2016.07.27 edition
How we die. The Global Burden of Disease dataset represents “the largest and most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide,” according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which runs the project. For each disease and each country, the dataset contains estimates of the total deaths, years of life lost, and years lived with disability. The estimates are currently available for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013. Related: “Where We Live and How We Die: What a year of death looks like around the world.” [h/t Mimi Onuoha + Data & Society]
Public transit. Transitland and TransitFeeds both aggregate data on routes, stops, and timetables from hundreds of public transit systems — from the Bay Area’s BART, to New York’s MTA, to Milan’s ATM, to Budapest’s BKK.
Public libraries. The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services annually collects responses from 9,000 public library systems. The results, currently available through 2013, include information about the libraries’ collection size, physical footprint, population served, hours, and more. Previously: Every known museum in the United States, featured Nov. 11, 2015.
Walrus hangouts. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) accounts for the vast majority of walruses on the planet. When they’re not swimming, Pacific walruses like to rest at places called “haulouts.” A new dataset and study include details on 150 current and historic haulouts, the largest of which has been reported to attract more than 100,000 walruses. Miscellany: Three of the study’s authors work for the U.S. Department of the Interior; the fourth works for Russia’s Institute of Biological Problems of the North. [h/t Keith Collins]
Bigfoot sightings. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization dubs itself “the only scientific research organization exploring the bigfoot/sasquatch mystery.” The BFRO collects and vets sighting reports, and publishes them online. (Direct link to KMZ file.) Related: “‘Squatch Watch: 92 Years of Bigfoot Sightings in the US and Canada.” [h/t Joshua Stevens + Lynn Cherny]