Invisible college rendered in light: Map of scientific collaboration

This extraordinary map (also here, and a big version here) shows the links between scientists across the world, as evidenced by their co-authorships of scientific papers.

Robert Boyle called the group of friends who met in homes in 17th century London, "the invisible college". They later founded the Royal Society and began its Philosophical Transactions, the first scientific journal. The network of enlightened collaboration has spread from there. Now we can see it, rendered in light.

Sadly, you can also see which parts of the world are not yet fully part of creative science.