Mathematics? It's all just life.

Catwoman · 04-23-2004, 05:30 AM

I am a writer and looking for ideas based on the 'life is just maths' theorem, e.g. how a beautiful face is just a measure of symmetry, and butterfly-flaps-wings-world-war-three-breaks-out type formulae. Any ideas?

Beestie · 04-23-2004, 08:17 AM

Nature follows some pretty basic but very elegant mathematical patterns.I would check out Fibonacci numbers , the golden rectangle and logarithmic spirals.

I'm not a big fan of chaos theory and, but for the beauty of the metaphor, the "butterfly effect" idea with its stretched-to-the-breaking-point logic would have never made it out of the research paper it originally appeared in.

You can also get some really cool ideas from scientists who have tried to explain physics in lay terms like Richard Feynman and Stephen Hawking but that might take a little longer than what you had in mind.

Good luck - sounds like a cool project. If possible, why not post the story here when you are through with it. I'd love to read it as I'm sure many here would.

SteveDallas · 04-23-2004, 08:20 AM

A classic.

Catwoman · 04-29-2004, 04:54 AM

Thanks Beest, I may well do that, although it is some way off completion...

That Fibonacci thing is interesting, and has presented a somewhat animated discussion point for at least two dinner parties. Cheers

Slartibartfast · 04-30-2004, 01:25 PM

Another Classic

MrKite · 05-22-2004, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slartibartfast
Another Classic

Wow.

DanaC · 05-22-2004, 07:03 AM

I read a story years ago...cant for the life of me recaol either title or author. It was part of a collection of short stories. The basic premise was a time travel holiday firm. You could buy a trip back in time but it was all very tramlined. You had to stay on the "path" which existed sperately from its surroundings. At no point were you to step fro the path....The central character steps from the path....a minor adventure ensues whilst he attempts not to alter history....By the time he gets back to the path it seems he has succeeded in not damaging or affecting anything major. Just a butterfly dies thats all.
When he is returned to his own time he steps into the travelcentre lobby and the signs are all written in a strange format, more like old english than modern. As he leaves the travel station he sees more and more differences. he had chanegd the past when he killed the butterfly....Ok it wasmuch better the waythe wrter did it...I am recalling from 12 years ago and am a tad stoned.

(edited to say i think the writer was JG Ballard )

Undertoad · 05-22-2004, 07:09 AM

It's a famous Rob't Heinlein story but I can't remember the title.

DanaC · 05-22-2004, 07:31 AM

There is a Heinlein story that is similar but the one i am thinking about I am pretty sure is a JG Ballard story. I just went looking at some bookcovers online and i think it was a short story in the collection "Myths of the Near Future"....

I used to love Heinlein's stories though. The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, Job and Time Enough for Love are my favourites.

wolf · 05-22-2004, 11:47 AM

It's a Ray Bradbury, isn't it?

edit to add: Yes, it is.

DanaC · 05-22-2004, 12:11 PM

Yes! thats the one.

Troubleshooter · 05-24-2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
It's a famous Rob't Heinlein story but I can't remember the title.

I've read quite a number of Heinlein's books and don't recall a premise like that.

Could you work on it? I'd like to add it to my collection.

wolf · 05-24-2004, 11:27 AM

It has already been established that the story in question was by Ray Bradbury, and is called "A Sound of Thunder."

(That's the story that I linked to in my post above.)

Catwoman · 05-26-2004, 09:30 AM

Thanks for the Ray Bradbury guys... good foundations, kind of thing I'm looking for. Anything else you can think of would be great

Happy Monkey · 05-26-2004, 09:46 AM

Larry Niven wrote several short stories using time travel, which remind me of the Bradbury premise. Niven's books are more lighthearted, though. His premise is that since time travel is fantasy, a time machine would send you to mythological times, with dragons, unicorns, etc. They center around a big game hunter collecting specimens for the royal zoo.

04-23-2004, 05:30 AM	#1
Catwoman stalking a Tom Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: on the edge of the english channel Posts: 1,000	Mathematics? It's all just life. I am a writer and looking for ideas based on the 'life is just maths' theorem, e.g. how a beautiful face is just a measure of symmetry, and butterfly-flaps-wings-world-war-three-breaks-out type formulae. Any ideas? __________________ I've decided I'm not going to have a signature anymore.

04-23-2004, 08:17 AM	#2
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	Nature follows some pretty basic but very elegant mathematical patterns.I would check out Fibonacci numbers , the golden rectangle and logarithmic spirals. I'm not a big fan of chaos theory and, but for the beauty of the metaphor, the "butterfly effect" idea with its stretched-to-the-breaking-point logic would have never made it out of the research paper it originally appeared in. You can also get some really cool ideas from scientists who have tried to explain physics in lay terms like Richard Feynman and Stephen Hawking but that might take a little longer than what you had in mind. Good luck - sounds like a cool project. If possible, why not post the story here when you are through with it. I'd love to read it as I'm sure many here would. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

04-29-2004, 04:54 AM	#4
Catwoman stalking a Tom Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: on the edge of the english channel Posts: 1,000	Thanks Beest, I may well do that, although it is some way off completion... That Fibonacci thing is interesting, and has presented a somewhat animated discussion point for at least two dinner parties. Cheers __________________ I've decided I'm not going to have a signature anymore.

05-22-2004, 11:47 AM	#10
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	It's a Ray Bradbury, isn't it? edit to add: Yes, it is. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

05-24-2004, 11:27 AM	#13
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	It has already been established that the story in question was by Ray Bradbury, and is called "A Sound of Thunder." (That's the story that I linked to in my post above.) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

04-23-2004, 08:20 AM	#3
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	A classic.

04-30-2004, 01:25 PM	#5
Slartibartfast \|-0-\| <-0-> \|-0-\| Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 516	Another Classic

05-22-2004, 07:03 AM	#7
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	I read a story years ago...cant for the life of me recaol either title or author. It was part of a collection of short stories. The basic premise was a time travel holiday firm. You could buy a trip back in time but it was all very tramlined. You had to stay on the "path" which existed sperately from its surroundings. At no point were you to step fro the path....The central character steps from the path....a minor adventure ensues whilst he attempts not to alter history....By the time he gets back to the path it seems he has succeeded in not damaging or affecting anything major. Just a butterfly dies thats all. When he is returned to his own time he steps into the travelcentre lobby and the signs are all written in a strange format, more like old english than modern. As he leaves the travel station he sees more and more differences. he had chanegd the past when he killed the butterfly....Ok it wasmuch better the waythe wrter did it...I am recalling from 12 years ago and am a tad stoned. (edited to say i think the writer was JG Ballard )

05-22-2004, 07:09 AM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	It's a famous Rob't Heinlein story but I can't remember the title.

05-22-2004, 07:31 AM	#9
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	There is a Heinlein story that is similar but the one i am thinking about I am pretty sure is a JG Ballard story. I just went looking at some bookcovers online and i think it was a short story in the collection "Myths of the Near Future".... I used to love Heinlein's stories though. The Cat Who Walked Through Walls, Job and Time Enough for Love are my favourites.

05-22-2004, 12:11 PM	#11
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Yes! thats the one.

05-26-2004, 09:30 AM	#14
Catwoman stalking a Tom Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: on the edge of the english channel Posts: 1,000	Thanks for the Ray Bradbury guys... good foundations, kind of thing I'm looking for. Anything else you can think of would be great __________________ I've decided I'm not going to have a signature anymore.

05-26-2004, 09:46 AM	#15
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Larry Niven wrote several short stories using time travel, which remind me of the Bradbury premise. Niven's books are more lighthearted, though. His premise is that since time travel is fantasy, a time machine would send you to mythological times, with dragons, unicorns, etc. They center around a big game hunter collecting specimens for the royal zoo. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

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