Watch: 20-year timelapse of China's lights from space

The clip only lasts 5 seconds, so you have to watch it a few times to really appreciate what's happening. The most notable changes occur in northeast and central China, where lights push out from urban centers into more remote areas. Shanghai's glow notably expands from one small dot to encompass what looks like Hangzhou and Suzhou. Wired points out that the changes in a country's lights corresponds with things like the population and GDP growth, as well as war and economic collapse - which would explain the total darkness in North Korea. [ more › ]