Admit it, onceGoogle Earthwas rolled out, you absolutely took a disproportionate amount of time checking out all the localities and areas on it to see if you can find something nostalgic, cool, or flat-out bizarre. And then Google Street View appeared and it was a game changer. Needless to say, you like maps. We’re all nerds like that.And, well, there’s more to maps than just that. Check out these interesting takes on the US as seen from a top-down perspective, but instead of seeing vast landscapes and the occasional architectural screw-up, you see fun facts and information that might just make you smarter. I mean, it will if it’s not something you already know.Scroll on.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Admit it, onceGoogle Earthwas rolled out, you absolutely took a disproportionate amount of time checking out all the localities and areas on it to see if you can find something nostalgic, cool, or flat-out bizarre. And then Google Street View appeared and it was a game changer. Needless to say, you like maps. We’re all nerds like that.
And, well, there’s more to maps than just that. Check out these interesting takes on the US as seen from a top-down perspective, but instead of seeing vast landscapes and the occasional architectural screw-up, you see fun facts and information that might just make you smarter. I mean, it will if it’s not something you already know.
Scroll on.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
It goes without saying that theUnited Statesis a pretty big country. And, as such, there’s ample opportunity to spot differences and variation on a slew of variables across the entire map.Like, you probably never really needed to know how thick light pollution is across the US, but, hey, now you know that it’s the eastern part that’s very intense, and the western part is more or less not as polluted.
It goes without saying that theUnited Statesis a pretty big country. And, as such, there’s ample opportunity to spot differences and variation on a slew of variables across the entire map.
Like, you probably never really needed to know how thick light pollution is across the US, but, hey, now you know that it’s the eastern part that’s very intense, and the western part is more or less not as polluted.
And there is definitely a small contingent of people who benefit from this information—researchers, people who want to move states—it’s also there to make you look cool at parties with all that trivia you now knowAll jokes aside, it’s useful to know where you’re going to live: what’s the crime rate there, how natural is the landscape, how populated it is—all of these factors are nice to know since you are deciding on moving there permanently.
And there is definitely a small contingent of people who benefit from this information—researchers, people who want to move states—it’s also there to make you look cool at parties with all that trivia you now know
All jokes aside, it’s useful to know where you’re going to live: what’s the crime rate there, how natural is the landscape, how populated it is—all of these factors are nice to know since you are deciding on moving there permanently.
But if that example is too specific, then maybeconsider this: if you own a car, it’s likely that you use navigation on the regular. Apps like Google Maps and Waze have made it possible for people to have a bit more comfort in the car as at least you know where you’re going and why it’s taking you an extra 14 minutes to get there (darned traffic jams).
Another argument for the importance of maps is the idea of seeing where you’re going, where you are, and where you’ve been. It doesn’t really have to be a literal geographical map at this point, but a literal one might work too—just think of Google Maps Timeline.
Outside their practicality, maps also ground us inreality. That can be either a good or bad thing depending on a number of factors, but there’s the idea that maps remind us we all live on the same planet. Sure, there’s a great divide among nations and countries in terms of social, economic and climate factors. But we’re all in this together—we’re all citizens of this world. And that’s what folks ought to focus on.
Somemight argue that maps help us stay curious. Just like a change of scenery can help us gain some perspective and learn something about ourselves and others, i.e. travel, the idea of looking at a map and plotting your next adventure might just inspire an extra bit of curiosity and make you think “hey, I’ve never heard of this place.”
Lastly, maps are an integral part of how we function as human beings. There’s a geographical map (of which there are many types), a building evacuation map, a website map, a mind map, process maps, network maps, story maps, treasure maps, and, to some degree, flowcharts. Needless to say, we need all of these. Especially treasure maps.
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And if you need more maps,we’ve got tons. No, that’snot an overstatement. Yep, itkeeps on going. OK,that’s enough.
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