--- In RingworldRPG@..., Lensman <lensman@...> wrote:
>
> David Fraser wrote:
>
> > My first challenge was working out what the map REALLY looked like,
> > and why it's shape confused Louis - which I did (I have the graphic,
> > and the reasoning behind it, somewhere at home.)
>
> This was discussed on the larryniven-l list, and for once a consensus
> was achieved! We believe the Map of Earth looks something like this:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ynueyw

Nice map. I do like it.

> And yah, the idea that one could judge continental drift on a map so
> distorted seems pretty silly.

Nonetheless, that's what Larry Wrote (and I'm tap-dancing desperately
so as not to contradict The Master...) so I chose another path.

I've uploaded the one that I picked out to this groups' photos in a
new album, "Map of Earth".

My reasoning was:
1) The Continents had to look relatively undistorted (due to a comment
which Louis made).

2) It had to look LIKE a polar projection map (again, another comment
of Louis')

3) It had to "fool the eye" to the point that Louis MIGHT try to guess
the age from the shape of the oceans (and get it wrong).

As I've bad-mouthed our hero, I ought to point out that I'm assuming
nothing wrong with Louis's eyes or brain, just that he tends to jump
to conclusions.

As always, "Your milage may vary", and the one that the larryniven-l
group picked out does also look good.

-- DF