Which Way Is Up?

[SalixIncendium]

Google "the globe" and click on 'images.'

the globe - Google Search

Why is it that every image reflects the Eurocentric view of north being in the top position? Why is north up? Even when we view images of the solar system, earth's north is in the upright position?

From outside the solar system, direction is irrelevant, so who decided which way is up?

 

[Rival]

Google 'Mondas'

​

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

The continents could just as well have been shown like this:

 

[Twilight Hue]

Google "the globe" and click on 'images.'

the globe - Google Search

Why is it that every image reflects the Eurocentric view of north being in the top position? Why is north up? Even when we view images of the solar system, earth's north is in the upright position?

From outside the solar system, direction is irrelevant, so who decided which way is up?

Well we already know that, "Up Is Down, and sideways is straight ahead".

 

[SalixIncendium]

The continents could just as well have been shown like this:

The US, upside down, kind of looks like an aardvark lying down chewing on Quebec.

 

[Jumi]

It's a convention that came from Europe, because they had the maps everyone started using later on. The ancient east is up could be interesting, but just as arbitrary.

 

[Sunstone]

Little known fact: "Up" stands for "Universal Position" and originally was a term used for what today is called the "missionary position" in sex. Specifically, it referred to the top position. Since at the time this was true, religion dominated the landscape, the top position was required by custom and tradition to always be assumed with one's head pointing towards the star Polaris, which meant the north pole. Consequently, the north pole became associated with "up".

I hope this helps. I found the information by googling "Creationism, Ken Ham's Sex Life".

 

[Jumi]

The continents could just as well have been shown like this:

That's cool and interesting. Makes it look like Russia and Canada are more dominant than on the north up map, at least in my eyes. Looks like every other country is just a sidenote.

 

[Nous]

One can define "north" in accordance with the earth's orientation in space, so that the North Pole is the one that points toward Polaris. Of course, that doesn't mean the "north" needs to be at the top of a photograph.

Oddly, the "upside-down" image of the world map well highlights something that Hegel noted about the continental masses tending to get "pulled toward" or drip toward the South Pole, whereas they're more clumpy toward the North Pole. I don't know whether there is some explanation for this is.

 

[Polymath257]

Google "the globe" and click on 'images.'

the globe - Google Search

Why is it that every image reflects the Eurocentric view of north being in the top position? Why is north up? Even when we view images of the solar system, earth's north is in the upright position?

From outside the solar system, direction is irrelevant, so who decided which way is up?

Well, for a rotating body, there are two reasonable orientations: one where the body rotates clockwise when looking 'down' and the other where the body rotates counter-clockwise when looking 'down'.

The default taken by modern astronomers is the latter, since in math the positive 'angle' direction is *counter* clockwise. But this is an arbitrary choice. It is also related to the orientation of our 'xy' coordinate system for the plane.

Historically, Islamic maps were made with 'south' being 'up'. But again, the orientation is completely arbitrary. But it is fun to look at maps that are 'orientation-reversed' from those we typically see. Even at a local level, look at your favorite city or town on a map that is 'upside down'.

 

[SalixIncendium]

One can define "north" in accordance with the earth's orientation in space, so that the North Pole is the one that points toward Polaris. Of course, that doesn't mean the "north" needs to be at the top of a photograph.

Oddly, the "upside-down" image of the world map well highlights something that Hegel noted about the continental masses tending to get "pulled toward" or drip toward the South Pole, whereas they're more clumpy toward the North Pole. I don't know whether there is some explanation for this is.

I wasn't questioning how we define 'north.' I was questioning why it is a universally accepted position that 'north' is 'up.' So far, @Jumi's explanation makes the most sense to me.

It's a convention that came from Europe, because they had the maps everyone started using later on. The ancient east is up could be interesting, but just as arbitrary.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

The continents could just as well have been shown like this:

Even this map has the problem of the “Mercator projection”, which makes lands near the equator look smaller than those nearer the poles. Since the ‘southern continents’ of South America, Africa, and Australia are closer to the equator (overall) than the northern continents, they look smaller on standard maps than they really are.
For example, your map shows Greenland and Africa as nearly equal in area, yet Africa is around 14 times the size of Greenland.
It was some old system of making a rectangular flat paper map show all of the surface of a round globe and look good, that is to blame. Now even Google and Bing Maps use the Mercator projection.
Damn my cartographically self-centered European ancestors!!

—> Here’s a related link. <—

 

[Baladas]

The ancient Egyptians thought of things the other way around.

 

[Polymath257]

Even this map has the problem of the “Mercator projection”, which makes lands near the equator look smaller than those nearer the poles. Since the ‘southern continents’ of South America, Africa, and Australia are closer to the equator (overall) than the northern continents, they look smaller on standard maps than they really are.
For example, your map shows Greenland and Africa as nearly equal in area, yet Africa is around 14 times the size of Greenland.
It was some old system of making a rectangular flat paper map show all of the surface of a round globe and look good, that is to blame. Now even Google and Bing Maps use the Mercator projection.
Damn my cartographically self-centered European ancestors!!

—> Here’s a related link. <—

The difficulty here is that we would *like* a flat map that preserves distances and areas. But there is simply no way to do that mathematically. We *have* to allow for some type of distortion when going from a globe to a flat map.

One map that I like, but isn't very common, simply projects outward from the globe to a cylinder with the same radius. This changes distances (inevitably), but the remarkable fact is that it preserves areas. So, with this type of projection, areas are reliably presented. But don't try to navigate by such a map!

 

[The Sum of Awe]

The continents could just as well have been shown like this:

Is it just me, or does viewing the world that way make it look like a fat guy in a birthday hat is farting something nasty?

 

[Rival]

I just recalled that the Scandinavian countries called themselves 'Norse' as well. They saw themselves as northern, so much so that it became a part of their identity.

 

[Baladas]

Is it just me, or does viewing the world that way make it look like a fat guy in a birthday hat is farting something nasty?

I can totally see it!

 

[Axe Elf]

 

[Valjean]

The ancient Egyptians thought of things the other way around.

In this case upper and lower refer to elevation rather than direction.
Cf: High and Low German.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Little known fact: "Up" stands for "Universal Position" and originally was a term used for what today is called the "missionary position" in sex. Specifically, it referred to the top position. Since at the time this was true, religion dominated the landscape, the top position was required by custom and tradition to always be assumed with one's head pointing towards the star Polaris, which meant the north pole. Consequently, the north pole became associated with "up".

I hope this helps. I found the information by googling "Creationism, Ken Ham's Sex Life".

I suggest being VERY CAREFUL if you google "North Pole." Just sayin'...