Why does the earth look like this?

[KFC911]

How do we know where the little magnetic needle first pointed? It's flip-flopped more than most politicians, and has been all points in between at some point in time...

[Moses]

Originally Posted by KC911

How do we know where the little magnetic needle first pointed? It's flip-flopped more than most politicians, and has been all points in between at some point in time...

Yeah, but wherever you are, well...there you are.

[flashgordon13]

The pole are starting to flip again so the globes in all the schools will need to be turned over in the near future. We would not want to confuse our children with such things as upside-down veiws of earth.

[KFC911]

I'm a leftie (handed, not politics) so wherever I ain't, I'm not

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Moses

Nah. The first instrument ever developed for determining geographic orientation was a simple compass. Do you imagine the little compass needle points north because of "North-centric" cultural bias or maybe racist cartographers?

Every map contains a compass rose with the map oriented in the direction the little magnetic needle first pointed.

But the needle points both directions.

The only reason is because maps and compasses were invented in the northern hemisphere where there was this handy little navigational aid called the north star.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by ckissick

But the needle points both directions.

The only reason is because maps and compasses were invented in the northern hemisphere where there was this handy little navigational aid called the north star.

Right. I think the compass was invented in China.

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Moses

Right. I think the compass was invented in China.

I wikied the compass. It was invented in China in the 11th century. The first documented compass was a magnetic fish that pointed south. All early Chinese compasses were designed to point south. Of course, it pointed both ways, but they built it so the arrow or fish head or whatever pointed south. It seems odd that they would point south when the the logical direction was to the north pole.

The Europeans invented the compass independently 300 years later, and designed it to look like it pointed north.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

the Big "N" man, the Big "N"!!!

You'll find it on every survey or site plan.

North is always up...........unless it's off to the left, or another direction.

[Rob Channell]

How about the right hand rule for 3 dimensional coordinate systems?

Curl your fingers of your right hand in the direction of the earth's rotation and the thumb points "up" to the positive vertical axis. This ends up being North.

I guess it's just another wrong solution that hasn't been pointed out yet......

[Venetian]

I mentioned earlier that Acura TL/CL from 1999 to 2003 have transmission problems. Well mine just went a few days ago with 51000 miles!. Acura installed a new rebuild under extended warranty. It is now leaking fluid and I have to bring it back in. Also one headlight failed. This was a $1000 fix for bulb and ignitor/ballast.

The point being Japanese does not necessarily mean bullet proof. Again my 98 K1500 4WD truck(100,000 miles) still runs like a clock and has never left me stranded.

[motion]

Yeah. Take those Japanese maps, for example. Have you seen those? What a joke.

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Venetian

I mentioned earlier that Acura TL/CL from 1999 to 2003 have transmission problems. Well mine just went a few days ago with 51000 miles!. Acura installed a new rebuild under extended warranty. It is now leaking fluid and I have to bring it back in. Also one headlight failed. This was a $1000 fix for bulb and ignitor/ballast.

The point being Japanese does not necessarily mean bullet proof. Again my 98 K1500 4WD truck(100,000 miles) still runs like a clock and has never left me stranded.

Talk about your non sequitur.

[Wickd89]

He who wins the wars, writes the history books...

I am sure Lilly grew up with a different view... ;-)

[K. Roman]

the universe is four dimensions if you also count time.

[Zef]

Because the USA is the center of univers...?

[frogger]

Originally Posted by Zef

Because the USA is the center of univers...?

Finally, someone got it right!

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by frogger

Finally, someone got it right!

That may be true but there must have been a master plan, the maps were drawn before we existed.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by K. Roman

the universe is four dimensions if you also count time.

At least four.