Should we still use the mercator projection?!

2013-03-17 01:28:23

#1

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5824

The Mercator map projection has been accused of being too western centric and has been replaced in many places. In most places in the U.S. it is still used especially at lower school levels.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Mercator_projection_SW.jpg

The problem with the map is that it distorts the size of things in the north most notably Europe and Green land. Europe is depicted at the same size as Africa and South America though in reality Africa is four times the size of Europe and South America is about double. India is also a bigger in reality. Critics have made the Freudian argument that the size of things on a map affects the way people view the Earth politically and socially. Interesting argument. Many want these maps replaced with area accurate maps like this one

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Behrmann_projection_SW.jpg

Many international organizations have taken the move to replace the maps and use area accurate ones. Do you think the argument is valid that the Mercator map distorts people's view of things or do you think that is a bunch of fluff from liberal professors?

2013-03-17 01:48:57

#2

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|6928|Tampa Bay Florida

Both of them are distortions.... but from a socio-political perspective, ya the bottom one would probably be more accurate. No one lives in Antarctica, and who cares about the arctic circle

I'm hoping once paper falls out of style we'll just use good old fashioned 3d globes to teach kids geography. 2d maps of the earth are really, really boring.

2013-03-17 05:20:18

#3

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

both are wrong on account of not mentioning dragons

2013-03-17 05:23:41

#4

13/f/taiwan: Member; +940|5937

Yes. For the reasons stated in your post.

We also need to reinstate geography lessons in our schools. As it stands, NYC schools no longer teach geography. Yes, NYC. Not Mississippi, Alabama, or Texas.

I can see how the argument would be taken too far:

Last edited by 13/f/taiwan (2013-03-17 05:25:35)

2013-03-17 05:29:22

#5

Cheez: Herman is a warmaphrodite; +1,027|6677|King Of The Islands

I've seen far too many Internet arguments about continents where someone will bring up the fact that Greenland is bigger than Australia.

So yes.

King of the Islands, motherfucker.

My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.

2013-03-17 05:45:59

#6

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

13/f/taiwan wrote:
Yes. For the reasons stated in your post.

We also need to reinstate geography lessons in our schools. As it stands, NYC schools no longer teach geography. Yes, NYC. Not Mississippi, Alabama, or Texas.

I can see how the argument would be taken too far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zBC2dvERM

you don't teach geography in schools? the fuck? how do the crazy ideologues running your city schools justify that one? "NYC is the center of the universe?"

Last edited by Uzique The Lesser (2013-03-17 05:46:11)

2013-03-17 06:11:15

#7

13/f/taiwan: Member; +940|5937

Cheez wrote:
I've seen far too many Internet arguments about continents where someone will bring up the fact that Greenland is bigger than Australia.

So yes.

King of the Islands, motherfucker.

The only thing I was taught in public school about Australia was that it's both a country/continent and that it was where the British sent their prisoners.

Do you guys want to hear my 5th grade teacher's explanation as to why we went to war with Iraq? She voted Republican and drove a Saturn because "driving American cars helps support our economy and just in case we go to war with Japan."

Yep. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

2013-03-17 07:26:55

#8

13/f/taiwan: Member; +940|5937

Uzique The Lesser wrote:
13/f/taiwan wrote:
Yes. For the reasons stated in your post.

We also need to reinstate geography lessons in our schools. As it stands, NYC schools no longer teach geography. Yes, NYC. Not Mississippi, Alabama, or Texas.

I can see how the argument would be taken too far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zBC2dvERM
you don't teach geography in schools? the fuck? how do the crazy ideologues running your city schools justify that one? "NYC is the center of the universe?"

The role of our teachers, parents, and doctors have all been rolled into one neatly packaged, easy to swallow, cheap to make program that plays endlessly on a rectangular object:

Yes, I know that Geography is more than just spotting nations on a world map and that a few things went unlabeled.

2013-03-17 07:35:16

#9

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

13/f/taiwan wrote:
Yes, I know that Geography is more than just spotting nations on a world map and that a few things went unlabeled.

yeah, it involves lots of colouring in as well! (as the campus joke goes)

2013-03-17 08:22:41

#10

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

Uzique The Lesser wrote:
13/f/taiwan wrote:
Yes. For the reasons stated in your post.

We also need to reinstate geography lessons in our schools. As it stands, NYC schools no longer teach geography. Yes, NYC. Not Mississippi, Alabama, or Texas.

I can see how the argument would be taken too far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zBC2dvERM
you don't teach geography in schools? the fuck? how do the crazy ideologues running your city schools justify that one? "NYC is the center of the universe?"

They don't teach grammar or spelling either.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2013-03-17 08:30:27

#11

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

that much is evident from the quality of your written prose.

2013-03-17 08:43:43

#12

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6931

I'm pretty sure spelling is still taught. My nephew's get spelling and writing homework assignments. Grammar in the other hand is out. I guess it's expected that grammar will be learned in foreign language class or something.

As for the map. We should have big touch screens in class rooms with globes projected on them.

Last edited by Superior Mind (2013-03-17 08:45:16)

x

2013-03-17 08:47:00

#13

Mutantbear: Semi Constructive Criticism; +1,431|6203|London, England

I guess im lucky that I live in a country where I was taught spelling, grammar and geography

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

2013-03-17 08:50:07

#14

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

Mutantbear wrote:
I guess im lucky that I live in a country where I was taught spelling, grammar and geography

I was taught all three too, but I went to grade school before No Child Left Behind came into being.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2013-03-17 09:04:05

#15

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

Superior Mind wrote:
I'm pretty sure spelling is still taught. My nephew's get spelling and writing homework assignments. Grammar in the other hand is out. I guess it's expected that grammar will be learned in foreign language class or something.

As for the map. We should have big touch screens in class rooms with globes projected on them.

grammar learned in foreign language class? you do realize every language has its own particular grammar, right? learning german/french/spanish grammar in a 'foreign language class' will not equip you for english grammar & syntax.

2013-03-17 09:58:25

#16

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6931

What I mean is, because kids go into their foreign language classes not having any grammar skills, the teacher winds up having to teach them English grammar first before they can teach the new language's effectively.

I experienced this in middle school Spanish and in college Russian.

Last edited by Superior Mind (2013-03-17 09:59:32)

x

2013-03-17 10:03:58

#17

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4493

seems like a mighty fine waste of time teaching kids a grammar system for one language, just so they can write and communicate out of class... and then teaching them the relevant grammar system for that actual class.

2013-03-17 10:05:48

#18

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6931

Sure is a waste of time

x

2013-03-18 02:49:21

#19

BVC: Member; +325|6934

Any sphere -> rectangle translation is going to have distortions somewhere.

Some alternative projections:

https://www.andrewt.net/blog/wp-content/old/sensible.jpg

https://www.lspphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/upside-down-mapsfw.jpg

2013-03-18 03:32:10

#20

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|6928|Tampa Bay Florida

Every classroom has a computer in it now, yes? Soon, 99.99999 percent of people everywhere will have computers with wifi connections strapped to their eyes, yes?

So why not just learn geography the way it really is? http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

2013-03-18 10:16:13

#21

13/f/taiwan: Member; +940|5937

Spearhead wrote:
Every classroom has a computer in it now, yes?

If you're in a computer-related class, yes.

Geography is not taught in our schools. And I'm sure children with computers are not running home to go on google maps and explore the earth.

2013-03-18 10:35:09

#22

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5597|London, England

They are if they have decent parents.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2013-03-18 10:45:09

#23

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6931

I like this one

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Map-of-human-migrations.jpg

x

2013-03-18 10:50:40

#24

Trotskygrad: бля; +354|6238|Vortex Ring State

my school had racks of globes for geography, I guess I was lucky?

(really though, aren't the pseudocylindrical projections used the most? I remember them (robinson, I'm pretty sure) being used on the pulldown charts)

Last edited by Trotskygrad (2013-03-18 10:53:09)

2013-03-18 11:00:04

#25

KEN-JENNINGS: I am all that is MOD!; +2,979|6871|949

I think people are insane if they let the size of their country as shown on a map influence how they feel re: their (and their country's) geopolitical influence.

Change the map to reflect the proper sizes of land masses, that's it.

BF2S Forums Should we still use the mercator projection?!

13/f/taiwan wrote:

Cheez wrote:

Uzique The Lesser wrote:

13/f/taiwan wrote:

13/f/taiwan wrote:

Uzique The Lesser wrote:

13/f/taiwan wrote:

Mutantbear wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

Spearhead wrote:

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