Soldiers have medals, scholars have publications. - Waldo R. Tobler

Maps are generalized representations since it is clearly impossible to display reality in all its complexity at a reduced scale. Not too surprisingly, map makers are unable to provide explicit abstract statements about the process of map generalization, but some empirical evidence suggests constancy of information content per map centimeter squared, regardless of map scale.

It seems that some basic tasks, common to all cartography, may in the future be largely automated, and that the volume of maps produced in a given time will be increased while the cost is reduced.

Science proceeds by detecting structures embedded in observational data. It is no simple matter to separate these general structures from the specific details.