27 Facts About Maps - mental_floss on YouTube - List Show (317)

Summary

In this entertaining video, John Green, author and host of Mental Floss, dives into the fascinating world of maps, revealing intriguing facts and history. He discusses 'paper towns', a cartographic trick to detect plagiarism, and explores various map projections, highlighting their inaccuracies and purposes. Green also touches on the evolution of maps, from ancient cave paintings to modern digital versions, and shares amusing anecdotes, such as the non-existent Sandy Island, emphasizing the enduring imperfection of maps despite technological advancements.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ The term 'Paper Towns' originates from a cartographic practice where fake towns or streets are added to maps to catch copyright infringement.
• 🏠 The town of Aglo, New York, started as a paper town but became real when someone built a general store there after seeing it on a map.
• 📚 John Green, the host, is a novelist and his book 'Paper Towns' has been adapted into a movie, which was released on July 24th in the US.
• 🏛️ Bosu and Goblue, Ohio, are examples of paper towns that were added to maps by a commissioner who was a University of Michigan fan.
• 🌍 Google has also created a paper town, Argleton, England, which appeared on Google Maps and Earth but was later removed without official acknowledgment.
• 🌌 Ancient maps have been around since cave paintings, with one of the oldest star maps found in the French caves of Gloco, dating back 16,500 years.
• 📈 Maps have evolved over time, with the first printed map appearing in the encyclopedia 'Rudiment Novit Torum' in the 12th century CE.
• 🌐 The Mercator projection, commonly used in classrooms, is best for marine navigation but distorts land area and distance, making regions like Greenland appear the same size as Africa.
• 🌍 The Dymaxion and Peters projections were created to more accurately represent the area of continents on a flat map, challenging the Eurocentric view of the world.
• 🔍 Maps have been used for various purposes, including in puzzles, to track disease outbreaks, and for military and political strategies, reflecting their importance in society.

Q & A

Who is the host of Mental Floss on YouTube?

John Green.

What is the term 'Paper Towns' referring to in the context of the video?

It refers to a specific type of copyright trap used by cartographers, which involves placing fake towns or streets on maps to identify plagiarism.

What is the significance of the town of Aglo, New York in the history of cartography?

Aglo, New York was a 'paper town' created by Otto G Lindberg and Ernest Alers to catch map plagiarists. It eventually became a real town after someone built a general store there.

Why were the towns of Bosu and Goblue included on official state highway commission maps of Michigan in the late 1970s?

They were included as a reference to the University of Michigan's chant 'Go Blue' and as a nod to their rival, Ohio State University (OSU), by the commissioner at the time.

What is the story behind the creation of the 'paper town' Argleton, England on Google Maps?

Argleton was discovered on Google Maps and Google Earth in 2008 but was actually just empty land. Google never admitted it was a copyright trap, attributing it to occasional errors in their mapping process.

What is the oldest known map of stars found in France?

The map of stars was found in the French caves of Gloco and is believed to be 16,500 years old.

What is the significance of the Turin Papyrus Map of Egypt?

It is considered the first road map, created around 1160 BCE, as it shows where people could travel around riverbeds.

Why are different map projections necessary?

Different map projections are necessary because the Earth is round and maps are flat, requiring some form of distortion to accurately represent the world on a flat surface.

What is the most familiar world map projection and what are its shortcomings?

The most familiar world map projection is the Mercator projection, which is best for marine use but often distorts land area and distance, making regions like North America and Europe appear larger than they are.

Who invented the Dymaxion map and what was its purpose?

Buckminster Fuller invented the Dymaxion map, which was published in 1943. It put the world map onto an icosahedron and then flattened it out, aiming to better represent actual land area.

What is the historical significance of the Cognoscimini map from Korea?

The Cognoscimini map, created in 1402, is the first known map to place North at the top and South at the bottom, indicating a different cultural perspective on map orientation.

What role did maps play in the spread of cholera in London in the mid-19th century?

A map created by John Snow identified a specific public water pump as the source of a cholera outbreak, helping to halt the spread of the disease.

Why were maps given out for free at American gas stations starting in the 1930s?

Maps were given out for free to travelers as a form of advertising and to assist with navigation during a time when paper maps were the primary means of geographic guidance.

What is the significance of the Sandy Island story mentioned in the video?

Sandy Island had been on maps for centuries and was believed to exist off the coast of Australia. However, in 2012, marine scientists discovered that it does not actually exist, highlighting the imperfections in mapmaking even after centuries of development.