Launched nearly fifteen years ago, Google Maps’ online mapping service is getting a major update by finally ditching the Mercator projection, which did not accurately ...

Maps distort reality because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere, and any attempt to represent it on a flat surface requires compromise.It's like trying to make a rectangle out of an orange peel.

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: The African Union has started an effort to oust the ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. World maps distort size and shape by design. Learn why projections matter and how they shape global understanding. (CREDIT: ...

The map of the world as you know it – the Mercator projection – isn’t totally accurate. And Africa is leading the charge to get rid of it for good. Last week, the African Union, a continental union of ...

Maps distort reality because the Earth is a three-dimensional sphere, and any attempt to represent it on a flat surface ...

Maps sit quietly in classrooms, on news websites and inside phone screens. They look settled and precise, but the world they show is always slightly bent out of shape. Because the Earth is round, any ...

Ever since we discovered Earth was round, mapmakers have struggled to create a map that accurately shows our planet in 2D. Most notably, Africa always ends up appearing far smaller than it actually is ...