A Data Visualization Newsletter

We collaborated with the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) on this project, which examines how prioritizing brain health can extend lives and improve health outcomes around the world. MHI’s research shows that mental and substance-use disorders represent about 15% of global burden, roughly on par with cardiovascular diseases. Use the interactive visualizations to see the sort of impact that evidence-based prevention or intervention can have.

Check out our latest work with Instacart, which examines grocery trends ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Want to know which Thanksgiving items are most likely to be bought at the last minute? Or which side dishes each state prefers? Then dive into this data report, featuring data viz developed by our team.

The Mississippi River — which acts as a highway for the movement of food, wood, coal and steel — is experiencing an intense drought. Low water levels have made many barges run aground, causing major delays just as farmers are trying to bring this year’s harvest to market. That’s forcing producers to look for alternatives, whether it be moving things by rail or air, that are inevitably more expensive.

The sequel to Marvel’s Black Panther hit theaters on Thursday and has already notched an impressive opening weekend. The movie reflects a continued push for more diversity in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which, up until 2016, hadn’t had a titular character as a woman or person of color. The release of the first “Black Panther” definitely marked a turning point for MCU, but there’s still work to be done.

This video made the rounds on Twitter last week and for good reason: it’s a tidy summary of 500 years of European history, from the days of the Holy Roman Empire, to Napoleon’s rise, to World War II and the Cold War. While it may not capture all of the historical nuances, it still does an impressive job of illustrating the conflicts and alliances that have defined Europe.

When was the last time you really studied a world map? Because, chances are, you may have some misconceptions about where certain countries or certain continents are situated in relation to one another. Case in point: this story from John Nelson shows us how our mental model of the world can lead certain geographic errors to persist more than others.

Last Tuesday’s midterms represented an unusually strong performance for a first-term president’s party, with Democrats faring better than many pundits expected. But that doesn’t tell the full story. A look at the results in states like Florida, South Carolina, and Kansas shows that Republican Senate candidates actually performed better than Trump in 2020. The New York Times unpacks all the data for us.