The Map That Broke Navigation: How a 450-Year-Old Lie About the Earth Is Still Warping Your Brain Today

Gerardus Mercator wanted to help sailors sail in straight lines — and accidentally convinced the entire modern world that Greenland is the size of Africa. In this episode, we dig into how one practical compromise from 1569 quietly shapes political intuitions, foreign policy instincts, and the way your brain silently ranks which human lives matter more.