Making geography ordinary

Turns out digital mapping has a better name.

"Geospatial technology" is way cooler, and a lot more intimidating.  And things that are cool and intimidating get documentaries made about them.  Case in point: PennState Public Broadcasting is creating a multi-part video series called the Geospatial Revolution Project.  This trailer is on their Web site now (in higher quality, too):




I can't quite tell if it's a documentary or an academic infomercial, but the project looks fascinating either way and (more important) it seems accessible to a general audience.  That is, it's an introduction to the power of place-based technology.  It will highlight the military , political , humanitarian and environmental applications of geospatial technology, among others.  Though it doesn't look like it will delve into journalism.

And that's probably because journalists are desperately behind the times when it comes to embracing the promise of mapping technology.  Maybe it's because the opportunities for profit aren't immediately apparent...but I'm convinced the opportunities for providing a public service are vast.

The last line of the trailer has stuck with me since I first watched it. It's Penn State scientist David DiBiase talking about what this science has done for people outside the field of geospatial science. He says, "It has made geography ordinary.  Which is the most revolutionary thing of all."

So my question for journalists and podcasters is: when instant self-mapping becomes ordinary, will we be a part of it?