MetaFilter posts tagged with pattern

On Growth and Form and Constructal Theory

twoleftfeet — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:17:49 -0800

On Growth and Form (1917) was D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson's pioneering effort to explore the mathematical principles that underlie biological form. He studied the similarity between the shapes of a jellyfish and a drop of ink, a splash and a hydroid, between dragonfly wings and bubble froth, the growth of radiolaria and snowflakes, the spirals of nautilus and mollusk shells and sheep horns. More recently, Adrian Bejan's Constructal Theory aims to explain all biological shape from one thermodynamic principle. This month there is an interview with Bejan for the layman. The central principle of Constructal Theory - for a finite system to persist in time (to live) it must evolve so currents can flow easier through it - has been used by Bejan and his coworkers to predict the structure of trees and other natural networks (such as why a river looks like a tree), to understand running, swimming, and flying (PDF), to explain why university rankings won't change, and generally, to think about the design of every thing that flows and moves. You can learn more about Constructal theory from TreeHugger's four articles, from the Constructal Portal, and from Bejan's books. Bejan's website lists his (over 450) academic publications.

Clapping Music

rongorongo — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:13:48 -0800

Counting in groups of 12 the first performer claps on 1,2,3,5,6,8,10 and 11. The second performer starts by clapping the same pattern but gradually shifts the pattern one step to the right. You are playing Steve Reich's clapping music. If you are serious you will want to study the score - and perhaps a watch a performance). If you are happen to be Evelyn Glennie you can have a go at both parts at once. - those slightly less more mortal are likely to end up like this. See also previously.

"Your brain knows the shape of the word."

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:06:01 -0800

How the new type standard for American road signage reduces halation and improves readability.

Would the Algorithm of Fugue end with A B C?

Gyan — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 04:35:45 -0800

Douglas Hofstadter says, "What troubles me is the notion that things that touch me at my deepest core -- pieces of music most of all, which I have always taken as direct soul-to-soul messages -- might be effectively produced by mechanisms thousands if not millions of times simpler than the intricate biological machinery that gives rise to a human soul.". That was prompted by his reception to the output of David Cope's project Experiments in Musical Intelligence.

Islamic Art

obedo — Sun, 05 Sep 2004 19:56:06 -0800

IslamicArchitecture.org : Islamic architecture, Islamic patterns and Islamic calligraphy.

Reggie452 — Thu, 09 May 2002 07:03:54 -0800

Remember how some of us joked that the mailbox bomber was placing his bombs in a smiley face pattern? Well, we were right.