maps etc

[gfish]

I've been thinking how it's likely that the skill of map reading will die with our generation. (Except for weirdo hobbyists, of course, like people who teach themselves celestial navigation today. [Yes, I'm included in that group.]) It follows that physical maps will eventually die out as well, which suddenly strikes me as a much odder thought. Phone books are even more obviously doomed. None of the entire combined index of our reality will be tangible. Now that I'm watching the new Survivors remake, it makes me wonder what post-apocalyptic fiction will look like in a couple of decades. Imagine being surrounded by resources but not being able to find out where they are, or how to get there. How bizarre.

Also, why didn't anyone tell me about the Survivors remake? It's already into its second season!

Also also, sorry I haven't been updating much. It's been a weird couple of weeks. I have some non-news to share which I thought I'd have the final clearance to post about some time ago. Waiting for the go ahead (which will almost certainly take the form of official word I wasn't selected) has given me a weird mental block on updating LJ. I should at least have a cool project update or two to make asap.

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

While I think you're right about map-reading (and maps) mostly dying out, I think that post-apocalyptic fiction about that vanishing, would only be relevant to people to whom the maps themselves were relevant. I was thinking about something related the other day when we were taking a tour of a mission house, and the woman noted that when the missionaries were teaching bible verses to the indigenous people, they'd learn the verses, and entire chapters, by rote rather than by reading, and they'd do it overnight. They were pre-literate and used to memorizing, but once they had an alphabet, everyone stopped caring or even noticing that nobody could still memorize an entire chapter of the bible overnight. It wasn't on their mental map. So, too, with maps themselves, I'm guessing: it will be a sufficiently foreign thought that it won't even register.

[quiet000001.livejournal.com]

Non-scientific experiences in school seem to agree with this. My fellow students (who do not remember a time Before The Internet) are really quite perplexed by the entire idea of, you know, not just going to a search engine to find out information, or using google maps to do a preliminary location scout. Nevermind having to actually take FILM photographs and have them DEVELOPED to put together a location folder.