📘 Part 3: Navigation

This episode's vocabulary

In this day and age (idiom) - at the present time.

Up to speed (idiom) - if you are up to speed with a subject or activity, you have all the latest information about it and are able to do it well.

Coverage (noun) - the reporting of a particular important event or subject.

Passer-by (noun) - someone who is going past a particular place, especially when something unusual happens.

Likelihood (noun) - the chance that something will happen.

March (noun) - the continuous development of a state, activity, or idea.

Spatial awareness (noun) - the ability to understand the relationship between one's movements and the objects in one's surrounding environment.

To plot (verb) - to mark or draw something on a piece of paper or a map.

Questions and Answers

M: Why might paper maps still be necessary?

R: I mean, even in this day and age, there are places without internet access, or which suffer from various outages. So having physical copies of maps lying around might be useful. And even if you do have a connection, some places like zoos don't have online maps as details as the ones they produce for people to carry around with them. Even all the zoom functions and like might not be as accurate as what they've got on paper.

M: Why do some people prefer to use a paper map?

R: Well, for all kinds of reasons, they could be pretty old-fashioned and not up to speed with the latest tech or they might just live in a blackout area with no coverage like I mentioned previously.

M: What are the differences between paper and digital maps?

R: Well, the rule of technology seems like the most obvious difference. You could also zoom in and out on a digital map and get a greater level of detail most of the time. I suppose they could be updated more easily too, and take up less physical space. By contrast, a paper map is most likely to die on you since it's not got a battery. And it wouldn't take up as much memory in your phone. Although, I don't think they take up that much space anyway.

M: What do people usually do when they get lost?

R: Well, probably, they panic when they have the realization and then stop to ask for directions if there are any passers-by. Aside from that they might check an online map or some sort of service that provides support in all these situations. Worst case scenario, they can call the emergency services.

M: What do you think of an in-car GPS navigation?

R: I mean, it seems like a great way to reduce the chances of getting lost in all likelihood. Some people might think it's just another way people have become lazier with the march of technology, but I believe it's a great invention. And I don't even drive. So it's just so convenient, to be honest, or it sounds that way.

M: How can reading a map help you learn more about your country?

R: Well, there are different kinds of maps, a political one could help you learn more about the countries bordering your own. So you would have a better understanding of the place of your country in the world. A physical map would give you more knowledge of different places and their location above or below sea level, and different rivers and lakes and where they're located, things like that.

M: Why should children be taught to read maps at school?

R: Well, just talked about people getting lost. So that would be an advantage. And children have the time to learn about it at school, so why not? And they would also get a better understanding of how their country works like I mentioned just there as well.

M: Why do some people never get lost?

R: Well, some people are just blessed or gifted with a fantastic sense of direction and always seem to know where they're going. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say they have better spatial awareness and can plot their position on an imaginary map in their head. But I don't know enough about the subject to say for sure.

Discussion

M: Hey, well done us! So maps. Dear listener, are you excited to talk about maps? No? Well, hopefully, you kind of do use some maps in your smartphone. Sometimes.

R: I think everybody uses a map at some point in their lives, even if it's just to look at it.

M: Yeah, but not like paper maps, but yeah, usually people use electronic or digital maps. Right? But paper maps are necessary. Why? Because there are places without internet access.

R: Did you need a map when you went to Kamchatka?

M: No. I went on a tour. So kind of it was well organized and people took me to places. But yeah, when I was on my own, like in the capital of the region. So yeah, I have used a map. They have Wi-Fi there in Kamchatka, but not on volcanoes.

R: No. I'd be very surprised if you had Wi-Fi on a volcano.

M: So people have to use physical copies of maps.

R: Yes, because it's necessary. They can't have anything else. I used the word "outage" to describe the sudden loss of a connection to the Internet, which would happen in more remote areas.

M: And what's an outage?

R: Well, you have a power outage when the power stops. So you have a Wi-Fi or an internet outage when the Internet access stops.

M: And also, dear listener, if you go to a zoo or if you go to a museum, they do give you a paper map, right? Kind of a detailed paper map. Like for you to know, like, oh, pandas I here, snakes are there. Like also like, if you stay in a hostel, right? In a city. They also have paper maps, right? And if you go on this, like, hop on hop off bus, they give you a map of the route. So there you go. In different museums, they have paper maps. Kind of like a booklet. Right? Kind of a paper map, more like a booklet.

R: What else would you call it? A leaflet, maybe?

M: A leaflets. Yeah, a leaflet with a map. And people can carry around this map with them. So you go to a zoo. So you carry around this map with you. And you follow the directions to see different animals. Hey! But you can also do it like on your smartphone because some places do have apps. You can just download this app and see everything there.

R: Do they have apps in Kamchatka?

M: You know, some museums might. But that many museums. So Kamchatka is a museum in the open air. It's just like volcanoes, but there's a nice Museum of volcanoes in the capital. Yeah. Beautiful museum about volcanoes. Oh my gosh, I think it's one of the best museums I've been to. A museum about volcanoes. Amazing. Yeah, really good stuff. Paper maps and digital maps. Some people prefer to use a paper map. Well, for all kinds of reasons. Like why? We use a paper map for different reasons. So some people could be quite old-fashioned, okay? Old-fashioned people. People may not be up to speed with the latest technology. So some people are not up to speed with technology, which means that they don't know how to use technology.

R: Yes. The latest technology.

M: Yeah, kind of the super new technology.

R: They might know how to use a phone, but they might not know how to use a phone to download or update a map, for example.

M: But I think like now, if you go to an event, like an exhibition, or I don't know, a museum, they have QR codes. So you scan the code, and then you see a map or some additional information. But everything is kind of a QR code, or download our app, and go to our website.

R: I'm thinking about older people like my dad, for example, who would have no idea how to use that kind of thing.

M: Really?

R: Yeah. Do you think your parents would be the same?

M: I think so. They're not so good with QR codes. I don't think like, my dad definitely doesn't use the internet. My father doesn't use the internet. Okay?

R: Same.

M: My mum does have a smartphone and she uses the internet, but she's not into this QR code. So I, yeah, I think like some people just don't use online things. And some people could live in a blackout area. So a blackout area - without any internet. Okay? So no coverage, no internet, so no digital map. So they have paper maps. But I think also like architects have paper maps, some maybe military people have paper maps.

R: Yeah. But that's very niche. The vast majority of people probably only use digital ones.

M: Yeah, yeah. True. Some people get lost. Other people do not get lost. So what do they do? They panic. Oh, my God. What do I do now? Hey! And then they ask for directions, right? There are passes by, like people around you. Who just like to walk around you, near you. Passes by. So if there are any passes by people ask for directions. People can check an online map. Okay? Or some sort of service. Like what service? Like you are lost in Rome. Okay, your smartphone died. So it just doesn't work. Okay? You forgot to charge it. And then like where do you go? Oh, like the tourist information office maybe.

R: If there is one nearby. I'm just thinking about the last time I got lost it wasn't one of those nearby.

M: I just think like you ask people.

R: If there are people nearby, yeah. Sometimes you have to navigate by using landmarks or retrace your steps, which is when you go back and look again.

M: Yeah, but if you're in a village and there's no one there. It's getting dark. It starts raining. It's getting cold. Yeah, not a good situation to be in. Worst case scenario. So kind of in the worst possible situation. So worst case scenario you call the police, or you call the emergency services. So for example, when you get lost in a forest somewhere and there aren't any people, hopefully, you have your phone. And even without any internet, you can call the emergency services. So what's the number in Scotland? For emergencies?

R: It's 999.

R: Although I think in America, it's 911. What is it in Russia? Is it 112?

M: I think so. Yeah. Many cars have built-in GPS navigation systems. Okay? So GPS navigation, or in-car GPS navigation systems. So they are there, already like built in there. And usually, it's kind of like a flat screen, a small screen or something. And GPS navigation systems are a great way to reduce the chances of getting lost because you follow the directions there.

R: You could still get lost, though, if you put the wrong thing into the GPS.

M: And if it doesn't work for some reason...

R: Yeah. Or it needs to update.

M: And usually, like taxi drivers, they don't carry paper maps with them. So the GPS navigation system doesn't work. And that's it. We don't know where to go. And also such systems are another way why people have become lazier. Okay? So they rely on technology. They're getting lazy. Lazier. But it's a great invention, you can say. Yeah?

R: Well, it should be, although I remember getting into a taxi in my hometown and telling him the address. And he asked me where that was. And I looked at him and I was like, do you not know how to use Google Maps? It was such a weird conversation.

M: Conversation with the GPS navigation system?

R: Conversation with a taxi driver about using the GPS navigation system. But yeah, I was just like, why are you asking me where the address is? Ask Google. But no. And then he was like, oh, I don't really know how to use that. Can you tell me how to get there? So I was giving directions. And I looked at him and I was like, I hope I'm getting a discount for this because I'm doing your job for you.

M: Oh, wow, Scottish drivers.

R: I think this is just like a really old driver who didn't know what he was doing.

M: There are different kinds of maps. For example, a political map. A political map helps you learn more about the countries which have borders with your own country. You would have a better understanding of something. So if you read a political map, you would have a better understanding of the borders, for example. Then, if you read a physical map, this would give you knowledge of different places and their locations. Okay? Like forests, mountains, lakes, cities, and where places are located. What other maps do I have? Like political maps, physical maps.

R: I'm trying to think. I only know about physical, political... I know the different kinds of geography but that's all I know about maps. And even then I think that's like more than most people would know. How much do you think about it really?

M: They are kind of like climate maps.

R: Oh, really? Well, how's that different to a physical map?

M: I don't know. Like what do you mean by physical? Google doesn't give you physical.

R: A physical map is like, it's a way of looking at the physical features of a country or...

M: Oh, yeah, physical map. Okay. Okay. Yeah. And climate maps are all about climate. So it highlights the climatic differences between different regions, and physical maps, dear listener, show natural landscape. Okay? Also road maps.

R: Oh, yeah.

M: Also topographic maps, dear listener. Topographic maps show terrain, so kind of like land. Also, we have economic maps, economic maps. So they show different resources in a country.

R: Oh, wow.

M: And other maps I can't even pronounce. Okay? So these are the most, the easiest ones, dear listener. So if you want to know more about different countries, you can use different maps, political maps, climate maps, roadmaps, economic maps, and physical maps. You see, dear listener? Now you're super educated.

R: Even I'm educated by this.

M: Yeah, even Rory.

R: I had no idea about these climate maps.

M: I know, climate maps. Like back to school. Children should be taught how to read maps. And again, they can be taught to read different maps. Climate maps, physical maps. At school, usually.

R: Yeah. But it was about why.

M: Yeah, but kind of it's part of geography. It's part of education.

R: Yeah, I just think like, yeah, but why, what's the purpose behind it? I assume it has to do with not being able to get lost and knowing your place in the world. That must be the only thing, surely.

M: Yeah, but also kind of to get educated about their country and about other countries. To know about climates in their country. To learn about different,, lakes and mountains. So not only, like not to get lost, dear listener, okay? So here, we're kind of like, we think more globally. What are the maps? Okay? So it's education. Not just like using a map in a city. Yeah? Not to get lost. So knowing how to read different maps helps children to get a better understanding of how their country works. And then you mention different maps again, I feel we've just become super educated.

R: Absolutely. Like, you don't really think about it that much. But what is geography for?

M: Yeah, yeah, that's true. We do read different maps during geography classes. Some people never get lost in a city, for example, or in a forest, because they are blessed with a fantastic sense of direction. So some people have a very good sense of direction, or they are gifted, like gifted. They have a gift. They are gifted with a fantastic sense of direction.

R: Do you have a gift for this?

M: Well, no. I'm pretty good. You know? Above average. Some people are very good. Other people are not good. But I think that most people are good at reading like usual maps not to get lost. But not everybody is good at reading climate maps, or topographic maps, like specific maps, right? Or I don't know economic maps, or geologic maps.

R: Well, I couldn't read a topographic map if you asked me to.

M: Yeah, kind of like a geologic map, dear listener. Like a special-purpose map of geological features. And if you look at the map, there are different colours and like what? Geology? What's this about? I don't know, like rocks? Geologic strata? Rock units? What? So here, I am not able to read a geologic map.

R: Same. I would be useless.

M: Yeah, so you can say like most people are good with like usual maps, but many people can't read specific maps, which have a special purpose like geologic maps. And the examiner looks at you like what? Geologic maps? Whoa, this person is educated. So you see? A kind of like, you're smarter than an examiner. No, but this is good. You know? This is good to kind of show your knowledge about different maps.

R: And not to be lost on the subject. That was a pun. That was a good pun.

M: Yeah. And if you are lost on a subject, you just don't know what to say, yeah?

R: Yeah. But you didn't laugh at my pun, though. I'm very sad.

M: Ha-ha.

R: Ahaha.

M: Ha-ha. If you don't know what to say, you can say like, if I were to hazard a guess. So if I were to guess, or if I were to hazard a guess.

R: If I were to hazard a guess. That's a good one.

M: Like, ooh, really, I don't know. But if I were to hazard a guess, if I were to guess, I'd say that these people have better spatial awareness. So they are aware of the space around them. So they can kind of like navigate well, they are aware of where places are. And they can plot their position on an imaginary map. So they imagine a map in their head, and they can like plot their position? Plot?

R: Yeah, that's where you place your position. You plot. Plot a course, plot a position on a map.

M: Like place their position on an imaginary map. So they imagine a map and they imagine their route, their way to a certain place. Right, dear listener, thank you very much for listening! Now you know a lot of interesting things about different maps. Yeah.

R: Lucky you!

M: Yeah, you can read more about, well, different maps and digital maps, and why are they good and also kind of some, the latest maps apps. Okay? If you want to feel more confident about this subject, and we'll get back to you in our next episode! Bye!

R: Bye!

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