of Chancellor. A president is the head of state and Bismarck was never head of state (that was the job of the Prussian/German king (Most of the time one of the Wilhelms) that he was working under).

Posted by: Dornier Pfeil | September 8, 2009 4:44 PM

After checking I find I am only half right. Austin is the capital of Texas but Austin was never a president of Texas.

Posted by: Rieux | September 8, 2009 4:52 PM

But Bismarck was never president of Prussia or Germany.

A president is the head of state....

The question was not which state capitals were named after "heads of state."

Posted by: Crux Australis | September 8, 2009 4:54 PM

I haven't seen the video yet (I'm at work), but...as a teacher, I've seen this trick before. Simply draw a light pencil drawing of the shape on the board, and trace over it. Looks very convincing.

Posted by: Jake | September 8, 2009 4:55 PM

Frak, I can't even draw the state that I've lived in for the past 20 years.

Posted by: Rieux | September 8, 2009 5:04 PM

I wrote:

Yes, he was. He was the Minister-President of Prussia from 1862 to 1867.

Posted by: freelunch | September 8, 2009 5:09 PM

"He was the Minister-President of Prussia from 1862 to 1867."

Which is why I said he was not president. The title you offer is not the same title as president.

Still, he managed to get a national health plan passed a lot faster than we have.

Posted by: william e emba | September 8, 2009 5:30 PM

On a further Texas note, in 1836, Texan independence from Mexico was declared in Washington, later renamed Washington-on-the-Brazos to distinguish it from that "other" Washington. The leaders of the rebellion were there, running a provisional "government" for two weeks until the Mexican army chased after them. Then the Mexicans were defeated a month later, and Washington was the temporary capital of Texas.

Eventually, in 1839, the city of Waterloo was selected as the permanent capital. In fact, it still is the capital of Texas, but they changed its name.

Posted by: dahan | September 8, 2009 5:53 PM

Not that impressive. He missed the state of "Franklinia". Never heard of it? It sort of existed for a very brief period of time between Tennassee and North Carolin.

Antique map collectors like myself are willing to sell first-born and more important things to get one.

http://jefferson.tngenealogy.net/research-aids/16-maps/517-wylds-map-of-franklinia

I want one in the worst way.

As was alluded to before. He lost a bar bet to name the 50 states over twenty years ago and was so ashamed he decided to learn how to do this trick.

Posted by: Pygmy Loris | September 8, 2009 5:57 PM

@ 126

#113: No. But Alaska is not on the list, because there is no part of Alaska that you can only get to from some other part of Alaska by driving through Canada, or using a boat or plane. By contrast, to get to Point Roberts from, say, Seattle, you either need to take a ferry or drive through Canada.

Would you please give me driving directions from Juneau to Anchorage? I'll give you a hint: unless you want to take a ferry (a boat), you have to go through Canada.

BTW, depending on how this question was originally worded, you can't get to the UP of Michigan from the LP without crossing a bridge.

Posted by: Bill | September 8, 2009 6:25 PM

Heaventree #101: “South: Scott-Amundson station. Does that count as U.S. land?”

Cool answer! I don’t think anybody owns Antarctica, though. Besides, if we allow research stations and military bases, Thule Air Base would be farthest north, not any place in Alaska.

I was thinking of places that have permanent civilian populations and real local civilian governments.

OK, American Samoa @ ca. 14.3° S. Aside from that and the uninhabited Jarvis Island at 22′ S., all the U.S., including possessions, is in the Northern Hemisphere.

(A side effect of a recent task at work was learning what is, and is not, the U.S. I had to know who gets “domestic” U.S. mail service and what time zones they’re in. I enjoy learning nerdy stuff like that. 8-))

Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | September 8, 2009 6:26 PM

It's too accurate to be real, isn't it?

It's not completely accurate. Kentucky and Virginia are too fat, for instance.

(I've spent months looking at http://www.electoral-vote.com daily.)

Posted by: TrekkinBob | September 8, 2009 6:34 PM

He left out the Seward Penninsula, but otherwise I'm content with his rendition of Alaska. I'm glad Palin is currently falling off the map. http://www.juneauroad.com/facts.html

Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | September 8, 2009 6:41 PM

Командорские острова

Fixed it for you.

Posted by: peter | September 8, 2009 7:05 PM

Believe it or not, I could do that when I was in the first grade - I was crazy about geography for some reason at that age.

Posted by: Mark | September 8, 2009 7:18 PM

The Wal-mart crowd (eg, the GOP base) is scratching their heads and wondering how Al Franken knows how to draw the Soviet Union so well.

Posted by: skepsci | September 8, 2009 7:28 PM

Although, on further investigation, you could do it, as long as you used an off-road vehicle, ignored local laws, and could find a place to ford the inlet above dry bay.

Posted by: Pygmy Loris | September 8, 2009 7:32 PM

Looking at Alaska a little closer, you may be able to walk from Juneau to Anchorage, but I'm not sure. South of the Taku Inlet which crosses the USA-Canadian border, there are clearly parts of Alaska that can only be accessed from Canada regardless of your mode of land transportation. I think Mr. Emba is simply wrong, or should have worded his question differently.

I stand by the inclusion of Michigan based on his original wording. The UP cannot be accessed by land (need to cross a bridge) from the LP. Perhaps bridges and ferries are considered access from land for this particular question, but that would sorta defeat the purpose of the question. After all, I can get on a plane (on land) and fly from Juneau to Anchorage, and then land (on land). That sort of interpretation would be silly though :)

Posted by: Qwerty | September 8, 2009 7:40 PM

I watched both the above video and the Letterman video. I like the way he draws my home state of Minnesota first. (Of course, it's his home state too.)

If you watch both, you'll see that he does it in about the same order of Minnesota to Wisconsin, then upper middle America, then the northeast to the southeast; then the northwest and finishing with the southwestern states of California and Arizona.

It was very impressive.

Posted by: BG | September 8, 2009 7:53 PM

I often challenge people to name all 50 states in 10 mins. They all usually laugh and say no problem, in fact there is no reason to even do it.

Well, in 15 years, I have met exactly 1 person who can pull it off. It is the most safe bet I ever make.

Try it, but no cheating, writing instrument, piece of paper and a watch. Someone else has to check it as you might very well end up with duplicates.

The average is about 45 or 47 maybe. I think I got 45 when I tried it.

Posted by: Osthato | September 8, 2009 8:22 PM

@172

That's exactly how I memorized it, and it's even better since they're already in alphabetical order.

Was able to write them all down in 3:43

Posted by: Carlie | September 8, 2009 8:43 PM

Here's a real stumper: What's the only Missouri town that can only be accessed by land from Illinois?

Huh. I grew up on that border, and I have no idea. Just scouted the map, and I still don't know.

Posted by: Carlie | September 8, 2009 8:53 PM

Argh. Where's the edit button again? Newcums Chute.

Posted by: freelunch | September 8, 2009 9:11 PM

I often challenge people to name all 50 states in 10 mins.

I can name all fifty without a problem, but not in alphabetical order. I'll generally start in New England and go from there. I have no idea what they are in alpha order or why I would care.

I believe the question was which ones you could not get to without going through Canada. It's no problem at all to drive to the UP from the lower peninsula by going around Lake Michigan. There's a very nice route for those who want to be close to it the whole time.

Posted by: Hypatia's Daughter | September 8, 2009 9:12 PM

The average is about 45 or 47 maybe. I think I got 45 when I tried it.

Posted by: Jimmy | September 8, 2009 9:30 PM

@189 Dammit, forgot to use preview. That would be, of course, Delaware.

Posted by: Jimmy | September 8, 2009 9:33 PM

I give up...another boo boo..sigh

Posted by: strange gods before me | September 8, 2009 9:38 PM

Kaskaskia Illinois reminds me one of the things I love about Wikipedia.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 9 people, 4 households, and 3 families residing in the village. The population density was 83.0 people per square mile (31.6/km²). There were 5 housing units at an average density of 46.1/sq mi (17.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 77.78% White, 11.11% Pacific Islander, 11.11% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.22% of the population.

Highly significant digits.

Posted by: Mark | September 8, 2009 9:49 PM

If you can't draw them, maybe you can try to remember (and spell) the fifty states in less than 10 minutes.

Posted by: Evolving Squid | September 8, 2009 10:01 PM

Would you please give me driving directions from Juneau to Anchorage?

It's been a few years since I was last in Juneau, but I'm pretty sure there are no roads outside the "urban" area... i.e. you can't drive to/from Juneau from anywhere.

Posted by: Jimmy | September 9, 2009 12:20 AM

Evolving Squid,

As a former 47 year resident of Alaska I can confirm the fact that it is impossible to drive from Juneau to...well...anywhere. Not counting Douglas, of course.

Posted by: llewelly | September 9, 2009 1:42 AM

I knew a math and science teacher who could draw the Mediterranean and surrounding nations in about 3 minutes. Thing is ... he could do it for seemingly any period in history, from about 2500 BCE to about 1985, and he'd label lots of major cities too. And if he was talking about a war, he'd put in major troop movements. If he was talking about math or science, he'd tell you where various mathematicians, scientists and philosophers lived, where they made their important discoveries. Anytime a relevant topic came up, he'd either head for the nearest blackboard, or pull out pen and paper, and draw the map.

Posted by: ChrisF | September 9, 2009 3:29 AM

The geography buffs in here might like the site called www.geosense.net. "A one or two player geography based game. Compete against another online opponent to place a city on a world map as quickly and accurately as you can."

Posted by: Kitty | September 9, 2009 5:15 AM

Maps are wonderful things, taking you off to faraway places without leaving home.

In the 1960's grammar school, as an A-level geography student, we had to learn to draw our chosen areas of study freehand so we could illustrate exam essays. I was able to knock off accurate maps of Africa and Europe in a couple of minutes and can still do a passable rendition. A well drawn map was better than 250 words of text and gained more marks.

My friend and I counted how many times we'd drawn Africa in our 2 years of A-level - 790 times! Practice makes perfect and it helps if a good teacher shows you all the tricks to get the scale right - mine was inspirational, thanks Miss Robinson.

Posted by: JBlilie | September 9, 2009 7:57 AM

KM@150

I guess is depends on your definition of quick. It's not too difficult to download areas from Wikipedia or elsewhere and mathc them in a spreadheet.

All the best, JB

Posted by: AJS | September 9, 2009 10:04 AM

Colour me impressed.

Not only is that a great party trick, it's actually relevant.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't even do it for my own country. Well, I could probably get the rough outline, but not the county boundaries within .....

Posted by: bev | September 9, 2009 11:40 AM

I love Al Franken. However, there is an artist's trick that my dad used to use which maybe Al was using: the outlines are pinpricked into the paper ahead of time and then the artist follows those, which are invisible to the audience. Also, he got the top of Maine, my home state, wrong! Still, you rule, Al!!!

Posted by: william e emba | September 9, 2009 1:48 PM

Regarding my land-access question, I explicitly excluded islands. Several states have populated islands that do not even have bridge access to the rest of the state: Hawaii, Alaska, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California etc, in addition to Michigan.

As for states noticeably split by water (but with land access the long way around in another state without going to Canada), there are, in addition to Michigan, Virginia, and Rhode Island.

As for states having land on the other side of a river because the river has moved, in addition to the example mentioned regarding the Mississippi, there are the tiny bits of Delaware that you would think belong to New Jersey! The boundary is partly halfway down the middle of the Delaware River (which makes sense) and partly whereever the east shore of the river used to be (which makes no sense whatsoever).

Then there is the splitting of Ellis Island between New Jersey and New York. By all rights, the island ought to be part of New Jersey, but New York got there first and New Jersey conceded. But it seems New York created most of the existing island by landfill, hahaha, and that landfill was not covered by the agreement. Of course, the entire island is part of the National Park System, so it's pretty much all federal anyway.

Posted by: Carlie | September 9, 2009 3:37 PM

I've always been terrible at geography, but ever since I found the Traveler's IQ Challenge game, it's gotten a lot better.

Posted by: william e emba | September 10, 2009 10:37 AM

And I forgot all about Kentucky. Its westernmost tip, the "Kentucky Bend" was created by the 1812 New Madrid Earthquake. You have to cross the Mississippi twice and pass through Missouri to get there from the rest of Kentucky, or go overland the long way round via Tennessee.

There are also bits of Kentucky north of the Ohio River, abutting Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, including a substantial bit of real estate that's the home of Ellis Park, a racetrack.

Bits of Illinois and Indiana are on the wrong side of the Wabash River.

For something really odd, look up Raccoon Island on Google Maps. It's not an island, just a very small place in Ohio near the Ohio River border with West Virginia. What's odd is the state boundary over in the river. It snakes up past Raccoon Island for about a mile, then loops back down for about three quarters of a mile, and then loops back up. That's just ridiculous.