eli5 if maps are inaccurate because we can’t project spheres on 2d planes. what happens if we actually decide to map the earth “by hand”?

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Like let’s say that we start on the cape of goodwill for example and follow the coast.

Represent each 1km with 1mm for example on our map (map size isn’t a problem just for the sake of the argument). Getting the directions of drawing off a compass exactly. And just walk around all the coasts of the world.

What type of map do we end up with in this hypothetical?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

If you wanted to make it join up properly you’d end up having to twist around the piece of paper you were drawing it on, making it into a sphere. You’ve basically invented the globe.

To take an obvious example of what would happen if you tried to do this on a flat surface, let’s say you started at the South Pole, walked North in a random direction 5km, then walked East 5km (so a 90 degree turn), then walked South 5km (another 90 degree turn).

If you draw that on paper you would have three sides of a square. But where you end up should be the same place you started. So your 2d projection is wrong – it doesn’t join up.

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