John Smithiam #1: Golden Ratio

Having just completed a chemistry exam and feeling especially nerdy, i thought i'd post one of the curious bits of trivia garnered from maths tutorials with JS.

For those of you who don't know, JS is a one-of-a-kind erudite (he taught us that word!) who doesn't just teach maths formulas and proofs, but also the whys and whereins of philosophy, languages, the sciences and mathematical history (yes remarkably maths didn't just turn up in Cambridge text books, fully formed and impossible), peppered with slightly self-indulgent anecdotes on men in Port Macquarie who run entire Italian restaurants by themselves. And then he ushers his students out into the world, more informed citizens than when they came in a few hours ago. Good value for a maths lesson indeed!

So... yes, here goes-


John Smithiam #1: The Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio (1.61803399 : 1) has fascinated intellectuals of diverse interests for over 2400 years:


"Some of the greatest mathematical minds of all ages, from Pythagoras and Euclid in Ancient Greece, through the medieval Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, and the Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler to present-day scientific figures such as Oxford physicist Roger Penrose have spent endless hours over this simple ratio and its properties.


But the fascination with the Golden Ratio is not confined just to mathematicians. Biologists, artists, musicians, historians, architects, psychologists, and even mystics have pondered and debated the basis of its ubiquity and appeal. In fact, it is probably fair to say that the Golden Ratio has inspired thinkers of all disciplines like no other number in the history of mathematics."


—Mario Livio, The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, The World's Most Astonishing Number



So how did a classroom of yr 11 3-uniters get introduced to its wonders?


We had just completed a question that asked "what dimensions should a can made from a [insert area] sheet of alumimium have, so that it has the maximum volume possible?" and the answer had been 5 x 5 x 5 cm or some other cubish answer.

Question: This got JS pondering "if the most economical shape for a can is in cube-like proportions, then why are most cans more rectangular looking?" - as you do.

Answer: Apparently a few years ago, some experiments were done where people were given a sheet of paper filled with rectangles and squares and told to pick the rectangle which was most aesthetically pleasing. And most people picked the Golden Rectangle (the one in Golden ratio). Hmm..

Research was done. It turns out that Golden rectangles are pretty special because when a square section is removed, the remainder is another golden rectangle; that is, with the same proportions as the first. Square removal can be repeated infinitely, which leads to an approximation of the golden spiral. Lots of golden things!

The neat thing about the golden spiral is that its not just some random abstract concept, but it is present in nature.
- snail shell
- sunflowers
- special crystal structure.

And the golden ratio is found in art (it was purportedly used in da Vinci's Mona Lisa)

http://www.geocities.com/jyce3/ - other weird Golden ratio applications

So yes, that is why Campbell's cans of soup come in Golden-ratio, rectangular height cans; because that's what most pleasing to the human eye. And what's pretty sells well. A sort of round about way of saying it. But still.

-- C.L --

philosophic ramble of the day

From the grand master that is Dr. Seuss:

"Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

Everyone together now: AWWWWWW.

Today was quite a day for women in politics, with Carmel Tebbutt now Deputy Premier for NSW and Quentin Bryce (rather odd name for a woman if I may say so but anyway...) Australia's first female governor, and yet should these things really be such a milestone in our political history? Is it still so rare and unexpected to see women in power, or should am I just taking this the wrong way and should simply celebrate the fact that they have deservedly 'made it'?

Not finished with the topic: French war photographer Francoise Demulder died aged 61 today, being the first woman to receive the coveted World Press Photo award, which you can see here

And something that I read about and struck me the other day:

Imagine two years. Does that seem long to you? It may be, if you're going to sit in jail all by your lonesome for two years.

Or maybe it's not long enough. Two years isn't much time if the apocalypse came in 2010. Think of the things you wanted to do, and never could.

Einstein once said that everything is relative. Which it is. So have some perspective people.

And now...what about that chemistry exam?

[disco.read]

A useless but fun game

Studying for exams can be boring. So I try to combat the boredom by fishing out a board game and playing against myself. After my second day at home with no exams I found this awesome game called “The Worst Case Scenario Survival Card Game – Travel Edition”. You play the game by reading out a question, for example “How do you safely jump from a moving train?” or “How can you avoid being mugged while using a public telephone?”, then three options for the other person and they have to choose the right one.

Out of these 108 seemingly-useless-but-will-one-day-most-likely-save-my-like cards, I chose 5 which I think will test even those with the most intellectual of brains before they roll on the floor laughing like me (which may have only happened because of exam stress). Here they are:

How do you properly survive a landslide?
A) Curl yourself into a tight ball, protecting your head
B) Wrap yourself around a tree. It will happen anyway, so you might as well do it to begin with
C) Run with the landslide and if possible, pick up a log to surf on it with
Answer (highlight): A. But C seems funner (yes I know that isn't a word)

How do you stop a car when the brakes have gone out (on the freeway)?
A) Find a large barricade, and when 10m away from it, turn the wheel hard to the left and slide into it sideways
B) Honk at other cars to get them out of the way, while simultaneously accelerating to run out of petrol
C) Find another moving car and hit it from the back. Honk at the other driver to stop
Answer: C

How do you safely approach a seal?
A) Log roll towards it
B) Lie flat, bob your head up and down and mimic seal movements as best as you can
C) Imitate a seal squeak and once it has lost interest in you, it is safe to approach
Answer: B, despite how idiotic you will look

How do you attack an alien?
A) Go for the eyes. It will be the only sensitive area you easily identify
B) Never attack an alien. Alien abductions only take place for research purposes
C) Jump up and down to distract it, then punch it in the mouth and run
Answer: A

How do you catch a bird at sea?
A) Place bait in the water, and when the bird approaches ‘stun’ it with a paddle
B) Place bait in your boat. When the bird begins to eat it, throw a towel/blanket over it
C) Use a hook and line. Float bait on the water and wait until the bird is caught in the hook
Answer: C. But A made me lol.

Rate your score!
Less than 5 – Boo
5 – Wow you’re smart, are you sure your name isn’t whitebread?

- Whitebread

The Dark Knight

Hello all,

I hope exams are going well and that we're all keeping a level-head. Perspective is the word. ("It's only preliminary... it's only preliminary...").

Just a few hours ago, I was informed by Count Lucifer that an unfinished blog I started about one month ago was saved onto EightStLaundry. To my delight, I logged on and found this blog I thought was lost due to my stupid computer freezing... again! So although this may be a little dated, here is my blog on The Dark Knight which Lucifer and I watched after a gruelling 3 hour exam as a little treat. Enjoy!!

~

As a pre-post for a friend who is yet to appear on this blog (as they currently do not have a cool blogging name like 'Hurley Who?'), I thought I'd write down some of my (and Count Lucifer's) thoughts on the new, very cool, very dark Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

Having heard all the hype about this movie, Count Lucifer and I went into the cinema with high hopes, and we were not disappointed. Crappy advertisements for the new Star Wars animated film and Hellboy II got us even more excited for a real movie. (talk about milking money out a sequel).

Although I must admit the beginning of the film did put out some false expectations (as un-named-yet-to-blog friend said, "I thought it would be a heist"), the movie slowly unfolded in pockets of action with the Batmobile, drooling at Christian Bale and the occasional (but very intense) "oh-my-god, it's the Joker" moments.

Heath Ledger ticked all the boxes. Un-named friend and I now start to get swoony when we see pictures of Christian Bale. Maggie Gyllenhaal was very good as Rachael Dawes. I haven't seen Batman Begins but I assume she made a better love interest than Katie Holmes. And Aaron Eckhart was a good foil for Batman as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Although things got a little bit crazy with him towards the end of the movie.

The raw action of the film made it very worth it. (I now want a Batmobile with a setting 'intimidate') This is not a movie you watch the DVD of. It's worth the money. (I wonder if there's an IMAX version in Australia...)

Personally, the ending was my favourite part (I won't spoilt it), it was very post-modern - ambiguous, unsatisfying. And although the movie went for 2.5 hrs, I left somewhat disappointed - I wanted more!

Count Lucifer and I ended up giving this movie 9.5 out of 10. The 0.5 was taken off for unnatural post-production effects (cough, Harvey Dent).

This was the sort of movie that stays with you for days afterwards - emotionally compelling and impacting.

So I hope all those out there who have seen The Dark Knight agree with me in some form or another, and those who have not watched it, I have one message. WATCH IT!

- Hurley Who?

Amidst times of worry & stress...

Hello all...as my aunt would say,

Coming to the close of nearly a MONTH online, and nearly the start of a relatively important study period (yes, only 9 whole days of Year 11 class to go), I think it's about time that we had an assessment of how our blog is doing (so that we don't have to waste time writing articles that aren't going to be read).

So, in a nutshell, we'd just like some general feedback for how our blog, http://eighthstlaundry.blogspot.com , is doing.

Please tell us - what you like about it, what you DON'T like about it & even maybe what you want to hear more of - we're open to new ideas/suggestions, so anything you say won't be taken to offense. So PLEASE BE HONEST.

And yes, amidst times of worry & stress, we do tend to procrastinate & reflect upon our progress in life (as I am doing so now)...So just as a little tip, these are a few quotes which I think of (& write in my diary):

"It's foolish to fear what you cannot avoid." - Publilius Syrus

"Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm" - Winston Churchill
--> my personal fave

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up" - Thomas Edison

Feedback would be greatly appreciated & GOOD LUCK for people with yearlies :D

~Louis Tiffon

Feathers in my Cap

With time ticking o so agonisingly quickly away, I am contemplating the philosophy of the school. It clearly dictates a well-rounded kind of life is the best kind of life - where you get involved in everything and strive for your optimum. I'm wondering if this is practical?

I know certainly, that I lead a relatively balanced life. And yet, my maths teacher is about on the edge of telling me to drop something or stop doing extension. While I know I am perfectly capable of doing extension if I wish, there is a certain element of time management that comes in to play to achieve excellence. However, I feel I have run out of time. I can't manage any better what I don't have any more of. I'm even posting this in the shadows of pre-dawn, pink starting to touch the sky - and certainally sympathising with Sappho.

Who else has experienced the woes of needing to sleep/eat/ensure one doesn't die from the crazy sheduel of glutenousely stuffing their minds with knowledge that is - while extremely interesting - sometimes too much to handle.

I think one of those new school with classrooms of 90 and exams where everyone works together sounds nice right about now.


- Wolf Mother

Meteors All Night

Poems. They strike at the most unexpected moments.

Case in point:

C.L sits down on a Monday night for a nice productive session of Conflict essay-writing.

All is going well but then C.L makes a fatal error: she writes an incomplete sentence. C.L glares at the computer screen because she can't see anything wrong with the sentence and thinks Word is just stupidly insisting it is wrong in that annoying Word way (ie. underlining in it in green squiggliness and suggesting to 'revise fragment'). Uh, not helpful!

Anyways, being in an irrational 'I am going to fix up this one unimportant sentence' mood C.L right clicks on 'About this sentence' to get an explanation for its incorrectness so she can fix it. Here's what appears:

C.L reads the pop up impatiently, but then gives a double glance at the phrase "Meteors all night" and thinks to self 'that's pretty... in a vague, grammatically incorrect sense.' Promptly gets sidetracked.

35 mins later: C.L has got no further on her essay, but instead has 3 versions of the poem "Meteors all Night" and accompanying music. Yay for random strikes of inspiration.

Enjoy:

Meteors all night- v.1

Come,

watch for

Meteors all night

Because the teacher said to.

And we will laugh clearly under the stars;

Those distant observers,

Blasts from the past

All over now.

Meteors all night- v.2

Come,

watch for

Meteors all night

Because the teacher said to.

And we will laugh clearly under the stars;

Those distant observers,

Blasts from the past

Dying in slow-motion

Just like us.


Meteors all night- v.3

Come,

watch for

Meteors all night

Because the teacher said to.

And we will laugh clearly under the Stars;

Celestial monuments to our Glory.

Let us grow young

Together.

BY COUNT LUCIFER

Music-matchability: Champagne Supernova (Oasis)

Note: Yeah the three versions are pretty similar, but Disco Read made a good point when she commented on their complete dissimilarities due to the different endings: Version 1 is about the fleetingness of Youth, Version 2 is more despairing in its outlook and Version 3 is well... hopeful?

Yes I totally intended that meaning :D