The Macroscope

The macroscope was first proposed by Jo�l de Rosnay in 1975. His foresighted book, The Macroscope, brilliantly proclaims the need and lays the intellectual foundation for such a technological advancement. Writing so early in the history of GIS, however, he does not seem to be aware that work had already begun on his marvelous instrument. He mentions geography, but only as one of many disciplines that one learns in school and that can be illuminated by posing great questions about how the world works. He says, for instance, "Around the concept of continental drift it is possible to teach the complementary aspects of geography, geology, biology, and ecology. . . ."