Bags and emergency houses

This last lecture is more design focused. Our tasks today were designing bags and emergency housing in the event of a natural disaster.

The bag designing was alright, but I liked my emergency housing design more.



Here's a scan of my bag design. The top one has heaps of compartments that fold out, since I like to keep the things in my bag in categories so that everything's easier to find.

The second one is more of a portable cupboard than a bag though. Which could be made from carbon fibre for strength and lightness.

Below is the emergency housing design.


It's more of a small makeshift community housing design, because I think that in a natural disaster it's a good time to pull the community together and help each other out. It's something that people don't normally do until disaster hits and it's a good time for bonding.

My favourite part of it is the fire pit in the middle where all the cooking and whatnot happens and the box beds.

I think box beds are great because they keep you very warm in the winter since it's like sleeping in a closet and gives you a bit of privacy as well. (Wikipedia, 2011)

And that ends the Math and Art paper.



Feedback time:

It was so boring that the mind oscillates between falling asleep and contemplating suicide.

Improvements could be made to prevent this.

This paper could have been synced with studio to show us how math and art is relevant to what we're doing and really let us take something important away from the lectures.

Whether you're an artist or a programmer it is highly likely that you're here to make something amazing. To appeal to this the paper could do something better with the presentation of course material. Rather than saying "Here's this theory/random observation, let's test it out by doing this, this, and that which does not particularly interest you." it would be better if it was like this "Hey guys, make something that has this, this and that. Now that you've made something cool let's see what math and art has to do with it."

Do NOT set up the desks and chairs highschool classroom style. It ruins the atmosphere by making it seem strict and serious, which is what a highschool classroom does. It is restricting and conditions the mind to automatically think "I'm supposed to be bored and wanting to go home right now."


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References:

Wikipedia. (2011). Box-bed. Retrieved October 17, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-bed

11 cut squares

In all honesty today's lecture was rather average, with nothing of strong interest to me.

One activity we did though was try to cut out 11 squares from a square. It was harder than I thought and I only got two solutions out of it.




Another topic was lying with statistics. I disagree with the methods of lying with statistics in class today though. They were all focused on manipulating the look of the graph to make certain stats look bigger/smaller through shape, scale, 3D vs. 2D, and use of colour.

These would make it LOOK bigger/smaller as you wish, but in my opinion it only takes a person of average intelligence with determination to find the information to know the real comparison between the stats. You could use as much manipulation of visual elements you want, but no matter what you do the numbers won't change and it will still be presented on the graph. Therefore lying with visuals is not reliable in terms of statistical interpretation.

A better way to lie with statistics is to manipulate the stats themselves. This is not to say that you change the values altogether. For example, one way is to select your sample group that is biased towards your desired results. Let's say I wanted to prove that people prefer heavy metal over pop music. I could use a biased selection of my sample group by only asking people at places that play heavy metal. Then I can say that I selected my sample group from various locations which play music. Only that I would conveniently neglect to say that it was locations that play heavy metal.

If somebody looks for information, it is best to manipulate the source of information rather than the visual representation of it.

Packaging

The topic today was packaging design and how the purpose of the design is important in the process of making the packaging. Our little task for this is to make our own business cards.

For mine I was going for simple and minimalistic. To be honest I designed it not to get a job, more like making someone take time doing what I want them to with the card.

I wanted the person to burn the card in order to reveal it and maybe burn the whole thing afterwards if they feel like it. It sure doesn't fit the objective of getting a job, but it does fit my objective: make people burn things by giving them an excuse to burn things. I'm sure a lot of people like fire :) It's warm and beautiful, but can get out of hand. I accidentally set the card on fire as you can see in one of the photos.



The invisible ink I used at the back is lemon juice. The acidity of the juice thins the paper it comes in contact with so it burns before the rest of the paper. Thus revealing the writing (McNally, 2010).


I did a test first on some scrap paper to see how it would turn out.


Then I tried it on some paper crinkled and soaked with tea, which was then left to dry. It didn't work on that because the tea also thinned out the paper so everything burned at the same time and couldn't reveal the letters.




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References:

McNally, C. (2010). Why Does Lemon Juice Make Invisible Ink? Retrieved September 30, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7313493_lemon-juice-make-invisible-ink_.html

Fibonacci vs. Golden

This week it was a little more interesting for me because I love the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci. The reason why I like them both so much is because it is observed in many of the little things around us that we take for granted, especially in the beauty of nature in particular where examples are arrangements of patterns, leaves, markings, proportions and so on. (Narain, 2003; Meisner, 1997)

I don't know if I misunderstood, but in the lecture the explanation sounded like "The Fibonacci sequence is the Golden Ratio." This isn't true though.

The Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio are indeed related but they're not the same thing. They do have some subtle differences.

In the Fibonacci sequence the ratio between each pair of numbers in the sequence is NOT constant. However, as you go further along the sequence the ratio approaches the Golden Ratio. (Gerry, 2010)

Apparently you can test out the differences visually with fractals as well. In a fractal if you use Golden Ratio you can zoom in to the fractal forever and see exactly the same thing prior to magnification. (Baird, 2008) Personally I think that's really beautiful because it's infinity and am quite obsessed with the idea of infinity.

Anyway, in comparison if you use the Fibonacci sequence to do the fractal when you zoom in you see self-similar shapes. Self-similar, NOT the exact same image. Then when you zoom in further the self-similarity halts and eventually stops the pattern since the sequence approaches the Golden Ratio but never quite reaches the ratio. (Baird, 2008)

Therefore, they are related but not the exact same thing.




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References:

Baird, E. (2008). Fun with Fractals. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://www.relativitybook.com/CoolStuff/erkfractals.html

Gerry. (2010). Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci sequence? I need some help!? Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100814074419AAFIkJI

Meisner, G. (1997). Nature - More Examples of Phi, the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci numbers. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://www.goldennumber.net/nature2.htm

Narain, D.L. (2003). The Golden Ratio in Nature. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~dlnarain/golden/activity7.htm

Domes and fractals

This is the artwork we were supposed to do with the five graphs on it. Here, I've chosen a square on the graph paper drawing only that small area where all of the graphs have common points. Then outside the square the lines squiggle away and have their equations written on the side. To make it more interesting, I pleated various mountain and valley folds in areas outside of the square to give it large, rough crinkles while keeping the square in the middle clean and smooth. The pleats raised the smooth part up as well emphasising the contrast between the surfaces.


Now fast forward to today. Once again I had a near death experience from pure boredom. I know what I'm saying is harsh and mean, but if I didn't say anything does it change the truth? If I packaged it into softer words it's still saying the same thing: It was incredibly boring.

Nonetheless, a very rare few instances in the lecture actually talked about things that I liked. For example, curves in architecture and fractals.

For curves in architecture an example we talked about was the beautiful Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona.

Figure 1: Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona, an unfinished work of architect Antoni Gaudi. (Source: Telegraph, 2008)

My favourite examples of curves though has to be in Roman architecture. Their domes in their cathedrals, their amazing aqueducts and of course the Colosseum. They're huge, strong, impressive, and last for a long time. In my view, there's no point in building anything impressive if it's not going to last, which is why I really like their architectural work. I think they stand this long because circles are really strong, which is one reason why they're my favourite shape.

Here you can read about interesting techniques the Romans used in building which we still use today. (Flinn, 2011) A few of them do have strong curves in them such as the dome, the Roman aqueducts, and the Cloaca Maxima, their sewerage system.

I think I've talked about fractals before in previous blogs, if not I've definitely mentioned them on several other instances for studio work and Intro to Creative Tech paper.

Anyway, fractals are absolutely beautiful. There's not way to deny that it's math and it can't be denied that it's art either. What I love about them is how you take one simple thing, and repeat it over and over to create one complex whole. The small parts then look exactly the same as the whole, which is really beautiful as well. My favourite place for finding fractals is on DeviantArt. Sometimes the artists give you their parameters in the artist's comments should you want to create a similar fractal yourself. I'd like to try making a fractal some time, once I figure out how to get started with a program.


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Flinn, G. (2011). 10 Coon Engineering Tricks the Romans Taught Us. Retrieved August 20, 2011, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/10-roman-engineering-tricks.htm

Telegraph. (2008). The time is right for buzzy Barcelona. Retrieved August 29, 2011, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/barcelona/737542/The-time-is-right-for-buzzy-Barcelona.html

Math in Art: What does beauty mean in math?

I'm going to be honest, that was the most boring lecture I've had thus far and I nearly died from absolute boredom.

Now let's talk about just a few things that are actually worth blogging about because it's actually fun and interesting.

Right at the beginning we got shown some artworks that literally had math in them. Meaning the actual equations, numbers and so on are written right on to the artwork or even just the equation by itself as a stand alone art piece.

Figure 1. Justin Mullins' Entanglement (Source: Centripetal Notion, 2006)

We got questioned: Is that art?

I'd say it can be art depending on how you look at it. For example, if you manipulated the characters in some way like you do with letters and words in typography, then that's definitely art. As a plain written equation however, I think the art/beauty is in what the equation does as opposed to its written, physical form.

In that case, what is beauty in math?

Beauty is subjective so that's hard to say, but for me beauty is definitely simplicity. So for me the beauty in math would be the simplest and quickest solution to a problem. I think beauty can also be what the equation actually does. For example, if an equation makes a line I like on a graph then that would be a beautiful equation. Fractals are also formed from equations if you're looking at fractal art. I think they're beautiful too.

Beauty in math can also be the numbers themselves. I have a preference for specific numbers, such as zeroes and twos. Zero for me is special, because it's like a circle. To me it's the beginning and end of everything. You start off with zero, it grows, then something horrible happens and you end up with nothing (zero). After that, it grows again--and so the cycle repeats. For twos I only like 2 alone, 12, or multiple twos such as 22,222,2222,22222, and so on. Twos feel clean, sleek, organised, and tidy. It reminds me of people as well. 12 is the only exception. I think 12 is a beautiful number. I don't completely know why, but I think it's because I associate 12 with the stars because of the 12 zodiac signs. I love astronomy and going out to see stars through my telescope.

Therefore, yes, math can be art and there is beauty in math. At least for me there is.


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Centripetal Notion. (2006). Justin Mullins: Mathematical Photography. Retrieved August 22, 2011, from http://centripetalnotion.com/2006/02/09/00:45:38/

Where does thinking come from?

For last week's lecture I made my ideal NZ flag, personal coat of arms, and a little logo for after uni as required.


This is my flag, which I coloured in with crayon. It's supposed to be a much more vivid black. For NZ, the international sports teams are almost always either black or white in their representation of colour. They're one of the most common colours associated with NZ. With the white I also went with how NZ is also called "Land of the Long White Cloud", which is why there's a thin white stripe in the middle and a more elongated flag.


My favourite was making the personal coat of arms. This was was done with several stencils I made of the design and acrylic paints. The shapes used there are based on the letters in my name, but made to look a lot less obvious. This works in combination to the lock shape in the middle, showing that I'm a very private person and I'm very cautious about who I let in to my personal life. The minimal use of red shows how I have little to no attachment to my place of birth, Hong Kong, China. I never got to know Hong Kong, which is why I'll be returning there in the Summer to visit a whole lot of relatives I don't know well.


Personally, I don't think the logo is very well done. For this one it's a very simplified eye, because I like to observe people and understand how they work and think. I have no clue what I'd like to do after uni, so this eye logo shows my interest in understanding how things, specifically people, work.


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Today's focus of the lecture was recreation involving math and art. Unfortunately, I felt uninspired and completely bored despite my love for playgrounds and other fun things like that.

However, when we got to talking about different types of thinking, that's when I got interested.

Where does thinking come from? What is thinking, and what is awareness? Is emotion a type of thinking process?

I think the origins of thinking is a mystery. Thus, I can't answer that question. You can say that it's cells in the brain, but they simply send messages across a network of cells and tell different parts of the brain to release different chemicals. In this sense, thinking is just a bunch of chemicals happening in your brain. But it feels like thinking is more than that. For a start, where do those messages in those cells come from and what makes the brain decide that these specific chemicals should be released? I'd want to know about that, mostly because I'm curious and because I want to be able to read minds, since I think that would be interesting and fun.

For me thinking is the process of formulating a thought, which then becomes an idea. Awareness is then processing little details that you don't normally notice on a daily basis. In class Andy talked about the Buddhist approach, how a greater awareness is sought after through meditation, where "thinking is not thinking". I don't meditate, but I have had several instances where I literally couldn't think. It's a really strange experience. Normally, when you try to not thinking about anything, you end up thinking about not thinking about anything. But when it happens completely by accident it's really strange. When it happened, I couldn't think or process anything at all. Even the sense of sight was ignored. Yes, I see everything in my familiar computer room, but nothing registered into a thought. There WAS no thought, or thinking happening. Everything was so strangely quiet, except there was a slight buzzing and humming in my ear. It wasn't until afterwards that I realised I wasn't breathing either. At first it's really scary, but after the first time it's a very calming experience that you learn to appreciate. I guess you could say that by not thinking it does make it easier to focus, think, and be more aware of your surroundings. After having those mind blanks I always feel lighter and I always forget about the usual things I worry about. It really clears up your head.

Now on to the big question. Is emotion a thinking process?

James mentioned how there's always been the association of emotion with the heart, as something separate from thinking in the brain. I think that depends on the purpose/reason for thinking, and it also changes from person to person. In Chinese, each character has a part of it that gives you a hint on what that word is to do with. For example, if the word has associations with water there's usually three dashes in the character to represent three drops of water. The characters for any word to do with thinking and emotion, all have the part of the symbol that means heart. A lot of Chinese phrases to do with thinking also emphasise using the heart to think and remember. So for this particular culture it appears that emotion is as much of a thinking process as any of the other types, while in another culture it may be completely different.

For me personally, it really depends on what I'm doing. If I were helping out a friend with his/her problems I would definitely incorporate emotion into my thinking process to understand how they feel about the situation in relation to what actually happened, and then apply logical problem solving to it in order to give them the best advice. But if I were carefully weighing out my options in a decision, I would choose to discard emotional considerations in order to choose the most logical, most beneficial choice because I think emotions can cloud logical judgement (not sure if I've just contradicted myself there).

Now applying emotion to something creative. When I write a story, I always use emotion to think about how to write a story. I want the characters to feel real, so emotion is very important to me in portraying characters and how they react to things in the plot.

For me, it's fair to say that emotion as a thinking process differs depending on the situation. For others, it would probably be a little different depending on the person.