Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Why do we assume North is up and South is down?

Is it because the bloke who first navigated the world and divided it into Longitude and Latitude was from up north?
If explorers came from Australia would it have been the other way round?

And while we are on the subject. If nobody travelled to Australia until we did, how come there were people living there? [Aborigines] All the indigenous animals in Australia are unique and are not found anywhere else in the world because until now, nobody, or animal, could travel so far across the sea. Hence it has evolved its own species.....But what about 'Man' how did he first populate the island and how did he get there?

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

I think going "Up" only applies to going up to the capital.

However, if you are going "Up" you could also be going towards the North Pole.

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Blame the motorways, especially the M6!

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Just to do with the compass I think. North is up towards the North Pole and south is down towards the South Pole.

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Because one tends to look at a map from the direction of 'South'. The main cardinal point on a map shows 'North' (yes I know there are four cardinal points, but the principal one is 'North').

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

I live in the Midlands, so 'Up' is going up to the top of the UK!
If l go to London, it's going down south.

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

But who decided the North Pole was North?

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Nature did the last time it established the 'magnetic' north. There has, over the eons the earth has existed been several 'flips' in magnetism but the last one was prior to the existence of mankind.

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

Apparently it's happening now UJ. There are places around South America where the compass reads the wrong way round and is confusing navigation.

So if it becomes 'Magnetic South' will the South become 'UP'?

Re: Why Do We Always Assume That North is UP and South is Down?

A good question and one that would be easiest answered by saying "That's just the way it turned out and since we probably all think of it the same way, does it matter?" For more detail though, here's a BBC article that goes into it in depth:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2016...been-different