The end result, the pancake map, borrowed ideas from previous research on polyhedra, or many-sided 3D shapes. "We're proposing a radically different kind of map, and we beat Winkel Tripel on each and every one of the six errors." To get around this boundary-splitting problem, the researchers approached mapmaking from a new perspective, with the hopes of designing a "flat map with the least error possible," Gott said. (Image credit: Photitos2016 via Getty Images) Notice how it distorts Antarctica and creates the illusion that Japan is very far away from California. But if you are interested in seeing an accurate depiction of the planet, it's best to stick with a globe.The Winkel Tripel projection world map was first designed in 1921. Each comes with trade-offs, and cartographers make projection decisions based on the particular tasks at hand. In the end, there's not "right" map projection. The Mercator distorts size to preserve shape.įor a more accurate view of land area look at the Gall-Peters projection, which preserves area while distorting shape. These circles are all the same size on the globe. To solve this problem, mathematicians and cartographers have developed a huge library of representations of the globe, each distorting a certain attribute and preserving others.įor instance, the Mercator projection preserves the shape of countries while distorting the size, especially near the north and south pole. My struggle to make a flat map out of the plastic globe is indicative of a challenge mapmakers have faced for centuries: It is mathematically impossible to translate the surface of a sphere onto a plane without some form of distortion. I cut open a plastic globe to understand just what it takes to turn a sphere into something flat: Maps are flat representations of our spherical planet.
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