The new map was well-suited to nautical navigation since every line on the sphere is a constant course, or loxodrome.
So, Flat Earthers beware - Google Maps will no longer aid your cause.In 1569, the great cartographer, Gerardus Mercator, created a revolutionary new map based on a cylindrical projection. That, obviously, was misleading because Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland, which is significantly clearer on the new Google Maps view.Īdditionally, it’s way easier to conceptualize how the real Earth actually looks in space – helping the world’s internet users understand their inconsequentiality in the grand scheme of things. Greenland, the country it chose to spotlight, used to look on par with Africa’s size. Better MapsĪnother issue Google Maps cited in its tweet was the inaccuracy in proportion between different countries when its world map was still 2D. Inverse reached out to Google to seek clarification on the reasoning behind the change but did not immediately hear back. It’s certainly within the interest of the world’s largest search engine to encourage scientific thought over pseudo-scientific conspiracy theories. At one point, on Google Translate, the French translation for “I am a flat-earther” was “I’m a crazy person,” although Google tells Inverse that wasn’t intentional. The theory debunked by Aristotle in 330 BC once existed as a joke revolving around weird celebrity outbursts and the occasional Facebook group before evolving into an alarmingly fast-growing digital movement. They May Be Trying to Put Flat-Earthers to Bed But while the 3D globe view is both fun to experiment with and aesthetically pleasing to look at, there are a few serious reasons why Google might have implemented the change. There are also a lot of cool hacks for traveling around and using Google Maps as your own personal cartographer. Google Maps has always been one to innovate with features like Street View, wheelchair accessible routes, and rainbow roads for Pride Month. Why Would Google Maps Change to a 3D Globe View?
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