I wasn’t going to write anything today. I wasn’t going to write anything for a week. Maybe longer! But I haven’t done a sarcastic political piece in a while, and frankly, this is driving me nuts. Really? We’re going to take our map cues from a television show?
This is the webpage that seems to be going viral, and in it is embedded this video {below} if you don’t want to jump over.
The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
{Pr. 18:17}
If you watched the clip and felt like your whole world was rocked and why, oh why, haven’t I heard this before, you need to wonder if, perhaps, there is a reason.
In this case…
The old Mercator map was not an “erroneous” map. People utilized it for safe navigation for half a millenia. The map had a purpose and its purpose was navigation. No one cared about its political implications because, when you’re sailing, not getting shipwrecked is slightly more important than how big Africa might be compared to Greenland.
The “new” map they are promoting here has a different purpose, and that is to reveal land mass size, and to possibly right all wrongs. If we could just change the map, sin would disappear, right? Ah, Utopia.
Here’s the deal:
Any time we try and take something spherical and represent it on a flat surface, there will be distortion.
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Robinson Projection Map, courtesy of Wikipedia |
By the way, there is a third kind of map, called a Robinson Projection. That is what I have on my wall, and you might, too. It is very popular these days. It is the one that makes the earth appear like an oval, but in general it tends to be more visually accurate than either of the two maps in the West Wing clip.
I’m in the mood for a U2 concert just thinking about it.
So.
4 Comments
Interesting. Hubby came across the Peterson projection map a few months ago, and showed it to the kids and I. While we liked the fact that the continents’ sizes were more accurate, I have to agree with you that it isn’t very visually appealing. We’ve got a Rand McNally map on the wall, but I’m thinking a globe might be a good investment as well. Do you have one you like?
I love my globe, but it is ancient. It was my dad’s and when he decided he didn’t want it anymore, he gave it to me. So I have no. idea. where you could get one like it. It is supposed to be accurate, but what I also like about it is that it is sepia toned rather than really bright colors…looks better in my living room. 🙂
Actually watching the clip made me laugh out loud because I remember liking that episode and thinking those map guys were insane. LOL But I had no idea there were people that seriously thought this way. THAT’S disturbing. And the lack of any information, discussion, thought, evidence, etc on that web link, yet you say it’s going viral .. .well, that just gives us all more incentive to effectively educate our children in how to think discerningly, doesn’t it? Sheep. All sheep.
Anyone who understands mathematics knew this all along. How about social justice in the form of inspiring kids to think for themselves so their minds are not blown by hype?