When George W. Bush led the United States and the "coalition of the willing" into war in Iraq, a survey  conducted in 2002 on behalf of National Geographic magazine revealed that only 17 percent of young Americans could find the country they were about to invade on a map. The same survey found that 49 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 couldn't find New York either. And Europeans didn't do much better. Arch-polemicist, Michael Moore made much of the results: "Shouldn't it be Rule No. 1 that if you're going to invade a country you should at least know where the country is?" he asked while touring to promote his new book.

On a similar note therefore, with the draft European Constitution resoundingly voted down in France and the Netherlands recently, many commentators began to question if the European project was really viable. The people felt "disconnected" from the idea of Europe, and many people knew nothing about the most recent countries to join the European Union, commentators said. Well, one ingenious little game  gives you the chance to put your money where your mouth is. Could you really point out where Macedonia is on a map with only rivers and coastal features to guide you? Could you tell Latvia from Lithuania and then put Estonia in the right place? And while you're at it, check out some sample questions  from National Geographic's survey.

Drought Drying Up South-Western Europe

The drought in south-western Europe this year shows no signs of passing any time soon. Reservoirs are drying up, crops are dying, and across the region, temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) beat down, day after day. Droughts are not uncommon in the region, but this one is thought to be the worst since comprehensive records began, 60 years ago. The European Union is warning of a grain production shortfall  in the order of 28 million tons -- a cut of 10 percent over last year.

The drought comes as a result of very limited precipitation for the past two years and has been exacerbated by a dry winter and spring. Many have suggested that global warming is to blame, but according to an article in today's Guardian, the water shortages also have much to do with an increased demand for water  for private swimming pools, lawns, and golf courses. But whatever the cause, the results have not been pretty. Earlier this week, 14 volunteer firefighters died in Spain  battling a wildfire, and forest fires have also hit Portugal.  France is also suffering and a large swarm of locusts  is descending on crops in some regions.

Yet despite the desperate situation, there may be a silver lining according to Maria Carol, a Portuguese forester working at the University of Lisbon. "If it goes on, I don't know what will happen," she told the Guardian. "The good thing about this drought is that for the first time ever there is a real awareness of water."

Remembering 'Scotty'

James Doohan, the actor who played Mr. Scott in the cult 1960s television show Star Trek, has died. Fans of the show -- Trekkies as they are widely known, or Trekkers, as they prefer to be called -- are in mourning .

Besides the regular appearance of new films and television series, episodes of the show have been rebroadcast for years now, stoking the flames of hardcore fandom. As the exclamatory chief engineer Scotty on the series' Starship Enterprise, Doohan turned a bit part into a character that became, at least, a minor pop-culture figure, and for some an icon. On one of the larger Star Trek fan Web sites, a "Starfleet Commander" has even ordered a 30-day mourning period for their fallen comrade. And fans in uniform are advised to wear mourning bands.