Photosynth

Last semester, my friend shared this video with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkuGrCB85H8

Photosynth is a program that almost completely is over my head as far as understanding is concerned. However, this link will help better explain how it works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Live_Labs_Photosynth

Essentially, the relevance and similarities I found between this program and MC Escher's paintings is the ability to make things that are actually 1 dimensional and make them into 3 dimensional. For instance, MC Escher took a 1 dimensional canvas and turned it into this 3 dimensional drawing using shading.

http://aaronbaird.net/pictures/Escher/Hand_with_reflecting_globe.jpg

The video I linked you all to explains how Photosynth does the same thing with 1 dimensional photographs by collectively turning them all into one 3 dimensional image. I think it's really neat.

Architecture is Geometric

I was looking through my brothers architectural books and came across some interesting information....
When most people think of symmetry they think of basic line symmetry. In architecture, symmetry is a way to describe shapes and design and to organize geometry. One architectural feature where symmetry is evident is a frieze design. A frieze design consists of repeated copies, along a line, of a single figure or block. Frieze patterns can be seen on walls, railings, verandas, etc. These patterns can be seen in art and architecture around the world.

The Dot and the Line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmSbdvzbOzY

This is a cute and really well-made animation called The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics that some of you have probably seen before. The story is in reference to the book Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, which we actually have to read for this class. The author of the story is Norton Juster, and it was animated in 1965 and won an academy award.

Tyography and Math: A tutorial for good typography

I know Angela said she was interested in Math and how it is involved with typography. Especially modernist typography!

http://typophile.com/node/47265#comment-291071

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html

Click link above to watch video.
Benjamin Zander is a Composer/Teacher, in this talk he characterizes classical music as a medium to which everyone likes but they just don't know it yet. This inspirational talk led me to thinking of how math is a universal language between all people just as music is. I urge you to watch the entire video, I've watched it seven or eight times since my first encounter with it.

Repeated forms from two different sources

I Found this image very interesting because of the use of two different sources to create a geometrically pleasing and symmetrical piece. The combination of the tiling which is always present added with the sunlight and shadows at the perfect time of the day works very well...This was taken in one of the many Yukatan Haciendas one of which I had the chance to visit.

Quadrilaterals in Science Fiction

During class on Wednesday, I couldn't help but notice something familiar about some of the quadrilaterals being displayed on the board.  It was then that I realized just exactly where I had seen some of these shapes before...Star Wars space crafts!  I went back to my apartment on my day off and decided to do a little research, just to make sure I wasn't crazy.  This is what I found.

Parallelogram?



Or Jawa Sand Crawler?



Kite?



Or a Star Destroyer?



You be the judge.