Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Golden Spiral


Here is a picture of the "golden spiral"-which exhibits what is called the "divine proportion" found in many living creatures.

The nautilus displays the golden spiral proportions. These proportions have been mathematically sequenced by a famous mathematician-Fibonnaci.
Therefore, this mathematical rendition is called the Fibonnaci Spiral.
Diagram from Wikipedia
A year ago, I was fortunate to meet a fellow Mark, who used this diagram of the spiral on the jacket of his book. Since reading Mark's book, I am more convinced that the Fibonnaci Spiral is an important symbolic representation of cycles found in nature, especially human consciousness.
The remainder of this blog will unveil some ideas that I want to spiral out and lift off the page with respect to learning, systems thinking and water management planning, as these areas embody my passions. One of the most important things I have learned through this symbol is that there is always a catalyst to begin human consciousness, and subsequent learning or thinking iterations follow the divine proportions in the Fibonnaci Spiral until reaching the widest circle of influence at which point the idea, or thought or system launches into the world. Like Mark's book.
A spiral is not "flat" and does not "go around in circles"-its lifts off the page in three dimensions. A person engaged in learning, systems thinking or water management planning never returns to the catalyst stage-in summary-an engaged person can never return to zero.
Next I will address traditional images of systems thinking, and why I believe they are portrayed incoherently and incorrectly to conscious humans, who often see an inherent defect in the diagrams but are unable to point out the flaw.




Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Siphuncle


Here is the diagram that shows the life progression of the nautilus' siphuncle. The nautilus' life begins and at that point in time, the siphuncle is present. At each life "cycle" the animal creates a new "camera"-a chamber-and a septum is formed to separate the living nautilus from the previous chamber. The septa and past chambers form along the siphuncle, each apparently in proportional size and distance from the last.
As life starts, the nautilus has a very small circle of influence along the siphuncle, but by the time the animal dies, it has reached its largest circle of influence and opens up into the world. Along the siphuncle, a calcified record is kept of every major change in the animal's life progression. The empty chambers are necessary for bouancy and enable the nautilus to float in the deep sea waters.
I need to learn more about the function of the siphuncle in order to understand the symbolism I want to attribute to the diagram above.

Diagram from Wikipedia

Nautilus have survived for 500 million years

Although I will use a nautilus shell as a symbol to describe what I have discovered about learning, about systems thinking, and governance, I am intrigued that people like Peter Ward are still studying this creature and learning more about its life and habits every day. There is a Google link to a video of Peter Ward deep sea diving to meet a giant chambered nautilus.
Try www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pfs1lqggms or type in "peter ward nautilus" to Google.

The nautilus shell has symbolic importance to me as a calcified reminder of life's progression. I will find a picture of the inside of the shell that has led me to make some important conclusions that I think need to be thought about in depth by myself and others. Of course, I am not the first to have thought about this.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Explanation of septa

Septa is plural for "septum" which are membranes that separate different chambers within a living organism. We have a "nasal septum" for example. Probably the most commonly known septa in the human body are those within out hearts. The outer and inner ear have chambers separated by septa.

Nautilus


A nautilus is a cephalopod of the genus Nautilus, of Indo-Pacific waters, having a light coiled chambered shell with numerous septa, and numerous tentacles. (Oxford English Reference Dictionary)

This blog is called "nautilus" because it reflects my discovery of what it means to be alive as a human being in the spaces I occupy, at the times I occupied, occupy, or will occupy those spaces.

I live within a light coiled chambered shell.
My life is lived within numerous septa.
My life is a process of discovery through numerous tentacles.
Photos from Wikipedia "chambered nautilus"