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.