A Map Mistake Was Repeated for Centuries

Today we trust maps because we have satellites and GPS. In the past, a map was often the child of another map—and errors were inherited.\n\nIf a cartographer hadn’t visited a region, they relied on sources. If the source was wrong or misread, the drawing was wrong, and then others copied it, growing an error chain.\n\nSurprising detail: repetition can create authority. When the same false mark appears across multiple maps, people may treat it as real because “many sources” feels reliable.\n\nIt shows copying information doesn’t always increase truth. Sometimes knowledge moves toward accuracy not by spreading faster, but by being questioned harder.