{"id":4123,"date":"2012-02-27T16:57:34","date_gmt":"2012-02-27T23:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.miridiatech.com\/news\/?p=4123"},"modified":"2018-04-04T05:47:59","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T11:47:59","slug":"a-map-or-a-model","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.miridiatech.com\/news\/2012\/02\/a-map-or-a-model\/","title":{"rendered":"A Map or a Model?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you remember how to read a map?<\/span><\/h1>\n

I certainly do. I remember miles of squinting at little squiggly lines while trying to navigate my way across the country in years past. But now with GPS navigation, many of us don’t use maps at all anymore. GPS is simply more detailed, more accurate, and a more reliable way to get there. (At least it usually is–I know there are GPS exceptions as well, but stick with me.)<\/p>\n

When we set out 3 years ago to create the world\u2019s best auriculotherapy reference software, we were pursuing the wrong goal completely.<\/strong> Fact is, we had the best intentions and some great ideas, but our thinking was just too limited in scope. The profession needs more than just a reference.<\/p>\n

The problem is one of shape.<\/strong>\u00a0Let me illustrate what I mean. What is the shape of the earth?<\/p>\n

Is it round?\u00a0No.<\/p>\n

The correct answer is that the earth is a sphere. \u201cRound\u201d refers to a 2-dimensional object and lends itself well to being drawn on paper. But a sphere is a 3-dimensional object, and as any mapmaker will tell you, drawing a 3-dimensional object in 2 dimensions leads to distortions.<\/p>\n

Look at this map: Do you notice that Greenland appears larger than Brazil, and nearly the size of Africa?<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But if you look at a globe you\u2019ll see that Greenland is really much smaller than both. In fact, Greenland is only one-fifteenth the size of Africa. And that\u2019s the problem with trying to draw a 2-dimensional reference of a 3-dimensional object.<\/p>\n

Lots of different approaches have attempted to overcome this obvious problem. Like this one:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Or this one:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But really, the only correct solution is a globe.<\/p>\n