Education: New Geography

The professor picked up a pointer, waved it at a world that most of his audience had never seen before. The center of his new map was the North Pole. Tracing future air routes with his pointer, the professor proceeded to teach topsy-turvy geography: Tokyo is nearer to Minneapolis than to San Diego. Chicago is closer to Siberia than to South America.

This lesson had long since been taught by journalistic mapmakers, notably FORTUNE’S. Last week the lecturer was Columbia University’s Professor Ben D. Wood, head of the Government’s program to air-condition youngsters. Dr. Wood, touring the nation to explain the new geography to schoolteachers, unveiled his new map (the “air age” projection. supplanting Mercator’s) before a group of teachers and principals in Chicago. It will be the official text for geography lessons in schools throughout the land this term.