Originally Posted by
BBassett
Yeah, stumbling around in the dark for many hundreds of thousands of year, thanks for making my point. Now, something the size of a pocket watch can let you know where you are anywhere on this planet within seconds. Soon the moon and within a decade Mars too. Amazing toy, for someone that actually uses them daily. I mean we all use them daily. You wouldn't have cable TV or your precious internet connection if GPS didn't exist. But, yes I meant a handheld device for bike touring. I'm not saying you couldn't get out of your state with just a compass, another fantastic little toy by the way. With a GPS you can easily get to any point that you want. Pretty slick trick, yeah I'm serious.
Stumbling around in the dark? Tell that to the Pre-Harappan Indus Valley Civilization who by 5000 BCE had developed the science of navigation. Or tell that to the Phoenicians, who by 1200 BCE had established a vast maritime trading network across the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and spanning all of North Africa, Southern Europe, and Central Asia. We do
not need GPS to travel.