This is especially disturbing when you consider that, for most of us, most of our knowledge consists of such secondhand, literally-interpreted abstractions. And then this bogus knowledge is firmly validated by our similarly deluded peers.
An organic version of The Matrix.
It’s a dad joke sir.
It highlights the role of interpretation in our social epistemology. A dozen people can cite the same argument, all nodding their heads wisely, coming to a good and reasonable agreement, yet hold a dozen different meanings in their heads.
You must be fun at parties.
It’s important
This one is peak Dad Joke. I’m impressed.
I’m dumb AF please explain
The map is not the same size as actual Greenland
The Earth is a sphere, which means there’s no easy way to project it onto a flat surface. One of the methods used to project the Earth’s surface on the map results in certain places (such as Greenland) to be stretched to huge sizes, sometimes appearing as big as Africa (look up “Mercator map”). The joke here is that while we expect him to make a comment about the map’s projection, he instead comments on how Greenland on the physical map is only a few inches, as opposed to its actual size.
So yeah, subverted expectations, peak Dad joke
Alt text: “The Mercator projection drastically distorts the size of almost every area of land except a small ring around the North and South Poles.”
I thought the equator was the only part that wasn’t distorted?
Wooosh
They’re saying the ring around the North and South Pole is actually 1:1 scale.
I don’t get it
Greenland isn’t small enough to put on a map on your wall. No significant body of land is
Uhh aaaah. Thanks.
Ceci n’est pas un earth.
(shilling for Waterman butterfly projection)
https://xkcd.com/977/ Randall Munroe wants to know your location
It’s that time for the West Wing Gail-Peters Projection Map scene
for even more of this same kind of joke, but from a totally different angle, may I present the “London To Edinburgh” sketch from Big Train.
One of my favorites.
![Greenland Size [xkcd]](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/18d389e1-6a72-4a7d-9513-5fe2eb7a6988.jpeg){kind=link}