Something we don’t usually notice—but which becomes apparent if we zoom out as far as possible—is that Google Maps is giving us the world in an aggressively distorted form. Google tweaks our perception by using a version of the classic projection called Web Mercator, which is identical to its forebear save for one crucial difference. GPS receivers translate GPS data into latitude and longitude points using, as reference, an irregularly shaped model of the world called an ellipsoid, which closely approximates the actual shape of the earth. Web Mercator considers the earth to be a perfect sphere. Google Maps receives latitude and longitude computed using one model of the planet, and then does its own computation to project it onto a visual interface that uses a different model.