Yeah it is indeed frustrating when people talk like if GPS satellites "know where you are", yet that's a common misconception. It's not really that hard to exp

Yeah it is indeed frustrating when people talk like if GPS satellites "know where you are", yet that's a common misconception. It's not really that hard to explain how GPS works at a high level and it can be taught in schools. You first have to start with triangulation on 2d maps by measuring the direction (on a compass) you see 2 or more reference points (e.g. lighthouses). Then you hand-wavely describe that the same thing can be done in 3d and with moving "lighthouses in orbit" and that the trick has to do with knowing exactly where the satellite is right now (and you can compute that by knowing precise timing and each satellite orbit parameters) Then you emphasize the fact that the satellites don't know anything about you, not unlike lighthouses don't know anything about who's looking at them from far away