Most people know that Earth ’s landmasses once formed single supercontinent , but how aver continent peeled away from itself – or the extent to which Earth ’s continent stay connected – is not always immediately apparent . That ’s where the Dymaxion single-valued function comes in .
The Dymaxion function bounce from the nous of designer / inventor / futurist Buckminster Fuller . Writer Alvin Toffleronce called Fuller“one of the most - hefty myth - makers and myth - exposers of our time … a controversial , constructive , unceasingly energetic metaphor - maker who ascertain things differently from the respite of us , and thereby make us see ourselves afresh . ”Indeed , anyone intimate with Fuller , hisideasorhis inventionsknows he had a certain especial means of front at the reality .
In the case of the real , literal world , that way involve projecting it onto an icosahedron and blossom forth it into two - dimension to reveal the major planet ’s continents as “ one island ” of close - contiguous land pile :
Fuller ’s is what is ordinarily called acompromise projection , a map thatforfeits certain geographic parameters in favor of others(the popular West Wing view feature here explores some of the tradeoffs made in the name of function - qualification ) .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8zBC2dvERM
Like other compromise projections , the Dymaxion mathematical function attempts to preserve the comparative size and conformation of the planet ’s assorted earth mass , overrefinement the more common Mercator and Peters projection struggle with , severally .
One particularly notable lineament of the Dymaxion map is its ability to be re - assembled and unfolded in a new contour . unfold it in one agency underline the near - contiguous land mass boast above . Unfolding it another , however , give you an icosahedral net with a global ocean surrounded by soil .
According to theBuckminster Fuller Institute , Fuller worked on this map for ten before it came into being in 1954 . When it did , he believed he had finally take in a “ acceptable pack of cards design of the six and one half sextillion tonsSpaceship Earth . ” ( “ Spaceship Earth ” being a wonderful conception that touch on our planet to a spaceship flying through the world . )
scads more great info and resources atgenekeyes.com , BFI , andthis tilt of ofttimes asked questions about The Fuller Projection . And if you ’re feeling interactive , turn back outthis Dymaxion Map puzzle(be warned : if you ’re into this sorting of thing , this mystifier can turn into an epic time - suck ) .
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