Yeah, I totally don't understand where precision comes from - is there some ladder of precision within a particular technology, where a closed-loop ecology can bootstrap upwards? (perhaps with diminishing returns for effort until we need to switch to a different technology).
Alas, the book only glancingly touches on that theme. E.g. at one point on how to make a straightedge: if you have a first attempt, you could cut another following its edge, then flip it over and push them together -- they'll only fit if it's really straight. No word on how to reduce the error you've found, though of course I can imagine possibilities. I want a good intro to mechanical engineering for software nerds with some physics education, using Oculus Rift and some kind of haptic interface, please
( ... )
(It would be a *great* example of the reverse engineering you're talking about if it didn't take reverse engineering to follow what the hell he's going on about.)
There is something unsatisfying about stopping at "humans can perform compass and straightedge constructions, from purely digital (textual) descriptions of them." HOW do humans perform compass and straightedge constructions
( ... )
In high school geometry I was a bit surprised how precise you could be in practice. I guess to really draw a good straight line through two points you need four arms, to hold a pencil down at each point, hold the straightedge against them, and draw the line along the edge -- but just two arms used serially aren't too awful.
Comments 6
http://www.howround.com/ promotes a book that gets into making things with geometrical constructions.
Reply
Yeah, I totally don't understand where precision comes from - is there some ladder of precision within a particular technology, where a closed-loop ecology can bootstrap upwards? (perhaps with diminishing returns for effort until we need to switch to a different technology).
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment