West Wing - Why are we changing maps?

From season 2 - episode 16 "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"

It's "Big Block of Cheese" Day, which means that Leo sends grumbling staffers to meet with organizations who are not usually heard from at the White House. C.J.'s assignment is the Cartographers for Social Equality.

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[miamystery]

All projections are distortions. No projection is as accurate as a globe, but we do need to pick the best projection for our students. Is shape (Mercator) really the most important thing for our children to take away from a map? We teach our children shapes in kindergarten. Maybe it's time we use maps which better represent size, distance, and/or position.

[saintron60]

Google earth is the best tool for what you propose. The best thing to ever happen to humanity. And with the new data layers and overlays added daily. I can only say. damn. I wish I had it when growing up.

[FrisianDude]

No kidding, I -drunkenly- forgot my map on the wall was Mercator and told someone Canada was twice the size of the USA.

I realized my mistake afterwards, though. (Mainly by comparing Greenland with Africa.)

[thoriumhexafluoride]

no its just time we erase and forget all the arbitrary imaginary lines we draw across the landmasses, there are 7 continents, there are islands, thats it, this country nonsense has gone on long enough

[IsItTheBagel]

Flipping our maps upside down would be such a revolutionarily idea. It would make you realize how subjective directions like north, south, up and down are compared to space.

[remyworldpeace]

I'd argue Wikipedia is the best thing to happen, but Google Earth is certainly awesome.

[Kimberly Carriero]

There are different projections: Mercator, Robinson, and Equirectangular. The reason why the mercator projection is distorted is because it attempts to make a round sphere object into perfect rectangle. Students should be taught about the distortion beforehand. The spaces between the latitude lines near the top and bottom of the map are larger than in the center. This is to make up for spreading out the Arctic circle & Antartica. If u wish to use a more accurate projection, use a Robinson.

[Supergulo]

I am from South America and this has been like a kick in the nuts. Mercator is THAT distorted... Alaska and Greenland are small? USA and Europe are not as large as my entire continent?

I'm fine with up and down sides, but the sizes are REALLY off, that does affect perception, even I thought, well, USA is as large as us! *facedesk*

[shadow3brigade3SBX3]

nothing is what you think it is. size and position matters. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."

--Daniel Patrick Moynihan, sociologist and politician.

[realhiphopnation25]

best video ever

[Nikifuj908]

PEIRCE QUINCUNCIAL PROJECTION