The Mercator projection, which is the most well-known map across the world, has a score of 8.396. Compared to the new map, which has a score of just 0.881, it is clear the new design is far less ...

The pancake map also has smaller distance errors than any other 2D flat map. For instance, its configuration means distances can't be more or less than 22.2% of what they are in reality, Gott said.

Various other flat maps have been drawn over the centuries, but they all have the same issue: It is impossible to portray the 3D Earth on a 2D map without compromise.

Some social media users are saying that Alexander Gleason’s 19th Century “New Standard Map of the World” is proof that the earth is flat and that Antarctica is not a continent but an ice ...