project 37/

THE EARTH IN A DIFFERENT TOPOGRAPHICAL SYSTEM

O. Kats, Accountant, New York

As is well known, the Earth is round, as was first predicted and then confirmed by sea and air travelers. In this, we shall call it "simple" geography, the various countries of the world directly adjoin one another, being arranged so to speak, flatly over the entire surface of the "globe" (obviously, differing from one another in terms of mountain height, relief, etc.). But the "geography" which will be discussed here cannot be verified with topographical or other physical measurements. This "geography" can best be called "mental" or psychological, and although there doesn't exist a physical means for measuring it yet, it is no less cogent or probable than the geography of the new era, even though it is also relatively recent.

Functioning as the objects of correlations in this "mental" geography are not continents, but rather such mental spaces as (in the case analysed by us) Russia, Europe, North America (the author doesn't have a sufficiently clear impression of other spaces). All of these three "worlds" are arranged in relation to one another, like three steps in a flight of stairs. In this sys- tem, it is precisely Europe - the middle step - that can be called the "earth" in the commonly known sense of that word: it has an old history, is deeply rooted in the past, it can be called the world of traditional human habitation - the world of "earthly life." Russia, in relation to Europe, exists as a gigan- tic drop "downward" in relation to the surface plane of Europe, of 1000 and perhaps more kilometers downward, thus it is separat- ed from Europe by a vertical wall dropping downward. We could talk a great deal and in detail about the nature of forms of life in that "drop" but they are all inherent in mysterious, prehis- toric forms, and as opposed to the "land of people," of Europe, for a long time but unsuccessfully it is assimilated by colonists descending "downward." In this system, America occupies the third step, and as far as Russia descends downward under the earth to a depth of 1000 kilometers, that's how far America is raised above the earth over Europe. Life in America, in essence, is life in the cosmos, that is, inside of a flying rocket ship. Even though in America there is a multitude of mountains, earth, lakes, this is a different earth, different mountains, this "earth" is some- where infinitely high above and distinct from the "standing earth" of Europe. This America is incessantly "rushing" in space along an enormous "unearthly" trajectory, communicating a special supplemental energy and sensation of unheard-of speed of motion to all the inhabitants, precisely like inside a gigantic cabin of

a gigantic spaceship. The cosmos, the cosmic ascent upward, this is what, in contrast to Russia, a person feels during a flight from Europe "upward" to America.

THE EARTH IN A DIFFERENT TOPOGRAPHICAL SYSTEM

1. Take black peat and make three steps from it in the corner of the room so that their edges are not completely straight, but not loose either.

2. Take three geographical maps (Western Europe, Russia and North America) and place them (according to size) on the steps as in the sketch.

3. Cover each map with glass.

4. Sprinkle a little bit of peat on this glass so that it looks like the map is visible inside of this peat.