How can you tell if your spy planes and satellites need corrective eye wear? You have them read an optometry chart, of course. The only difference is that instead of reading letters and capital E’s pointed in different directions, they have to discern the patterns scattered around the Gobi Desert and other locations. The image above found on Google Maps is one of many being discovered by people of the web since they were first spotted in 2011. Here are some of the others that have been located so far. Like a huge puzzle: They can be round as well. … or square.  …

Everyone knows that technology is advancing. What we use today is so different from what we used a year ago, let alone a decade ago. Another thing that is changing, particularly for students, is what gets put into the carry-all of high school and college: the backpack. This infographic by our friends at Rasmussen takes a look at the last couple of decades of backpacks and what is getting put inside them. What’s that beeping? It’s a pager, of course. Try asking today’s students about pages – they may not even know what they are. Click to enlarge. …

“You are only allowed to use your OWN knowledge, your OWN class notes, class handouts, your OWN class homework, or The Earth and Its Peoples textbook to complete assignments and assessments UNLESS specifically informed otherwise by your instructor.” Is this a cult? No. It’s actually the “Expectations of Integrity” for Westfield High’s AP World History class. Students are not allowed to use outside references for their class: You may not discuss/mention/chat/hand signal/smoke signal/Facebook/IM/text/email to a complete stranger ANY answers/ideas/questions/thoughts/opinions/hints/instructions….