Conclusion

An Image of the Mercator projection of earth. It represent the current grid system currently used today in UTMs. This was taken from the below site.
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/images/mercator.gif

            As you have seen from this web project on mapping and cartography throughout the history of science, the majority of discovers in the field of science was based off of shared knowledge. Without the gained teachings and studies from others the human race would be much further behind than it is today. It was the travels of these explorers and travelers that brought forth new ideas and possibilities. A simple thought of Earth being round had made drastic changes in how humans saw the world and universe they lived in. Even I discovered new things with mapping and navigation. I would have never thought that the ancient Babylonians were intelligent enough to mark off distances for measurement beyond that of line of sight. This opens up new ideas of how the Babylonians may have utilized this measurement system for architecture and construction. Look again at the drawing of the Babylonian civilization on my Home page. The image is a captured history that shows the numerous possibilities for a civilization that required mathematics as a basis for science.

Even in the Middle Ages I learned that mapping was more of a tradecraft and skill than just an art or rendition of the visible land. I didn’t think sailors and explorers used these detailed maps as early as the medieval time. The displayed Fra Mauro map was not only a work of art, but a useful tool to anyone that knew how to read it. It provided Kings and Land Lords an abundance of knowledge that helped them make political, military, and other keys decisions for their community to prosper. A grandiose map such as this aided philosophers and up and coming great minds of science to peruse the lay of the land. Newer areas of science such as geography, geology, agriculture, and were open for study with the research that maps provided.

Finally, the Mercator system is an outstanding display of mathematics in science for a practical purpose that has carried on through over a century.  By looking at the image above, one can see a graphical layout of how charting improved distant travel. Even uses for military strategy and land ownership were benefits gained from his system. The Global Positioning System or GPS as it is commonly known has come leaps and bounds from the simple grid map used only a couple decades ago. The GPS systems of today can precisely locate a three dimension point anyway on, below, or above the Earth. Maybe in the future a great mind like Mercator will develop a system than can map the universe.

Just remember the next time you venture to a new store or residence and how easy it is to just turn on your GPS for directions. It was Gerard Mercator and his design of the Mercator system that helped develop a science of pinpointing where on Earth you are presently positioned. Our lives have been made easier with the shared knowledge from others and will only progress the human race as we provide our discoveries to those that are inquisitive enough.