CGP Grey is back after six months off to explain the interstate highway system to us. He lays out the plan of the grid as it was originally intended, which over time led to many oddities and exceptions. It makes sense in general, but the US is not completely sensical. The needs of urban areas clash with restrictions of land and geography -not to mention local politics- to give us some strange bits of roadway. Even if your city isn't mentioned, it's probably got something that doesn't quite adhere to the overall plan.
This information will definitely separate the generations. We got to five minutes in before I learned something I didn't already know, because I learned to drive while the interstate was still being constructed, and I drove all over the country using maps, landmarks, and dead reckoning. I have a daughter who is 40 years younger. She also drives all over the country, using nothing but GPS, and will never consult a map, much less learn how to orient herself by knowledge about highway systems. I hope she is never traveling when the electrical grid goes down. -via Digg
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It's okay, if the grid goes down your daughter will immediately kick into Mad Max/Fallout mode. Bartering with bottlecaps, carrying a shotgun made from old toasters etc. Prolly have a trusty sidekick robot or something..
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