Why do different map projections look so different? Why isn’t there a good way to flatten a globe?

Question

Inspired by [this post](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6QjaMAHAzm/?igshid=176ja0au37qak)

In: Other

Answer 1

The rules of geometry are fundamentally different on a spherical surface vs. a flat surface. You can have a triangle with three 90° angles, parallel lines will intersect each other, traveling in a straight line will bring you back to where you started, etc. There’s no way to have any of those on a flat surface, so you can only get an approximation by stretching or tearing.