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Finding the longest straight-line path over the ocean is a question of geometry. All straight-line paths along a sphere form a shape called a great circle. Great circles always traverse the maximum circumference of the sphere, and thus always lie in the same plane as the center of the sphere. The equator, for example, is a great circle. This study to find the longest straight-line path over the ocean is an interesting use of optimization, because the Earth isn't a perfect sphere; the planet's gravity and rotation cause it to bulge ever so slightly around the equator. [Source: Science / AAAS]
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