Every year or so, I re-read this book just to give myself those special headaches I get when I read something that's right on the fringes of being too much for me. (I get the same feelings when I read William Safire's pieces on language.) I think I "get" most of the concepts of chaos theory, Mandelbrot sets, and the like, but I can't quite retain my comprehension. It still fascinates me, though.
One of the parts that always sticks with me is the concept that measuring irregular objects precisely is incredibly difficult, and largely depends on your yardstick. The specific example was measuring coastlines. The author describes measuring using an actual yardstick, then points out that when you use a yardstick, any irregularities smaller than a yard will be "rounded off." Switch the yardstick for a one-foot ruler, and the coastline gets longer. Keep reducing the size of the measuring tool, and the coastline will keep getting longer and longer.
For ages, New Hampshire has had the distinction of having the shortest coastline of all the states that border on the ocean, at 13 miles. But that has changed.
The United States Geological Survey recently re-surveyed New Hampshire, and they changed their maps. Previously, they had used 1-100,000 scale aerial photographs, and come up with the 13-mile figure. They have re-done the photos, in 1-24,000 scale this time, and re-counted.
New Hampshire still holds it distinction of having the shortest coast, but we've extended it a bit. We now officially have 18.57 miles of coastline on the Atlantic.
But I'm afraid I can't consider it all good news. I feel bad for the residents of the seacoast, as local government officials realize they now have another five miles of ocean view to add to property tax assessments.
J.
Permalink | E-mail This | Technorati Links | Sphere: Related Content | Digg this! | FARK It!
Filed under:
Odd News
Comments (3)
Clearly, these scientists n... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Steve L. | January 24, 2005 7:10 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Clearly, these scientists need to get hobbies or something.
1. Posted by Steve L. | January 24, 2005 7:10 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 24, 2005 19:10
2. Posted by ridgerunner | January 24, 2005 7:58 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
All you have to do is get one of those wheels the police use at accident scenes and run up and down the coast with it. Jeeeshh!
By the way how is it you have more coastline if the earth is warming, the polar ice cap is melting and New York is in dange of going submerged?
2. Posted by ridgerunner | January 24, 2005 7:58 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 24, 2005 19:58
3. Posted by leelu | January 24, 2005 10:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jay T.
I found that, for the Ultimate Terminal Twisty-Brain effect, Douglas Hofstader can't be beaten. Goedel, Escher & Bach, and The Mind's Eye each took me a about year or so to read. Loved 'em, but I'm not sure I got them.
As far a coastline measuements... I'd be interested to see just *where* C.H. allocates the new 5.57 miles. Nobody's properties have grown, have they??
3. Posted by leelu | January 24, 2005 10:14 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 24, 2005 22:14