Mapping

I decided to work with the mal mapping team, as they have the most advanced technology I've seen here. The team were pleased to have a new member, and gave me a more thorough demonstration of the electronic map they use for charting the strength of the mal. When I saw the map before, it was focused on the area surrounding the furrow. This time, they zoomed out, so that the map showed Europe and Asia. The Sick Land is much, much bigger than I'd thought. I'd always had the idea that it was a relatively small region; I remember the maps in most textbooks showing exactly that. Assuming the map here is accurate, I'd estimate that The Sick Land covers around thirty times the area I'd thought. I was shocked, and asked about the size. They told me it would be covered in my induction briefing tomorrow.

I took the opportunity to ask how the map works, where they get their data from and how they collect it, and about the theoretical basis of the mapping technology. I wasn't satisfied with what they told me; it didn't sound like science. I hope everything becomes clear at the briefing. Maybe, because of the influence of The Sick Land, I'll have to learn a whole new scientific vocabulary before I can understand what's going on. I really hope that's the case; I don't like the idea that the researchers using this equipment don't know what they're doing.