Just recently Springer came up with AuthorMapper, a great new tool to explore the scientific world, see trends on a map and find related articles etc.:

AuthorMapper, an online tool for visualizing scientific research, enables document discovery based on author locations and geographic maps. Integrating content and mapping technology, AuthorMapper provides an easy-to-use, dynamic interface that allows you to:

• Explore patterns in scientific research
• Identify new and historic literature trends
• Discover wider relationships
• Locate other experts in your field

Let´s have a look on the global map of the “Semantic Web World” (at least the scientific part of it):