ABSTRACT
Sampling the Globe: The Degree Confluence Project
The Degree Confluence Project is an Internet-based project that aims to
document the earth’s surface through a systematic sampling of points where the
latitude and longitude are perfect integers. This paper examines the cultural
scripts participants employ to tell their stories about confluence “hunting.” As
they pursue degree confluences near and far, their narratives reveal how the
convergence of popular consumer technology, a rationalized system of spatial
organization, and the desire to make the abstractions of latitude and longitude
concrete are a means toward re-enchanting the globe.
Convention