the Golden Ratio

[targetshootr]

Saw an interesting science program the other night about a naturally occuring ratio in nature, approximately 1.618, called the Golden Ratio. Wonder if it could be applied to boolit making too. Here's a link to it on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio).

[Nueces]

Therefore, the natural beauty of the:

3x5 card
5x8 photo print
8.5 x 14 legal document

:mrgreen: [smilie=1:

Mark

[mtgrs737]

That ratio was also explained in the movie "The DaVinci Code". Sounded very interesting to me too. It might apply to many things in life.

[Bret4207]

Read a long article in it someplace once not too long ago. The writer was an agnostic/dyed in the wool Darwinist till he researched the equation. No he says there's something to Intelligent Design. He's not sure just what, but something. Sure does make you think. Personally I don't mind thinking there's some greater plan at work.

Hobbes to Calvin- "Do you think there's a God?" Calvin- "I don't know, but somebodies out to get me..."

[whisler]

This was also referred to as the Golden Mean and was much used in art and architecture. I had a discussion with a very knowledgeable individual who holds that it is the basis for the beauty of the longrifle. I know that it sure works for designing powder horns.

[targetshootr]

Now I remember it was an hour long PBS program on beauty and they pretty much proved that the facial features what of every country considers beautiful conforms to that ratio. It also applies to body length vs torso, vs knees, shoulders, etc. I'll check some of Keith boolits tomorrow and compare length vs width, etc.

[ANeat]

I always thought it was 92/6/2:roll:

[pumpguy]

If you look up phi (pronounced fee) on google, you will see many articles about it. It is really the basis for all things in nature from snail shells to body shapes of most all living things. Pretty cool!!!!

[Lee]

That ain't the only one. There are some other natural numbers that pop up at you when you least expect. Pi (3.14159...) is another that comes to mind, as is e (2.7???something. But it's what makes the A-bomb go bang if I disremember, so it must be important.)
Anyways, yes, these dimensionless numbers are in my mind proof that there's more to this "world" going on than we will most likely ever know. Divine intervention? Perhaps.......Lee:wink:

[Jim]

Fascinating!

[Bob Jones]

Read the BOOK "Contact" by Carl Sagan for a fantastic expansion of this idea. Very different story from the movie, which dropped the central idea of the book (messages found within irrational numbers).

[MtGun44]

The 'Golden Ratio' or 'Golden Mean' is a visually pleasing ratio of
sides of a rectangle which most humans seem to enjoy. What this
may imply beyond some feeling of beauty and balance that many
people judge that buildings and other objects conforming to this
ratio have, is hard for me to descern. Maybe I'm just a poor fool
without the proper sense of beauty. I am an engineer, which has
been blamed for many things by various folks over the years! :)

I'm afraid it seems to me to be much ado about a relatively minor
aesthetic rule of thumb. The Parthenon looks nice, I would agree,
beyond that, I get rapidly lost in the discussion. But then I would
design the building to be structurally sound, and may completely
miss they whole 'looks nice' part. Pearls before swine, no doubt. :neutral:

Bill