The Shape of the World

The epic tale of mapping the globe, as seen on PBS. Produced in consultation with the British Library and Royal Geographical Society-the world's largest scholarly organization dedicated to the science of geography. "Explores the history of mapmaking with elegance and intelligence" - The New York Times. How do we see the world? Some ancients believed it rode on the back of a turtle. The Greeks viewed it as a sphere and measured it with astonishing accuracy. Today, scientists monitor it from space, detecting complex climate patterns that threaten our survival. Narrated by Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek: The Next Generation), this fascinating six-part series traces the history of mapmaking, from crude clay tablets to sophisticated electronic screens. Internationally respected historians, NASA scientists, and other experts explain how humans rely on imagination, observation, and mathematics to create pictures that make sense of our world. Throughout history, maps have served as symbols of wealth and power, tools of conquest and subjugation, and instruments for saving lives. They once held information worth killing for, and now they offer clues that might avert global destruction.

English
  • TheTVDB.com Series ID 248191
  • Status Ended
  • First Aired April 1, 1991
  • Recent May 6, 1991
  • Network PBS
  • Average Runtime 50 minutes
  • Genres Documentary Family Mini-Series
  • Original Country United States of America
  • Original Language English
  • On Other Sites IMDB
  • Episode Screenshot Format 16:9 Screencap
  • Favorited This series has been favorited by 0 people.
  • Created April 23, 2011 by
    cnorsl
  • Modified October 4, 2021 by
    cnorsl
Season From To Episodes
All Seasons
Specials 0
Season 1 April 1991 May 1991 6
Unassigned Episodes 0
Season From To Episodes
Unassigned Episodes 6
Absolute ordering places all episodes in a single ordered season. This is generally used for anime.
Season From To Episodes
Season 1 0
Unassigned Episodes 6

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