Hypercubes and multi-dimensional mathematics have always fascinated me, always will. I think it was in the 8th grade when at the local library I ran into "networks", which begins with The Seven Bridges of Königsberg problem, the solution of which after much sweating: build two more bridges. That then led me into topology, and the unification of doughnuts and coffee cups (which I'd thought trivial). Topology provides us a way to deal with multdimensionality, and from there the world is your oyster. Ted Kaluza, Oskar Klein, Superstrings Theory, AdS/CFT correspondence, and beyond.
Yes, I've read a lot of Rudy Rucker, C.F. Hinton, and Abbott's "Flatland." Those are nice places to start.
In any event, I had to run my daughter into NYC last Tuesday for an art project at "The Met", that is to say "The Metropolitan Museum of Art."
Imagine my pleasant surprise when I ran into the actual painting of Salvador Dali, whose work I've always enjoyed, notably his hyper-cubic "Crucifixion", with his wife Gala in the foreground:
Here's a fun version of the same painting:
And finally, the actual painting, with what appears to to be a friend of "The Men in Black" standing aside it:
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteHypercubes, extra dimensions and Dali again form to be similar interests for us. Have you not ever found it strange how few are even aware of the concepts involved, let alone have any interest as to come to some understanding of them? It has me tovwonder if perhaps our species might not contain a sub species, which are simply more naturally curious then the majority.
That is in recent years our entire species has been upgraded from simply beng Homo Sapiens (knowing man),to be called Homo sapien sapiens, as being recognized as having abilities extending past those who originally emerged. This then would have required some mechanizism to have one group out compete the initial group as to then leave only the one. This has me further wonder if this process might be happening again. So Steven, perhaps you and I, along with some others are the forerunners of the Homo sapien sapien sapiens, as to find humanity itself to be dimensionally expanding:-)
Best,
Phil
Try homo sapiens sapiens biologius, and homo sapiens sapiens mechanicus, Phil.
ReplyDeleteThat will be the first split in the opinion of many far-sighted and intelligent thinkers, as espoused thought some brilliant sci-fi authors like Alastair Reynolds and Bruce Sterling.
Briefly, there are those who will "improve" humanity based on Biology and Chemistry, and those who will seek to do the same through Mechanical/Electrical Engineering and Physics.
And that will just be the start.
Glad we won't live long enough to see it. They will compete and then war with each other eventually.
Some things never change.
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteI’m not convinced we will move rapidly in either direction in respect to our cognitive abilities. On the other hand as far as physical ones are concerned, it’s obvious we are making moves, both positively and negatively, in exploring each of the avenues from the standpoint of extension and enhancement of both the quantity and quality of life we enjoy.
I rather believe between our own arrogance, as to what it means in being the chosen ones and the general growing distrust and cynicism in respect to science and technology, such moves will find great resistance; whether if they be of sound reasoning or not. It won’t help anyway, unless they find the gene(s) responsible or able to substitute an algorithm representative as to be equivalent to that of human curiosity. That is I find that despite it be reminded that curiosity kills cats, it is the thing that serves to have us distinguished in respect to its demonstrated quantity and utility from all other creatures :-)
Best,
Phil
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteJust as a continuance of what I said before, although the work of Dali’s may represent to be mankind’s future, I think the two which currently express what serves as being the primary preoccupation and motives for its actions are to be found first with this one and then to be extended by this.
That’s to contend until we come to better understand ourselves, we will never have the ability to chose what we should be as to like to become. I’m hopeful as you it will find the one you portray as being the correct choice, as having expansion of self becoming more important than the concern with one’s self. That is as the latter choice will have us remain as mostly selfish and thus limited, while the first will have us expand to be knowingly purposeful self enhanced and enriched.
Best,
Phil
Thanks for those links, Phil. Yeah, Persistence of Memory by Dali (1905-1995, a true 20th century man) hangs in NYC also, in MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art), and is small as Crucifixion is large. I've seen it as well, you really have to be in front of these paintings to appreciate them. Photographs are close but not the same thing. Btw, did you catch the link to9 Entropy at the bottom of that page?
ReplyDeleteWell yeah, the future changes will happen slowly and take time, and meet resistance as you say, but so what about the public? Science will go secret and black. For example, do we really know what DARPA is up to? Perfect transparency is the goal in Democracy, but the bane of the Military. And yup, the military is where the money is as well as the motivation, and mum's the word as they say.
For example, check out this link: Project Stargate. That's right, "Stargate" was once more than just a sci-fi movie and TV series. Is that a waste, or what? Although it was canceled in 1995, how much do you want to bet it just "went dark"? Well, we don't know, do we?
I'll bet 99% of the papers by DARPA never make it to arXiv or Physical Review. But it's a sure thing DARPA scientists read them.
On the real biological front, we already see the beginnings of the changes, in the form of pharmaceuticals. Changing one's DNA will be a reality in 40 years. We've only just mapped the brain and genomes. Work in these areas are progressing at a rapid pace.
Nanotechnolgy will change everything; is changing everything. First in the mechanical end, soon the biological end.
Humankind is in its infancy, as always. I doubt the diplomats can keep up.
Hi Steven,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean as there being a difference between a photo, video image or recorded reproduction and that of being in the presence of the work or performance itself. However, this is not only exclusive to the works of man, yet extends to those of all of creation in general; that finds what we have managed thus far pale in comparison, as having them being in of themselves mere reflections of the original.
Best,
Phil
Nice comment, thanks Phil.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, consider: Mountains. One can see all sorts of pictures of The Rocky Mountains (best around Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, and not at all shabby elsewhere), the Alps, the Andes, etc., but these pictures are as nothing compared to actually being there. The mrs. and I had a second honeymoon at Yosemite National Park 3 hours east of San Francisco in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range 25 years ago, and there are simply no words in the English language to convey their beauty and grandeur; pictures of same simply do not suffice, not even close.
Why are mountains important?
Because of their dimensionality. They are of fractal dimension, between 2 and 3. Computer Science and Mandelbrot have shown us this remarkable fact. We may live in a 3-dimensional world, but if you add fractional dimensionality to 2-D, or subtract a non-integer less-than-one dimensionality from 3-D, you get ... mountains.
Video game players and designers have known this intrinsically for decades.
So as physicists play around with Number Theory (The Study of Integers) from Mathematics, and fool themselves into thinking dimensions are whole numbers thereby, I have to ask a question:
Have they ever noticed the patterns in a flower, or seen a cross-section of a nautilus shell, and made the connection?
Hey what's up?! Listen, I tried to access to your entries through the links at the right side of the screen but I was not able, instead, I was sent to a blank page... does any one know what kind of trouble is that and how to solve it?
ReplyDeleteWhat country do you live in? I have no problem assessing them. I live in the USA.
ReplyDeleteI always study with a print of Dali's "The Metamorphosis of Narcissus" within sight. He's definitely the most mathematic and scientific of all artists and has just fascinated me ever since I can remember.
ReplyDeleteStill love coming onto your blog every once in awhile and finding new wonders.
Thank you, Aoife, stop by any time. As the only engineer I know with a pink power drill you can be sure we'll be very nice to you? Btw, have you and Dan returned to ireland or are you still in the states? Dali's painting can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is so.
ReplyDeleteYes I love Dali, along with El Greco and Picasso. Strange that my 3 favorite artists are all Spanish, just a co-incidence, and thanks for your thoughts.