Ship-happenss - S H I P H A P P E N S

Geometry Matters. But why?

The contribution of geometry to the evolution of human and natural sciences is a well established fact. Since the Greeks started to realize that the argument is more powerful when backed up by empirical evidence, rather than previous experience, all sciences started to benefit from an approach that had something new: a system of thought. And that system was based on definitions and axioms given by geometric laws. For example, Pythagoras defined reality with three basic principles, extracted from geometric knowledge:

1. Some propositions must be accepted as true without being demonstrated.

2. All other propositions of the system are derived from these.

3. Their derivation must be formal and independent from the subject at matter.

And since for Pythagoras the things are an imitation of the numbers, their definitions and axioms, will reflect the universe, provide intangible harmony and build visible beauty.

The improving of left-right brain connections.

Most activities engage only one hemisphere of the brain and its corresponding functions: the left for language, hearing, logic and mathematics; the right for spatial recognition, images and music processing, symbolism and so on. By requiring both analytical thinking and spatial visualization, geometry activates processes that engage both sides of the brain at the same time, in resolving a given task. When picturing a cube, for example, the brain is tasked with recognizing spatial properties of the cube (height, depth etc) while maintaining its overall shape (by calculating its angles or the length of its segments). This leads to an elevated number of connections between the brain hemispheres, having a long-term benefit in the overall critical thinking or imagination of the geometry user.

The continuous visual representation of truth.

Because of the early traditions and methods of orally sharing and debating knowledge, the first visual (geometrical) representations of mathematical concepts where being drawn by scribes, sometimes directly when hearing a particular information.  This process was flawed, given that the person drawing did not posses geometric knowledge, thus leading to miss-interpretations and errors in the visual representation. In the early 300’s Euclid becomes aware of this error and begins drawing his own definitions and axioms, developing adjacent texts that can be understood by any mathematician or artist, for that matter.

And, with the introduction of the visual perspective by Leon Battista Alberti, the geometrical diagrams and laws became general accepted when depicting a mathematical truth or any given representation of reality.

Thus, geometry provides continuity in visual communication in general, and a context in which all individual things can be represented, calculated and later better understood.

The creation of visual reality.

The perception of the visual information and its abstract notions is connected to the perception of reality. As many others, Rudolph Arnheim shows how visual information is being formed by the perception of the new and by the memory of the old, showing a continuance in the cognitive process. And since all information has geometric properties when closely analyzed (height, weight, depth, curvature etc), geometry will be present in all aspects of the visual reality.

The perception of beauty and harmony in things.

If what is above is also below, geometry can be a mirror for these two dimensions. While symmetry defines what geometry is, geometric proportions and ratios define man’s perception of beauty and harmony. A harmonic state is associated with an element or an object having its inner components in perfect equilibrium.

Thus, nature is being perceived as beautiful and its creator, good. For example, the complex relation between symmetry and aesthetics is shown in how symmetry defines the perceived qualities of the human body and how these traits are a sign of good health or good genetic conditions.

Man uses beauty as an indicator of truth and while beauty is truth (Ian Stewart), symmetry, proportion and simplicity will define it.

While many of the elements of nature have an innate geometric structure - water, sound or even light - the more complex architecture of the perceived or the hidden dimensions of reality rely on very complex laws that have different types of shapes, boundaries, behaviors and interactions with the micro and the macro elements of the universe.

In analyzing these dimensions and interactions, many sciences rely on geometric studies and developments that generate universal accepted answers. For example, in his famous special relativity theory, Einstein describes the dimension of space-time by creating a coordinate system that fixes and standardizes measurements, in order to specify the relationship between a moving observer and the phenomenon or phenomena under observation.

The place of humans in space-time.

By placing man in the middle of all created things, human consciousness becomes a necessity of life. An antropocentric perspective explains why the universe has an age. Why the universe works at these exact parameters that an objective observer discovers. That we discover.

Thus, man connects himself to the main elements of the universe: the space-time and the fundamental laws of physics, geometric defined aspects of reality, that man can relate to, explore and evolve upon.

The geometric laws and ratios that nature confides in, are also bound to shape human existence. The human body, the human mind and their correspondent dimensions and proportions have geometric properties and attributes, similar to all other elements of nature.

The universal geometric code

The geometric code of information is inherent to nature, inherent to human consciousness and is present in all perceived and created forms, in the tangible and the intangible.

And maybe a reality built under the auspices of geometry is desirable, being a discipline developed with attention along several millennia and with which the greatest minds of history have created concepts, objects, religions and even the entire universe.

1 multiplies itself and creates 2. The paradigm of reality is the result of the conscious observation. If the system from which consciousness takes part is abstract, then reality is an abstraction of this, by reflecting itself and creating form.

2018 © Tib Roibu, Geometry Matters

INTJ Relationship goals

ENTJ vs INTJ: Compare/Contrast

Study sample: my partner (ENTJ 5w4) and myself (INTJ 8w9).

GENERAL

ENTJ: cross-country. INTJ: weight training. ENTJ: forgets to eat. INTJ: dibs. ENTJ: beer. INTJ: cocktails. ENTJ: tea > coffee. INTJ: coffee > tea. ENTJ: is an “energy vampire” - energized through interaction with other people. INTJ: literally looks and acts like a vampire.

APPEARANCE

ENTJ: low maintenance, emphasis on quality. INTJ: higher maintenance, likes to experiment. ENTJ: much of wardrobe still remaining from senior year of high school. INTJ: has ruined or outgrown wardrobe from just five years ago. ENTJ: displays offbeat/geeky interests discreetly, like wearing a pin or a watch. INTJ: has a closet full of nerdy t-shirts and wears them often.

ARTS/ ENTERTAINMENT

ENTJ: band. INTJ: solo piano. ENTJ: plays D&D. INTJ: reads D&D novels. ENTJ: sci-fi > fantasy. INTJ: fantasy > sci-fi.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS/ RELATIONSHIPS

ENTJ: outwardly affable and energetic; inwardly serious and intense. INTJ: outwardly serious and reserved; inwardly soft and goofy. ENTJ: is proud of their accomplishments, makes a point to not brag about them. INTJ: has somehow managed to forget every major accomplishment in their life up to this point. ENTJ: has gradually learned how to be less confrontational. INTJ: has gradually learned how to not give a shit.

10 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day with Us on March 14

On March 14, we will join people across the U.S. as they celebrate an icon of nerd culture: the number pi. 

So well known and beloved is pi, also written π or 3.14, that it has a national holiday named in its honor. And it’s not just for mathematicians and rocket scientists. National Pi Day is widely celebrated among students, teachers and science fans, too. Read on to find out what makes pi so special, how it’s used to explore space and how you can join the celebration with resources from our collection.

1—Remind me, what is pi?

Pi, also written π, is the Swiss Army knife of numbers. No matter how big or small a circle – from the size of our universe all the way down to an atom or smaller – the ratio of a circle’s circumference (the distance around it) to its diameter (the distance across it) is always equal to pi. Most commonly, pi is used to answer questions about anything circular or spherical, so it comes in handy especially when you’re dealing with space exploration.

2—How much pi do you need?

For simplicity, pi is often rounded to 3.14, but its digits go on forever and don’t appear to have any repeating patterns. While people have made it a challenge to memorize record-breaking digits of pi or create computer programs to calculate them, you really don’t need that many digits for most calculations – even at NASA. Here’s one of our engineers on how many decimals of pi you need.

3—Officially official.

Pi pops up in everything from rocket-science-level math to the stuff you learn in elementary school, so it’s gained a sort of cult following. On March 14 (or 3/14 in U.S. date format) in 1988, a physicist at the San Francisco Exploratorium held what is thought to be the first official Pi Day celebration, which smartly included the consumption of fruit pies. Math teachers quickly realized the potential benefits of teaching students about pi while they ate pie, and it all caught on so much that in 2009, the U.S. Congress officially declared March 14 National Pi Day. Here’s how to turn your celebration into a teachable moment.

4—Pi helps us explore space!

Space is full of circular and spherical features, and to explore them, engineers at NASA build spacecraft that make elliptical orbits and guzzle fuel from cylindrical fuel tanks, and measure distances on circular wheels. Beyond measurements and space travel, pi is used to find out what planets are made of and how deep alien oceans are, and to study newly discovered worlds. In other words, pi goes a long way at NASA.

5—Not just for rocket scientists.

No Pi Day is complete without a little problem solving. Even the math-averse will find something to love about this illustrated math challenge that features real questions scientists and engineers must answer to explore and study space – like how to determine the size of a distant planet you can’t actually see. Four new problems are added to the challenge each year and answers are released the day after Pi Day.

6—Teachers rejoice.

For teachers, the question is not whether to celebrate Pi Day, but how to celebrate it. (And how much pie is too much? Answer: The limit does not exist.) Luckily, our Education Office has an online catalog for teachers with all 20 of its “Pi in the Sky” math challenge questions for grades 4-12. Each lesson includes a description of the real-world science and engineering behind the problem, an illustrated handout and answer key, and a list of applicable Common Core Math and Next Generation Science Standards.

7—How Do We celebrate?

In a way, we celebrate Pi Day every day by using pi to explore space. But in our free time, we’ve been known to make and eat space-themed pies, too! Share your own nerdy celebrations with us here.

8—A pop-culture icon.

The fascination with pi, as well its popularity and accessibility have made it a go-to math reference in books, movies and television. Ellie, the protagonist in Carl Sagan’s book “Contact,” finds a hidden message from aliens in the digits of pi. In the original “Star Trek” series, Spock commanded an alien entity that had taken over the computer to compute pi to the last digit – an impossible task given that the digits of pi are infinite. And writers of “The Simpsons,” a show known for referencing math, created an episode in which Apu claims to know pi to 40,000 digits and proves it by stating that the 40,000th digit is 1.

9—A numbers game.

Calculating record digits of pi has been a pastime of mathematicians for millennia. Until the 1900s, these calculations were done by hand and reached records in the 500s. Once computers came onto the scene, that number jumped into the thousands, millions and now trillions. Scientist and pi enthusiast Peter Trueb holds the current record – 22,459,157,718,361 digits – which took his homemade computer 105 days of around-the-clock number crunching to achieve. The record for the other favorite pastime of pi enthusiasts, memorizing digits of pi, stands at 70,030.

10—Time to throw in the tau?

As passionate as people are about pi, there are some who believe things would be a whole lot better if we replaced pi with a number called tau, which is equal to 2π or 6.28. Because many formulas call for 2π, tau-enthusiasts say tau would provide a more elegant and efficient way to express those formulas. Every year on Pi Day, a small debate ensues. While we won’t take sides, we will say that pi is more widely used at NASA because it has applications far beyond geometry, where 2π is found most often. Perhaps most important, though, for pi- and pie-lovers alike is there’s no delicious homonym for tau.

Enjoy the full version of this article HERE. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

“Growing up, I always assumed I would go into space. But I knew full well that people expected me to behave a certain way. I bucked the system. I don’t want mothers sayin’ ‘put that mud down, stop doing the because you’re going to ruin your dress.’ You get dirty sometimes. Who cares? You cannot do some of these things and keep your hair all nice.”—Mae Jemison

Today’s TechMAKER reached for the stars and then some. Mae Jemison saw the gender and racial discrimination in space exploration, but that didn’t stop her from becoming the very first African-American woman in space. 

You can see our full interview with Mae Jemison over on MAKERS.

Perk of being a NASA intern: beautiful phenomena like this are part of everyday life.

A Total Lunar Eclipse is Coming: 10 Things to Know

If you were captivated by August’s total solar eclipse, there’s another sky show to look forward to on Jan. 31: a total lunar eclipse!

Below are 10 things to know about this astronomical event, including where to see it, why it turns the Moon into a deep red color and more…

1. First things first. What’s the difference between solar and lunar eclipses? We’ve got the quick and easy explanation in this video:

2. Location, location, location. What you see will depend on where you are. The total lunar eclipse will favor the western U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and British Columbia on Jan. 31. Australia and the Pacific Ocean are also well placed to see a major portion of the eclipse, if not all of it.

3. Color play. So, why does the Moon turn red during a lunar eclipse? Here’s your answer:

4. Scientists, stand by. What science can be done during a lunar eclipse? Find out HERE. 

5. Show and tell. What would Earth look like from the Moon during a lunar eclipse? See for yourself with this artist’s concept HERE. 

6. Ask me anything. Mark your calendars to learn more about the Moon during our our Reddit AMA happening Monday, Jan. 29, from 3-4 pm EST/12-1 pm PST.

7. Social cues. Make sure to follow @NASAMoon and @LRO_NASA for all of the latest Moon news leading up to the eclipse and beyond.

8. Watch year-round. Can’t get enough of observing the Moon? Make a DIY Moon Phases Calendar and Calculator that will keep all of the dates and times for the year’s moon phases right at your fingertips HERE.

Then, jot down notes and record your own illustrations of the Moon with a Moon observation journal, available to download and print from moon.nasa.gov.

9. Lesson learned. For educators, pique your students’ curiosities about the lunar eclipse with this Teachable Moment HERE.

10. Coming attraction. There will be one more lunar eclipse this year on July 27, 2018. But you might need your passport—it will only be visible from central Africa and central Asia. The next lunar eclipse that can be seen all over the U.S. will be on Jan. 21, 2019. It won’t be a blue moon, but it will be a supermoon.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.  

Interesting use of a note-taking... thing

magnetism + mango smoothie + good music 

you are still growing on the days when you feel empty.

juansendizon (via shareaquote)

What actually runs in the veins of the 16 types

ENTJ: The crushed souls of the defeated

INTJ: Ice

ENTP: Memes

INTP: Nothing. They don’t have veins. They’re robots.

ENFJ: Liquid gold

INFJ: Ambrosia

ENFP: Margarita mix

INFP: Tears

ESTJ: Caffeine

ISTJ: Blood, because that’s what’s supposed to be there

ESTP: Vodka

ISTP: Gasoline

ESFJ: Hot chocolate

ISFJ: Cookie butter

ESFP: Glitter

ISFP: Rain