Data Vis Dispatch, January 13: Greenland, nutrition, and Bollywood films

Welcome back to the 227th 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 an in-depth look at Trump's ambitions toward other countries, especially Greenland, nutrition, and the action genre in Bollywood films.

Less romance, more action! At least that seems to be the recent motto of Bollywood films. And what could be more fitting for a film than a cozy knitting session while it is cold outside?

Kontinentalist: <a href="https://kontinentalist.com/stories/bollywood-falls-out-of-love"><strong>Bollywood falls out of love</strong></a>, January 13 — Kontinentalist: **Bollywood falls out of love**, January 13

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: <a href="https://www.faz.net/aktuell/warum-stricken-ein-comeback-erlebt-200420164.html"><strong>Maschenhaftes Comeback</strong></a><strong> </strong>[Chart description: <em>People knit more in fall and winter</em>], January 12 — Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: **Maschenhaftes Comeback** [Chart description: *People knit more in fall and winter*], January 12

Recently, education has been a popular topic in Southeast Asian newsrooms. Questions have been raised about how diplomas evolved, what Singaporeans plan after school, or how many Malaysian children actually attend primary and secondary school.

The Straits Times: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2026/01/polytechnic-diplomas/index.html?shell"><strong>Why did my polytechnic diploma disappear?</strong></a>, January 10 — The Straits Times: **Why did my polytechnic diploma disappear?**, January 10

The Straits Times: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2026/01/singapore-youth-career-aspirations/index.html?shell"><strong>How are Singapore youth hashing out their career aspirations?</strong></a>, January 6 — The Straits Times: **How are Singapore youth hashing out their career aspirations?**, January 6

Newsgraphy: <a href="https://newsgraphy.my/malaysia-primary-and-secondary-education-path/"><strong>从出生到SPM：有多少孩子能走完这条求学路?</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>From birth to SPM: How many children actually complete this educational journey?</em>], January 12 — Newsgraphy: **从出生到SPM：有多少孩子能走完这条求学路?** [*From birth to SPM: How many children actually complete this educational journey?*], January 12

The kidnapping of Venezuela's leader Maduro to the United States has brought oil to the forefront of the news.

Scientific American: <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-wants-venezuelas-oil-why-does-it-have-so-much/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TIS_010726&utm_term=So%20why%20does%20Venezuela%20have%20so%20much%20oil&_kx=M2uAEVYaZ4y6wp779ZXvNmn5NYklrobZMBzC5Vg1xPM.WEer5A"><strong>Why Does Venezuela Have So Much Oil? Geology</strong></a>, January 7 — Scientific American: **Why Does Venezuela Have So Much Oil? Geology**, January 7

Le Temps: <a href="https://www.letemps.ch/economie/en-graphiques-la-chute-du-dictateur-ne-suffit-pas-pourquoi-les-pays-petroliers-peinent-a-devenir-des-democraties"><strong>En graphiques – La chute de Nicolas Maduro ne suffit pas: pourquoi les pays pétroliers peinent à devenir des démocraties</strong></a> [<em>The fall of Nicolas Maduro is not enough: why oil-producing countries struggle to become democracies</em>], January 12 — Le Temps: **En graphiques – La chute de Nicolas Maduro ne suffit pas: pourquoi les pays pétroliers peinent à devenir des démocraties** [*The fall of Nicolas Maduro is not enough: why oil-producing countries struggle to become democracies*], January 12

After what happened in Venezuela, people are closely watching Trump’s ambitions towards other countries, with a special focus on Greenland.

El Mundo: <a href="https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2026/01/07/695eae31e9cf4af72e8b4588.html"><strong>¿Venta? ¿Invasión? Estados Unidos juega a poner a Dinamarca contra las cuerdas</strong></a> [<em>Sale? Invasion? The United States is playing a game of putting Denmark on the ropes</em>], January 8 — El Mundo: **¿Venta? ¿Invasión? Estados Unidos juega a poner a Dinamarca contra las cuerdas** [*Sale? Invasion? The United States is playing a game of putting Denmark on the ropes*], January 8

DIE ZEIT: Diese Karten zeigen, warum Trump Grönland will [These maps show why Trump wants Greenland], January 8

The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/01/08/donald-trump-asserts-control-over-venezuela-and-all-the-americas"><strong>Donald Trump asserts control over Venezuela—and all the Americas</strong></a>, January 8 — The Economist: **Donald Trump asserts control over Venezuela—and all the Americas**, January 8

Le Monde: En cartes : le monde vu par Donald Trump [In maps: The world as seen by Donald Trump], January 7

On January 7, Renee Good was shot by an agent from the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis. Video analysis has been the main tool used for investigation.

The Minnesota Star Tribune: A close examination of the shooting of Renee Good, January 10

Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-TRUMP/MINNESOTA-RECONSTRUCT/egvbbeqeevq/"><strong>New video of Renee Good's fatal encounter with ICE agent in Minneapolis</strong></a>, January 8 — Reuters: **New video of Renee Good's fatal encounter with ICE agent in Minneapolis**, January 8

The explosion of a SpaceX Starship rocket disrupted regular air travel. However, problems also stem from commercial aviation itself, as some airports generate significantly high levels of flight-related pollution.

ProPublica: <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/spacex-faa-launch-airlines-safety-explosions-florida-caribbean?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1767996012&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky"><strong>“We’re Too Closeto the Debris”</strong></a>, January 8 — ProPublica: **“We’re Too Closeto the Debris”**, January 8

The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/07/aviation-emissions-halved-flights-efficiently-study"><strong>Revealed: how aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys</strong></a>, January 7 — The Guardian: **Revealed: how aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys**, January 7

A look into finance shows a shrinking U.S. trade gap and remarkably little turnover among the top companies in Brazil's Ibovespa stock index.

Deena Zaidi: <a href="https://deenazaidi.com/u-s-trade-deficit-narrows-to-the-smallest-gap-since-may-2009"><strong>U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows to the Smallest Gap Since May 2009</strong></a>, January 9 — Deena Zaidi: **U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows to the Smallest Gap Since May 2009**, January 9

Folha de S.Paulo: Bancos, telecomunicações e energia: o que mudou no Ibovespa em 25 anos [Banks, telecommunications and energy: what has changed in the Ibovespa in 25 years?], January 11

Shapes can help make scatterplots easier to understand. For example, they can be used to clearly illustrate the advantage men have in surviving maritime disasters, or to show how microscopes have improved over the past 200 years.

Not-Ship: Data detours: <a href="https://www.not-ship.com/data-detours-women-and-children-back-of-the-line/"><strong>Women and children? Back of the line!</strong></a>, January 7 — Not-Ship: Data detours: **Women and children? Back of the line!**, January 7

Works in Progress: <a href="https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-golden-age-of-vaccine-development/"><strong>The golden age of vaccine development</strong></a>, January 7 — Works in Progress: **The golden age of vaccine development**, January 7

This week, visualizations have explored the big questions around our nutrition. Should we drink tap or mineral water? And, curiously, how many bananas would we need to eat to make ourselves sick from radiation?

Marco Hernández: "Sometimes I can't believe how I spend my days off away from work... Have a fun reading," January 11 (Bluesky, What if We Go Bananas)

Diario Sur: <a href="https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/salud/saludable-beber-agua-grifo-mineral-20260111070748-ntrc.html"><strong>¿Qué es más saludable, beber agua del grifo o mineral?</strong></a> [Chart description:<em> The different organs and tissues that make up the body have varying fluid requirements depending on their composition and physiological function</em>], January 11 — Diario Sur: **¿Qué es más saludable, beber agua del grifo o mineral?** [Chart description: *The different organs and tissues that make up the body have varying fluid requirements depending on their composition and physiological function*], January 11

A few great pieces of work at the end: an interactive birth lottery, firefly endangerment, and a detailed examination of historical resolutions in the House of Representatives in Thailand.

m bells: "To highlight challenges in other countries, Giving What We Can imagined a birth lottery to see how you might start life from birth. Spin the globe and see how the country you land on compares against your own in terms of life expectancy, income, and education," January 6 (Bluesky, Giving What We Can Website)

Funtography: <a href="https://mhinfographics.github.io/funtography/18.html"><strong>The dimming of fireflies</strong></a>, January 11 — Funtography: **The dimming of fireflies**, January 11

WeVis: <a href="https://wevis.info/partyunityvisual/"><strong>ก้าวข้าม หรือ ขัดแย้ง? เราเห็นอะไรจากผลโหวตในสภาผู้แทนฯ ชุดที่ผ่านมา (2566-2568)</strong></a> [Chart description:<em> 107 votes were cast by the 7 main political parties in the 2nd House of Representatives</em>], January 9 — WeVis: ก้าวข้าม หรือ ขัดแย้ง? เราเห็นอะไรจากผลโหวตในสภาผู้แทนฯ ชุดที่ผ่านมา (2566-2568) [Chart description: *107 votes were cast by the 7 main political parties in the 2nd House of Representatives*], January 9

What else we found interesting

ProPublica: <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/?_gl=1*1i1zb6y*_ga*MTY0Njc1MjIxNi4xNzU4NTQyODIz*_ga_K9RW8M6GL5*czE3NjgyMTQ2MDQkbzE0JGcwJHQxNzY4MjE0NjEzJGo1MSRsMCRoMA.."><strong>Rx Inspector: Look Up Where Your Generic Prescription Drugs Were Made</strong></a>, January 7 <span class="badge">database for drug manufacturing</span> — ProPublica: **Rx Inspector: Look Up Where Your Generic Prescription Drugs Were Made**, January 7 database for drug manufacturing

Krista Koeller: "I just stumbled upon featherbase, a database of feather pictures from a bunch of bird species. So pretty!" January 6 (Bluesky)

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Data Vis Dispatch, January 13: Greenland, nutrition, and Bollywood films

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