It is an inarguable mathematical fact that every map is a lie.
Well, a map is not a lie in the sense of a statement intended to deceive someone. Maps do give us useful information about the world. But every map is a compromise. Statistician George Box famously said, “All models are wrong.” He was pointing out that no simplified mathematical formulation can perfectly capture the complicated reality of the world. He followed it up, though, with, “But some are useful.” Even models that are incomplete can help us understand the world, as long as we understand their strengths and limitations. The same is true of maps.
Mathematical Impossibility
In the 1820s, German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss proved the theorema egregium, which is Latin for “remarkable theorem.” (A theorem is a mathematical statement that can be proved using a chain of logical reasoning that starts with some basic assumptions.) One consequence of this theorem is the fact that there is no way to draw a flat map of the spherical Earth without some distortions. Of course, if you’ve ever peeled an orange or clementine and tried to press the peel completely flat, you might have figured that out already. It always tears somewhere.
Mathematical impossibility is no match for the convenience of a flat representation of the world, though. Geography textbooks and magazine pages just can’t accommodate tiny globes. So until virtual reality, holographic, or replication technology improves significantly and we can have accurate globes at our fingertips whenever we want, humans will keep drawing 2D maps despite Gauss’s theorem.
Compromise, Compromise, Compromise
Some maps distort area, some distort shapes, some distort directions and distances. Different situations call for maps with different strengths. For hundreds of years, cartographers have been creating maps that work the best for particular situations.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May - June 2019-Ausgabe von Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May - June 2019-Ausgabe von Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.