@native_history_ Obama is a poser.
Obama projected an image—eloquent, progressive, an agent of change, an outsider—that did not entirely align with reality.
@CharlesMullins2 The text description of Starfall doesn’t seem to match the spacecraft in the video. Text says Starfall is disk-shaped without a rocket engine used to deorbit. The craft in the video is bullet-shaped & uses a rocket engine & a parachute. Is the video of an early prototype?
The African Union has supported a global effort to replace the Mercator map with more geographically accurate projections, such as the Equal Earth map.
The African Union has backed a global effort to replace the Mercator map with more accurate alternatives, such as the Equal Earth projection.
Its main argument is that the Mercator projection creates a misleading view of the world’s geography. Developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 for navigation, the map preserves direction and compass bearings, making it highly useful for sailors. However, this comes at the cost of distorting the size of landmasses farther from the equator.
As a result, countries and regions such as Greenland, Canada, and Russia appear much larger than they actually are, while equatorial areas like Africa seem comparatively smaller. In reality, Africa spans about 30.3 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles), making it larger than the United States, China, India, and most of Europe combined. Yet on a Mercator map, it can appear similar in size to Greenland, despite Africa being roughly 14 times larger.
Supporters of projections like Equal Earth argue that maps used in classrooms and the media should prioritize accurately representing land area rather than preserving navigational features designed for 16th-century seafaring.