"overlaid geographies" can help people gain a more concrete sense of scale on a global or local level. but it looks like ye olde buzzfeed beat me to the punch with this article. oh well. regardless, below are a few not-so-amazing examples, visually speaking, but the point is still pretty well made.
this idea is free to use, co-opt, or otherwise exploit. let me know if you want to discuss further or contact me if you use it. or don't because it's clearly not my own idea. who cares...