Tuesday, October 27. 2009
Another Victory of the Void?
I was thinking about the zero today. The zero, plain and simply also known as "O", is actually a very important figure. It was so important that the Arabs of the olden days who had taken over the other figures, 1 to 9, from the Indians (saree, of course), just by adding the zero, brought a revolution to calculating.
Nothing would be possible without the zero the way we do it today. Imagine dividing or multiplying if we were still using Roman numbers! And we certainly wouldn't have computers, the zero being one of the two essentials of the binary system. And if you need proof that the Arabs were behind it, you just need to realize that, no matter how we read or name numbers in different languages, we all write them from right to left. You don't believe me? You never write your numbers from right to left? Oh, yes, you do. At the very right, you start with units, and go further left for tens, hundreds, thousands - get the picture? And there is another proof for the Arab origin of the zero; we call figures also cypher or cipher, which relates to "sifr" in Arabic, and even today "sifr" translates as zero.
Now I have observed something even more curious about the zero, and it came up with the beginning of the so called naughties. Literally all of us (or should we say: numerally?) seemed to be irritated by abbreviating the year completely. Instead of writing '1, '5 or '9, we kept writing '01, '05 or '09 - just as if the zero would add importance to those years. And it did, obviously, as the term naughties proves, which is of course related to the zero, too.
I wonder, now that we will soon leave the first decade of this century, will we be in need of another zero? Or will the 1 be sufficient that will rule the following decade at the tens' position? Will we be able to train ourselves to write f.e. nothing but '10, '11, '12?
Nothing would be possible without the zero the way we do it today. Imagine dividing or multiplying if we were still using Roman numbers! And we certainly wouldn't have computers, the zero being one of the two essentials of the binary system. And if you need proof that the Arabs were behind it, you just need to realize that, no matter how we read or name numbers in different languages, we all write them from right to left. You don't believe me? You never write your numbers from right to left? Oh, yes, you do. At the very right, you start with units, and go further left for tens, hundreds, thousands - get the picture? And there is another proof for the Arab origin of the zero; we call figures also cypher or cipher, which relates to "sifr" in Arabic, and even today "sifr" translates as zero.
Now I have observed something even more curious about the zero, and it came up with the beginning of the so called naughties. Literally all of us (or should we say: numerally?) seemed to be irritated by abbreviating the year completely. Instead of writing '1, '5 or '9, we kept writing '01, '05 or '09 - just as if the zero would add importance to those years. And it did, obviously, as the term naughties proves, which is of course related to the zero, too.
I wonder, now that we will soon leave the first decade of this century, will we be in need of another zero? Or will the 1 be sufficient that will rule the following decade at the tens' position? Will we be able to train ourselves to write f.e. nothing but '10, '11, '12?
Wednesday, October 21. 2009
Serious Patterns
Have you ever realized that patterns are most important to us? They are so important that we could not have survived as a species if it wasn't for them.
What we don't know, or don't understand, is scary to most of us, but at the same time we are very curious and want to learn - i.e., of course, under ideal conditions, and as a whole species. For what is learning other than experiencing, connecting and finally memorizing? And how do we memorize? We have to categorize and integrate what we get in order to comprehend. The categorization therefore requires patterns that also support the memorizing part.
This is all very theoretical. Let's see how patterns guide us in our daily lifes.
You get to know someone. The other person is introduced. You take a look. The eyes, the nose, the mouth, the posture. You decide for yourself that this person is alright. How could you? You might have thought that she has got the same smile as you granny's best friend, a lovely and caring woman. Or that he is so silent and humble just like that guy from the bakery at the corner who always gave you one extra when you came for bread rolls. Patterns. You could not know nor judge the person in a sufficient way so you had to find something to go by.
What about movies? Try to remember a movie you like. Anything fimiliar about them what makes you like them in the first place? It doesn't need to be a person or a land you know and feel home with or at. Maybe it's an idea that was familiar to you, or the structure, the rhythm, or some melody you liked. That looks like - feels like - tastes like - who doesn't laugh about the "tastes like chicken" joke? Why is it funny? Because it plays with our urge to find a familiar pattern in just about anything.
Patterns also help us to deal with the negative spectrum of our life. An author once wrote a short story about a man with a red beard who gave a policeman a scornful look. Why did he do that? Because the policeman reminded him of an annoying relative that owed him a lot of money. That is it. Pattern. And what happened to the policeman? He had a nervous breakdown because of that scornful look, and so in this little town all read-bearded men were hunted down. Pattern! What a shame that our red-beard, because he'd found a new job in Istanbul, had his beard shaved off before he left the country.
So now, how are we gonna get through life without more patterns to compare to if not we find them in history or fiction, in music or art? Whereas the categories are not all sufficient here, because music and art, and even history to some extent, even though they are not literature they are also fiction.
What we don't know, or don't understand, is scary to most of us, but at the same time we are very curious and want to learn - i.e., of course, under ideal conditions, and as a whole species. For what is learning other than experiencing, connecting and finally memorizing? And how do we memorize? We have to categorize and integrate what we get in order to comprehend. The categorization therefore requires patterns that also support the memorizing part.
This is all very theoretical. Let's see how patterns guide us in our daily lifes.
You get to know someone. The other person is introduced. You take a look. The eyes, the nose, the mouth, the posture. You decide for yourself that this person is alright. How could you? You might have thought that she has got the same smile as you granny's best friend, a lovely and caring woman. Or that he is so silent and humble just like that guy from the bakery at the corner who always gave you one extra when you came for bread rolls. Patterns. You could not know nor judge the person in a sufficient way so you had to find something to go by.
What about movies? Try to remember a movie you like. Anything fimiliar about them what makes you like them in the first place? It doesn't need to be a person or a land you know and feel home with or at. Maybe it's an idea that was familiar to you, or the structure, the rhythm, or some melody you liked. That looks like - feels like - tastes like - who doesn't laugh about the "tastes like chicken" joke? Why is it funny? Because it plays with our urge to find a familiar pattern in just about anything.
Patterns also help us to deal with the negative spectrum of our life. An author once wrote a short story about a man with a red beard who gave a policeman a scornful look. Why did he do that? Because the policeman reminded him of an annoying relative that owed him a lot of money. That is it. Pattern. And what happened to the policeman? He had a nervous breakdown because of that scornful look, and so in this little town all read-bearded men were hunted down. Pattern! What a shame that our red-beard, because he'd found a new job in Istanbul, had his beard shaved off before he left the country.
So now, how are we gonna get through life without more patterns to compare to if not we find them in history or fiction, in music or art? Whereas the categories are not all sufficient here, because music and art, and even history to some extent, even though they are not literature they are also fiction.
Monday, October 19. 2009
Life and Rain
In a sitcom I once heard a phenomenal story. Some guy explained his status by referring to being a rain dog.
So what's a rain dog? He pointed out the fact that dogs, as is generally known, constantly mark the many ways thery chose in order to find home again. But then, when it suddenly rains and their markings disappear, they are totally lost, sitting on some doorstep wondering what the hell went wrong. That's how he described himself.
And that is how I see the whole life. Because as much as you try to leave tracks behind, and as much as you might wish for sunshine, there is always someone who will make it rain.
So what's a rain dog? He pointed out the fact that dogs, as is generally known, constantly mark the many ways thery chose in order to find home again. But then, when it suddenly rains and their markings disappear, they are totally lost, sitting on some doorstep wondering what the hell went wrong. That's how he described himself.
And that is how I see the whole life. Because as much as you try to leave tracks behind, and as much as you might wish for sunshine, there is always someone who will make it rain.
Saturday, October 17. 2009
Point of View
When a friend of mine was still working in a care center for the disabled and elderly, the most puzzeling procedure was the following order noted in the personnel's handover certificate:
"Escaped residents are considered as attendant and should be reported under the category Noticeable Events."
"Escaped residents are considered as attendant and should be reported under the category Noticeable Events."
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