Satellite and computer visualizations of human activity. Click to enlarge.

The first image, in the upper left,

…shows air traffic in the US based on the data from FlightView, a page that tracks air traffic in real time. You can see it using three different criteria. The first is altitude—which is the one you are seeing here. The darker blues indicate higher altitude, while the lightest blue indicates take off and landing. [Source, with more images: Gizmodo ]

The other images are all of the United Kingdom, and are from a new BBC TV series, “Britain from Above“. These aerial/computer images show, clockwise from the top right: aircraft flight paths, London Taxi activity, Internet activity in the South of England, images on Britain’s roads as seen from over the M4/M5 junction near Bristol, and UK telephone exchange activity. [Source, with videos: Gizmodo]

WW1 listening device for airplanes

In the days before radar existed, this was the only way to detect incoming aircraft. These days it could be adopted by the NSA to listen in on Al Qaeda chatter. [Source: Gizmodo]

I get the feeling that nobody was running for cover while wearing one of these Brewster body armor suits. Still, for launching a modern day run on the bank and fending off rabid bankers and foreclosed families, this might come in handy. [Source: Flickr]

WWI German messenger dog gas mask

No beast is immune to the forward march of progress. I can actually see these becoming quite chic if chemical and biological weapons begin to seriously threaten our pets or military messenger dogs. Messenger dogs? [Source: New Sciences of Protection]

WWI mobile shield

Finally, perhaps the most practical technology of all, as this coffin-like “mobile shield” could easily double as a mobile final resting place. Comes with handy oversized ruler to measure grave depth. [Source: Dark Roasted Blend]