Reading a map is a profound act of faith

. . .

Uncertainties:

• Technologies of measurement
  
  
• Mapmaker bias
  
  
• Abstraction of original data
  
  
• Maps are missing values and myths
  
  
• Ties to ground truth
  
  
• Ideological abuses
  
  
• Distortions
  
  
• Datums
  
  
• Transformations from 3-D to 2-D
  
  
• Projections

Note the failure of a NASA computer to detect evidence of a hole in the ozone over Antarctica for about five years because the readings fell outside the range of values considered plausible by the NASA scientists who programmed the computer.

Copyright © 1998 WVS Corporation