h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last I noticed, there's not even a standing ferry service across the Bering Straits.

Bridges don't usually follow until traffic demand exceeds what ferries can provide.




Polar maps as distinct from Mercator projections give a more accurate idea of relative sizes and are more convenient for things air navigation.

A commonplace mistake founded on Mercator projections, a class of grade schoolers is shown a Mercator map of the world and asked to list the continents in descending order of size.

They guess correctly that the Eurasian landmass is largest, but, confused by the Mercator projection, list North America as second, since the size of North America is exaggerated by the Mercator projection, while that of Africa appears less than it is on account of its equatorial location.

Actually, Africa is the size of North America and Europe combined.

A lesser case of the same, taking it from Captain Cook's explorations, though he didn't actually explore either group, he learned from the people of Tonga that Fiji and Samoa were the largest islands of the Pacific not yet on his map, Samoa the larger of the two.

The proportions of Fiji and Samoa appear reversed on a Mercator projection, even though Samoa is actually the larger of the two.


Google Search is weak on polar coordinate system maps, but the links that follow give some idea.




http://www.google.com/search?q=maps+polar+projection,+North+America&newwindow=1&client=tablet-android-verizon&biw=962&bih=601&prmd=inmv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwja45Du_JXNAhUXWVIKHVEIAGIQ_AUIBigB#newwindow=1&tbm=isch&q=polar+projection+centered+on+North+America&imgdii=oyxUuWdnQezQHM%3A%3BWlSJKuGDfatOVM%3A%3BWlSJKuGDfatOVM%3A&imgrc=WlSJKuGDfatOVM%3A

http://www.google.com/search?q=maps+polar+projection,+North+America&newwindow=1&client=tablet-android-verizon&biw=962&bih=601&prmd=inmv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwja45Du_JXNAhUXWVIKHVEIAGIQ_AUIBigB#newwindow=1&tbm=isch&q=polar+projection+centered+on+North+America&imgdii=oyxUuWdnQezQHM%3A%3BNfBl30S6ud2sSM%3A%3BNfBl30S6ud2sSM%3A&imgrc=NfBl30S6ud2sSM%3A

http://www.google.com/search?q=maps+polar+projection,+North+America&newwindow=1&client=tablet-android-verizon&biw=962&bih=601&prmd=inmv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwja45Du_JXNAhUXWVIKHVEIAGIQ_AUIBigB#newwindow=1&tbm=isch&q=polar+projection+centered+on+North+America&imgrc=oyxUuWdnQezQHM%3A

- ...pardon the broken links.

I've dropped a polite feedback note to Google.

Here are a couple of relevant web sites:

http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/true-size-map-lets-you-move-countries-around-globe-show-how-big-they-really-are-1380

http://overlapmaps.com/

What Your Favorite Map Projection Says About You. -XKCD


http://xkcd.com/977/

What if your favourite map is OS OL29? (Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure)

<BB<

It means you're into TT racing?.

How about if my favorite map is the USGS 7.5 minute 1:24000 scale maps of Southern Utah? And I like TT racing?

[re: TT racing - The above mentioned OS OL29 map is of the Isle of Wight, hence my guess. ]

(TT racing being associated with the Isle of Man, not Wight )

<BB<

I knew that!

That's how the cats all lose their tails, right?

*sips *

[G7]

I love the nerdiness of this thread right now

True about the bridges following ferries thing, but it's more of a political barrier, I think. I suspect if Alaska was part of Canada and not the US we would have had at least an active ferry by now, if not a bridge. There is some US senator (or something) who has for decades been campaigning to start a bridge project, but to no avail.

Well, Alaska doesn't have the best record regarding politicians and bridges.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2005/10/the-bridge-to-nowhere-a-national-embarrassment

I've heard of something called sleep.

I've not seen it in a while.

It's 22:45 and I've just got home from the brewery (was there at 8am). Ordered a take away curry because I don't have time to cook anything.
Now to do the paperwork ready for tomorrow's deliveries, yay.

On the plus side, we (finally) submitted the Premises Licence application today, so all being well in 6 to 8 weeks we'll have a bar at the brewery that we can open to the public every weekend! Yay! Less Sleep!

... I think?

I blame Macbeth; he murdered sleep - I was taught that at school so it must be true.

I won't be getting much sleep this weekend...

<BB<

From what I understand, sleep is overrated. At least that is what I tell myself to keep going.

*sips *

I wouldn't know, not had enough recently to tell.