Every so often, a hiker or a backpacker will run across something puzzling: a ginormous concrete arrow, as much as seventy feet in length, just sitting in the middle of scrub-covered America. What are these giant arrows? Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings solves the mystery.

Source: www.cntraveler.com

This is fascinating…just because a technology is old and outdated in modern society doesn’t mean it wasn’t ingenious.  The original mathematicians who calculated angles and distances study geometry so they could navigate and ‘measure the Earth.’ Before GPS, these giant arrows helped pilots navigate across the United States; they are part of the genealogical strands of navigational technology.   Mathematics can be incredibly spatial as well as geospatial.   


Tags: mapping, GPS, math, geospatial, location, historical.