countless people can study and learn about history more interactively. It is incredible to think that with a few clicks, we can explore historical maps, digitize historical sites, take virtual tours, and discover historical imagery and time-lapse videos.
And let’s be honest - everyone visited their home and saw past snapshots of it on Google Earth, right? But it’s more than that. With Google Earth Voyager we get the chance to experience the evolution of some places year after year, letting us get a grasp of how certain sites, cities, or terrain change over time.
For example, entering Voyager now can offer countless insights that we can leverage to better understand our world. When I opened the app recently I instantly got hooked on learning more about the changes that happened around the world in the last decades. The first timelapse is that of the Mamore River in Bolivia. We get to see how the course of the river changed in the last 40 years due to natural causes. And there were 7 other time-lapses just in this subject alone. It’s captivating like nothing else.
So one of the most exciting aspects of Google Earth is the ability to view historical maps in a new and innovative way.
Being able to see historical maps in a three-dimensional environment was a game-changer for a lot of history enthusiasts and scholars. It allowed them to better understand the geography and location of historical events. Google Earth also provides an accurate and immersive understanding of the past. Being able to compare historical maps to current satellite imagery, to see how the world has changed over time feels almost surreal. But it works.
Google Earth provides a more interactive and comprehensive view of the world, including information about the topography, waterways, and other geographical features that can impact historical events. This has made the study of history much more accessible and fun for a lot of people. Google Earth is addictive, and be careful! You can disappear there for a lot of hours at a time.
Google Earth can digitize historical sites and provide virtual tours!
With the help of Google Earth, it is now possible to create detailed models of important historical sites, allowing for a more interactive and immersive experience for visitors. Not only can digitization provide a more engaging experience for its users, but it can help to preserve cultural heritage sites.
But the virtual tours offered by Google Earth really put things into perspective. Being able to experience historical sites from the comfort of your own home feels like a dream come true, especially for people who are not passionate about travel or cannot afford it. And guys, Google Earth can be experienced with(virtual reality) VR Glasses… As this new technology gets more accessible and further developed, and with Google adding more data to its 3D Maps, people will take realistic virtual reality (VR) tours through cities all over the world. Now you’d be in Osaka, Japan, and 20 minutes later they’d walk the narrow streets of Naples in Italy. Experiencing culture and environment changes like this is something truly staggering.
Google Earth can be used for historical research as it can discover new historical sites and artifacts.
In 2015, news stories about the discovery of a lost city started to pop up. This city is situated in the Honduran jungle and was found with the help of Google Earth. Insane! The app was also helpful to archaeologists because they were able to uncover new artifacts and ruins. Imagine the insights we can get from these explorations!
If you open Google Earth and start exploring, you can get lucky and find historical sites and artifacts. The potential for discovery is virtually limitless, and the possibilities for new insights and knowledge are truly making us want to explore more.
Google Earth is also revolutionizing the way historians and archaeologists collaborate and share information.
For someone who enjoys working on projects with other history enthusiasts, Google Earth has been a godsend. Imagine the benefits it does to actual historians and archaeologists through its ability to access and share satellite imagery, maps, and data. This is great as it allows people to collaborate in real time, regardless of where they are in the world.
It will be interesting to see how Google will further develop this product in the following years as this is a new technology gem. With so much potential for exploring, analyzing, and understanding our planet, Google Earth is something that can be used both for fun while at home, as well as integrated with history and geography classes, or why not, as a tool for archeologists and other professionals. We expect to see further growth in the Google Earth program in the near future, and some more development in the VR (virtual reality) integration area as new technology advances.
