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Getting vital supplies to remote areas is no small thing.
by kevin_thibedeau 3y ago
Getting vital supplies to remote areas is no small thing.
- giantg2 3y agoAnd how does GPS make that possible when things like maps have worked in the past? It just makes it easier.
- nine_k 3y agoNot just easier, but faster. Have you tried moving through a desert or a steppe in the dead of night, far from human infrastructure? It's damn dark, the land is literally darker than the star-strewn sky. Headlights give you only so much light, for the next 100-150m of the road maximum. Unless it's a really nice, well-maintained road, with reflector posts, etc (and usually it's not), it's really easy to lose your way if you drive a tad too fast. You either crawl, or choose to camp and wait until the morning light. With a GPS map, you can proceed much more confidently. And a few hours may play a serious role in disaster relief.
- giantg2 3y agoI'd say cars or helicopters are what makes it faster. Even in land vehicles you can use time/speed/direction navigation.
- kevin_thibedeau 3y agoA GPS can guide you to a pinpoint in a featureless landscape where there is nothing to follow on a map.
- giantg2 3y agoSo too can the stars, or proper time/speed/direction navigation. I'm not saying GPS isn't useful. I'm saying it hasn't had a life changing impact for the masses that allows for a larger population (eg it's not providing more food, shelter, etc).
- kevin_thibedeau 3y agoYou need to medevac a hiker in a remote valley now and your plan is to wait until nightfall and have someone try to navigate by sextant?