The concept of mapping has been around since the inception of the universe. Whether it was following the direction of the sun, the migratory birds, or the solar constellations, mankind has always devised a way to navigate to their destination.
The Greeks may have been the ones to create the first maps in the world using sound mathematical footing, but little did they know that virtual maps would take over centuries later using their developments as a foundation for all navigational techniques that follow.
One of the oldest surviving maps is, ironically, is approximately the shape of an early iPhone: the Babylonian Map of the World. It doesn’t have much detail—a few regions are named, including Assyria—but it wasn’t really for navigation. It was more primordial: to help the map-holder grasp the idea of the whole world, with himself at the center.
We have come a long way since compasses and lighthouses. The fast paced evolution of technology has really set the bar high in terms of what tools we use in modern times to get us from point A to point B.
The world as we know it today lies virtually in the palm of our hands and the destinations to explore are quite literally infinite. The concept of “being lost” is obsolete for all practical purposes. Whether you’re deep into the Amazonian forest, or at the peak of Mt. Everest, you are no longer “off-the-grid”.