William Rankin Interview

What if the maps we trust most — the ones hanging in classrooms or glowing on our phones — are shaping not just how we see the world, but how we think about it? In this episode, Matt Crawford speaks with William Rankin, historian of science, cartographer, and author of Radical Cartography: How Changing Our Maps Can Change Our World. Rankin reveals how every map tells a story — and how those stories influence politics, power, identity, and even empathy. From colonial borders to climate change, this conversation explores how reimagining the art and science of mapping can transform the way we understand ourselves and our planet. Because sometimes, to change the world, you have to redraw it first.