The prototype for the GPS

With the advent of the microchip, computers have become steadily smaller and yet, more powerful.  There are "apps" for just about anything you can imagine, and many of them are right there at your finger tips.  The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global satellite navigation system that provides reliable location and time information in all weather and at all times and anywhere on or near the Earth when and where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver.  If you own a Garmin or Tom Tom, you are familiar with the utility of these devices.  However, long before these became available, most men felt that they already had an internal compass which was equivalent to the modern day GPS.

How many times have you been witness to a man driving around the block, looking for a destination that he knows he can find?  I remember many times passing a pedestrian who could have assisted me with directions, but either my pride or my "guyness" got in the way.  Certainly, if you are driving alone, who is to know that you are "lost"?  If you are with a group of "guy" friends, then you can imagine that asking for directions would be a remote option at best, under those circumstances.  However, if the passenger is female, it seems more likely that, if the car isn't taking the proper route to its destination, there might be a suggestion to get the accurate directions before mutual frustration sets in.  Does this sound familiar?  That's when it occurred to me that GPS doesn't stand for Global Positioning System; it stands for "Guy Positioning System".

So, if there was any question as to the origins of GPS, I believe this discussion should put those arguments to rest.  However, few doubt that these newer devices are more accurate and reliable than their biological prototypes; and if you follow the directions properly, you shouldn't get lost and thus avoid driving in those circles ever again.  Would you like to bet on that?