5 Areas

Week 3

From looking once again in more depth at measurements, I attempted to divide the research into 5 areas of;

Human Body

Topology

Scale and proportion

Regional vs standard

Socially related

Over the past week I think the project has progressed, yet the subject is still broad and overwhelming. To reach an outcome the areas must be focused in order to achieve concepts. I feel there is substance in the topic of volume and weight, as this relates to human behaviour and our perceptions of amount in relation to what is around us. Evolution of objects is a means of measuring the needs of society at certain times, which came from looking at topology. Therefore this considers the narrative element of an object and is related directly to the relationship we as humans form with it.

In order to prevent confusion I have decided to stop using the term measurement as the title for my topic and use the word amount instead. I will conduct experiments with volume through changing proportion, along with how we judge weight and volume. Evolution will be investigated through looking at current behaviour, that of the past and how this can be used to forcast the future.

I have found the human relationship with measure insightful and how it certain units have been developed for a reason. I feel we have lost an understanding of the products we use, perhaps this is due to standardisation and anonymous design. Through design we can subtly communicate with people in order to re establish understanding.

At the moment I have views on this topic yet the direction is still quite blurred, hopefully focusing on volume, weight and evolution will help to move the project along. I intend to look at domestic areas and observe human behaviour.

Measurements in more depth

Week 2

For the past week I have been continuing my research on the principle that measurements are derived from the human form and regionally. I have been reading an interesting book, Smoots Ear by Robert Tavernor, an architect and lecturer at London school of economics. A lot of the notions in the book highlight the resistance against standardization, particularly from the British with regards to the French dream of alliance through standardization. However the metric system could be described as intangible, in terms of relationship;

“Measure has been dehumanised, it has been reduced to a practical tool, deliberately stripped of human association.”

I decided to focus on different types of measure in order to research efficiently, I looked at length, weight, time, weather, force, sound, time and function specific measurements.

Philosophical bubbles, Anthoni Marnoni 19th Century
Float depending on density, determining strength

From mapping my research, I have established common themes that link all my findings into six areas:

1. Human form

2. Regional

3. Algorithms and logarithms

4. Decimal base 10

5. Pythagoras ‘perfect numbers’ (1+2+3=6  1+2+3+4=10)

6. Socially related

Length is associated with the human form, inches feet and yards, along with proportion for example the Vitruvian man and how the body is divided into tenths. I also looked at the golden section and how it is applied to architecture. Along with calculating phiφ=1.618033988739895 through an equation.

Vitruvian man, Marcus Vitruvius Polio

The French created the calendar based on national holidays, the first day of the year was Bastille Day on the 14^th of July. Then in 1792 this was changed to the 1^st of January in a bid ‘de-Christianise time.’

Weight varies from place to place and often, is related to the trade it is applied a goldsmith’s pound could be different to that of a baker. Decimal base 10 is apparent in the metric system and seems to be tangible as it associated with the easy, however time is sexagesimal and is easily divisible, corresponding with Pythagoras perfect numbers. 

In relation to logarithms, it is how babies think of numbers, e.g. 8 and 16 have a relationship, 8 and 9 do not. A tribe in the Amazon rainforest still has this way of thinking, when asked what is between 1 and 9? Their response is 3 (3x3=9), where as we would assume it is 5. Susan Carey, a physicist from Harvard explains; "to gain knowledge you loose past thinking'.

From listening to a Radio lab podcast about cities, Geoffrey West a physicist has constructed a calculation that uses the walking beat of people in cities in order to gain data on the appropriate number of schools that should be in the area. This uses the human footfall as a measurement in an algorithm in relation to current society.

I am finding this topic highly interesting, there is vast amount of information to process and maintain, so I am continually summarizing information. I intend to have a glossary of measurement at the end of the project to visualize my findings and to help make them more understandable.

Example glossary page

In the forthcoming week I intend to look at my finding in 3D forms such as models, in relation to scale, and experiment with such findings in order to apply my research. I will study existing products to establish alternative proportion methods. Equations and systems will be an area of study, which will help generate outcomes. The narrative and story telling element of measure will remain an interest as it reflects the culture of a time and represents society. 

This will help to realise five insights based on the areas previously discussed.  

Translation, communication & tools

Week one

For the past week I have been researching into the general area of translation, communication and tools. I decided to look at this area as it really interested me due to subtle links between the words. To grasp the meanings of each word more, I started with their dictionary definitions:

Translation; the rendering of something into another language.

Communication; the impairing or interchanging of thoughts, opinions or information, by speech writing or signs.

Tools; anything used as a means of accomplishing a task of purpose.

This helped to give me a clear understanding, avoiding confusion. This project was launched at the British Museum, focusing in particular on the world in 100 objects and the archetypes within this series. Therefore this approach encouraged a retrospective method of research through history. I was completely emerged in the museum and veered slightly off the 100 objects path, however it led to interesting observations that I feel has helped my research to flow. I will briefly mention some of the things that originally intrigued me, a stone, from the Third Dynasty of Ur; this stone contains a survey of eleven fields along with dimension and barley. The use of available materials is apparent, the qualities held by the material are heavy and durable, and the information recorded is literally set in stone. This method of communication is definite and final, it is a primitive form of publishing that we are less familiar with as writing implements and paper are now taken for granted. 

Stone 3rd Dynasty of Ur

Another item that I found stimulating was a wooden tally, an object typically used in England for counting, the literal qualities allow use without confusion and help people to understand numbers more easily. In a similar way to how we use our fingers to count.

Wooden tally

I continued to research objects from the past in the form of calculators, tabulating machines and computers. From this I could see a theme of numeracy, data and methods of recording. This led to the area of measurement; from looking historically I gathered information on certain units and their explanations, here are a couple of examples:

Yard; length of King Henrys arm

Foot; length of a mans foot (1100-1155)

Fathom; arm span (six feet)

Inch; three barleycorns (England), width of a mans thumb (Europe)

From this I could see a clear link; measurements originated from the human form, as the things being created at this time were by and for humans, therefore the two correspond.

“Qualities need to be measured and compared with established standards, what is beautiful and ugly”.

Aristotle

In comparison to this, the metric system then was created in 1790 by the French, as a means of standardisation, to assist communication between countries with regards to trade. However, the transition of the metric system was alien, as it was created from a science lab from a light wave after attempts that involved the earth’s circumference and a pendulum.

“The metric system is truly international, in use everywhere- but belongs to no one”

Robert Tavernor

I also looked at measurement being specific in terms of the environment it is used in. In the 19^th Century measurement was regional, consequently this created variation. For example, Acre derived from old English, meaning ‘open field’, was once a long linear stretch of field; that one man could achieve in one day with one ox. In relation to function, Le Corbusier rebelled against the metric system through the fabrication of, the modular, a measure specifically for architects. These examples highlight culture sensitive characteristics. In more contemporary terms, the translation of measurement can be blurred. For instance, America has an imperial system, adopted from England, yet a US pint is 20% less than ours, simply because they did not feel it was appropriate for their society. It is also the only country left to go fully metric.

To conclude measurement is a broad area of research, with conflicting and complimentary traits, two sides are apparent:

1. Humans, personal qualities emotion, culture and function specific.

2. Cold, hard, universal, efficient, globalization, and coherent.

I am going to try and map these topics in the forthcoming week, through looking at various different areas such as time, length, weight, force and sound.