Data Vis Dispatch, August 11: Solar eclipses, ChatGPT, and ticks

Welcome back to the 257th edition of Data Vis Dispatch! Every week, we’ll be publishing a collection of the best small and large data visualizations we find, especially from news organizations — to celebrate data journalism, data visualization, simple charts, elaborate maps, and their creators.

Recurring topics this week include past and future solar eclipses, the harms of ChatGPT, and ticks.

A solar eclipse is set to occur this Wednesday, with viewers likely to experience either a total or partial eclipse depending on their location. Hotel prices have risen drastically in anticipation of the event, and the past solar eclipse revealed that changes to the climate occurred during the event.

Reuters: Where to see the total solar eclipse and when to catch the next one, August 11

Alexander Bogachev: <a href="https://eclipses.bogachev.fr/"><strong>Where the Shadow Fell</strong></a>, August 5 <span class="badge">Find out your city's record of eclipses</span> — Alexander Bogachev: **Where the Shadow Fell**, August 5 Find out your city's record of eclipses

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/08/07/world/europe/solar-eclipse-view-spain-iceland-greenland.html"><strong>How Much of the Eclipse Will You See?</strong></a>, August 7 — The New York Times: **How Much of the Eclipse Will You See?**, August 7

El Orden Mundial: <a href="https://elordenmundial.com/mapas-eclipse-espana/"><strong>El eclipse del siglo en España, en mapas</strong></a> [<em>The eclipse of the century in Spain, in maps</em>], August 9 — El Orden Mundial: **El eclipse del siglo en España, en mapas** [*The eclipse of the century in Spain, in maps*], August 9

Die Zeit: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/wissen/2026-08/sonnenfinsternis-naturspektakel-europa-deutschland-orte"><strong>Hier können Sie die Sonnenfinsternis sehen</strong> </a>[<em>Here you can see the solar eclipse</em>], August 10 — Die Zeit: **Hier können Sie die Sonnenfinsternis sehen** [*Here you can see the solar eclipse*], August 10

EL PAÍS: <a href="https://elpais.com/ciencia/2026-08-06/los-hoteles-disparan-los-precios-por-el-eclipse-900-euros-por-una-noche-de-hotel-en-soria-y-500-en-teruel.html"><strong>Los hoteles disparan los precios por el eclipse: 900 euros por una noche de hotel en Soria y 500 en Teruel</strong> </a>[<em>Hotels are raising prices due to the eclipse: 900 euros for a night in Soria and 500 in Teruel</em>], August 6 — EL PAÍS: **Los hoteles disparan los precios por el eclipse: 900 euros por una noche de hotel en Soria y 500 en Teruel** [*Hotels are raising prices due to the eclipse: 900 euros for a night in Soria and 500 in Teruel*], August 6

EL PAÍS: <a href="https://elpais.com/ciencia/2026-08-09/que-pasara-cuando-la-luna-tape-el-sol-en-que-debes-fijarte-para-apreciar-el-eclipse-total.html"><strong>¿Qué pasará cuando la Luna tape el Sol? En qué debes fijarte para apreciar el eclipse total</strong> </a>[<em>Chart title: Climate change in the United States during the eclipse</em>], August 9 — EL PAÍS: **¿Qué pasará cuando la Luna tape el Sol? En qué debes fijarte para apreciar el eclipse total** [*Chart title: Climate change in the United States during the eclipse*], August 9

The El Niño climate phenomenon continues to intensify, with record-breaking urban and sea surface temperatures being recorded.

Julian Hoffmann Anton: "Daily min & max heat city exploration. <br>Data Visualization for London, Barcelona, Tokyo and New York, 1 May to 30 July 2026. Each band is one day, from its minimum to its maximum, so thickness is how much the day actually moved [...]," August 6 (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/julian-hoffmann-anton-11978b84_dataviz-ugcPost-7490754673629462528-2BBd/"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>) — Julian Hoffmann Anton: "Daily min & max heat city exploration.
Data Visualization for London, Barcelona, Tokyo and New York, 1 May to 30 July 2026. Each band is one day, from its minimum to its maximum, so thickness is how much the day actually moved [...]," August 6 (**LinkedIn**)

Carbon Brief: <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/cited-4-august-2026-record-breaking-fires-2026-warming-projection-wildfire-scientist-qa?utm_content=buffer40353&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer"><strong>Cited 4 August 2026: Record-breaking fires | 2026 warming projection | Wildfire scientist Q&A</strong></a>, August 4 — Carbon Brief: **Cited 4 August 2026: Record-breaking fires | 2026 warming projection | Wildfire scientist Q&A**, August 4

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2026/track-how-extreme-this-years-el-nino-could-get/"><strong>As a record El Niño ramps up, track how it’s reshaping the weather</strong></a>, August 10 — The Washington Post: **As a record El Niño ramps up, track how it’s reshaping the weather**, August 10

The consecutive heatwaves have not only led to massive forest fires but have also affected France’s corn harvest. The Reuters Climate Monitor now provides live estimates of the number of people affected by extreme temperatures.

Nació Digital:<a href="https://naciodigital.cat/impacte/boscos/anatomia-foc-catalunya.html"> <strong>Anatomia del foc a Catalunya</strong></a> [<em>Anatomy of fire in Catalonia</em>], August 4 — Nació Digital: **Anatomia del foc a Catalunya** [*Anatomy of fire in Catalonia*], August 4

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-07/france-sees-smallest-corn-crop-since-1980-on-heat-drought"><strong>France Sees Smallest Corn Crop Since 1980 on Heat, Drought,</strong> </a>August 7 — Bloomberg: **France Sees Smallest Corn Crop Since 1980 on Heat, Drought,** August 7

Ben Welsh: "🌡️ Our Reuters Climate Monitor has expanded again. Starting this morning, it now provides a live estimate of the number of people exposed to extreme temperatures, allowing us to report the human impact of heat in real time," August 10 (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/palewire_our-reuters-climate-monitor-has-expanded-ugcPost-7492574458935685120-h9BQ/"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CLIMATE-AUTOMATED/MONITOR/akpeykqqapr/western-europe/"><strong>project website</strong></a>) — Ben Welsh: "🌡️ Our Reuters Climate Monitor has expanded again. Starting this morning, it now provides a live estimate of the number of people exposed to extreme temperatures, allowing us to report the human impact of heat in real time," August 10 (**LinkedIn**, **project website**)

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, causing damage to cities near the epicentre.

EL PAÍS: <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2026-08-10/mapas-y-graficos-del-devastador-terremoto-en-colombia.html"><strong>Mapas y gráficos del devastador terremoto en Colombia</strong></a> [<em>Chart title: The largest earthquake in Colombia since 1979</em>], August 10 — EL PAÍS: **Mapas y gráficos del devastador terremoto en Colombia** [*Chart title: The largest earthquake in Colombia since 1979*], August 10

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/world/americas/colombia-quake-maps.html"><strong>Here Is Where Colombia’s Quake Hit Hardest</strong></a>, August 10 — The New York Times: **Here Is Where Colombia’s Quake Hit Hardest**, August 10

On the topic of the harms of AI, a test reveals the prejudices ChatGPT holds towards counties. Meanwhile, the boom in AI is leading to an increase in air pollution, with gas-burning power plants for data centers being built. Visual captchas can now be solved by AI, which poses security risks.

Die Zeit: <a href="https://www.zeit.de/digital/2026-08/vorurteile-chatgpt-bias-regionale-unterschiede-daten"><strong>Welche Vorurteile hat ChatGPT über Ihren Landkreis?</strong></a> [<em>What prejudices does ChatGPT hold about your county?</em>], August 5 — Die Zeit: **Welche Vorurteile hat ChatGPT über Ihren Landkreis?** [*What prejudices does ChatGPT hold about your county?*], August 5

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/climate/data-centers-pollution-trump-ai-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3VA.8WqW.LZ7Jx8xnvWDZ&smid=url-share"><strong>Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution</strong></a>, August 6 — The New York Times: **Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution**, August 6

The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2026/08/06/why-ai-is-causing-visual-captchas-get-more-difficult-less-common/"><strong>How quickly can you prove that you’re human? Try our quiz</strong></a>, August 6 — The Washington Post: **How quickly can you prove that you’re human? Try our quiz**, August 6

Illnesses resulting from the Legionella bacteria can lead to a range of symptoms. As temperatures rise, tick species are spreading across Europe, increasing the risk of tick-borne diseases.

Neue Zürcher Zeitung:<a href="https://www.nzz.ch/visuals/toedliche-legionaerskrankheit-der-ausbruch-in-basel-grafisch-erklaert-ld.10018138"> <strong>Ausbruch in Basel: Die tödliche Legionärskrankheit grafisch erklärt</strong></a> [<em>Outbreak in Basel: The deadly Legionnaires' disease explained graphically</em>] August 6 — Neue Zürcher Zeitung: **Ausbruch in Basel: Die tödliche Legionärskrankheit grafisch erklärt** [*Outbreak in Basel: The deadly Legionnaires' disease explained graphically*] August 6

The European Correspondent: <a href="https://europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/the-ticking-bomb"><strong>The tick-ing bomb</strong></a>, August 10 — The European Correspondent: **The tick-ing bomb**, August 10

As the U.S. prepares for the upcoming midterm elections, a significant number of Republican departures from the House of Representatives have been recorded. Furthermore, among the sitting ambassadors, only a few are career diplomats.

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/midterms-house-senate-key-races.html"><strong>Tracking Competitive Races in the House and Senate</strong></a>, August 10 — The New York Times: **Tracking Competitive Races in the House and Senate**, August 10

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/27/us/politics/house-republicans-departures-midterms-trump.html"><strong>For House Republicans, an Exodus Rivaled Only by Trump’s First Term</strong></a>, August 5 — The New York Times: **For House Republicans, an Exodus Rivaled Only by Trump’s First Term**, August 5

The Washington Post:<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/06/trump-fills-ambassador-posts-with-more-donors-loyalists-than-any-recent-president/"> <strong>Under Trump, 90% of ambassador nominations have gone to political supporters</strong></a>, August 6 — The Washington Post: **Under Trump, 90% of ambassador nominations have gone to political supporters**, August 6

The war in Sudan has resulted in low levels of light in conflict zones. Regarding the Ukraine war, different maps visualizing Russian territory reveal conflicting territorial control claims. Additionally, since the start of the war, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's foreign revenue has increased. Turning to the Taiwan conflict, Chinese vessel activity has been recorded for several years.

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/international/2026/08/06/a-battle-for-supremacy-has-laid-sudan-and-its-capital-to-waste"><strong>The ruin of Sudan</strong></a>, August 6 — The Economist: **The ruin of Sudan**, August 6

Neue Zürcher Zeitung: So entwickelt sich der Ukraine-Krieg – klicken Sie sich Tag für Tag durch unsere Karte [Chart title: The same day, but different maps], August 11

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-north-korea-windfall/?srnd=undefined"><strong>Kim Jong Un Flouted Sanctions to Amass $22 Billion Windfall</strong></a>, August 6 — Bloomberg: **Kim Jong Un Flouted Sanctions to Amass $22 Billion Windfall**, August 6

CommonWealth Magazine: Broken Chain: China's Coast Guard and the Long Game of Isolating Taiwan, August 7

Regarding costs, insufficient Jobseeker payments result in debt for recipients, while oil company profits have risen significantly since last year.

ABC News & Headlines: Trying to survive on JobSeeker’s $68 a day forcing Australians into ‘impossible choices’, August 6

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2026/aug/04/revealed-major-oil-firms-make-93bn-profits-amid-war-and-climate-crisis"><strong>Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis</strong></a>, August 4 — The Guardian: **Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis**, August 4

We end this Dispatch with some other interesting topics: changes in the speed of racehorses, gun ownership in Thailand, and an analysis of player patterns.

Works in Progress: <a href="https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-ultimate-horse/"><strong>The ultimate horse</strong></a>, August 5 — Works in Progress: **The ultimate horse**, August 5

The Straits Times: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2026/08/bangkok-school-shooting/index.html?shell"><strong>Thailand school shooting: What we know so far</strong></a>, August 7 — The Straits Times: **Thailand school shooting: What we know so far**, August 7

The Pudding: "Over 30,000 people have mowed our digital lawn so far, but only 16% found the perfect path. How close will you get to the optimal solution? Go ahead, touch grass," August 5 (Bluesky, project website)

What else we found interesting

Cabinet of Infographic Curiosities:<a href="https://attilabatorfy.substack.com/p/hickmanns-influence"> <strong>Hickmann's influence</strong></a>, August 7 <span class="badge">A beautiful collection showcasing the impact of Hickmann’s designs</span> — Cabinet of Infographic Curiosities: **Hickmann's influence**, August 7 A beautiful collection showcasing the impact of Hickmann’s designs

The Straits Times: The designs that made Singapore, August 8

Information is Beautiful: "Informative infographic. Animal agriculture impact on biomass, land and emissions by Reddit user: u/Dr_Faraz_Harsini," August 5 (Bluesky)

Applications are open for…

An art director/ digital designer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia
A visual storytelling designer at The Daily Mail, London
A graphics editor at The Guardian, Sydney
A graphics editor at The Guardian, New York

A data journalist/ visual storyteller at Die Berliner Zeitung, Berlin

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Data Vis Dispatch, August 11: Solar eclipses, ChatGPT, and ticks

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