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September 09, 2005
Now students can bore a hole through the entire planet
A National Geographic study concluded that 11% of Americans 18-24 can't find the US on an unmarked map. 70% can't find New Jersey. However, with the advent of new technology, there may be a way to make geography more interesting: have students bore a hole through the entire planet to see where they end up.
"Are you concerned about where you go to arrive if you dig a very deep straight infinitous hole on Earth?" asks Brazilian grad student Luis Felipe Cipriani. Yes? Well, luckily he has taken the time to manipulate Google Maps in order to answer this age-old question:
http://grad.icmc.usp.br/~cipriani/bighole.php?lang=en
Simply click a point on the map, select "Dig Here" in the balloon that pops up next to your selection and voila!
One finds, for instance, that if we at the Persuasive Tech Lab were to "dig a very deep straight infinitous hole," we'd end up in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Interestingly, if you were to dig a similar hole in Washington, D.C. you'd also end up in the Indian Ocean.
While it may seem like a silly time-killer to some, it highlights how creative tinkering with new technologies can result in some amazing, and potentially useful educational applications.
Posted by Matt Markovich at September 9, 2005 01:25 PM