Me and... math?!

The universe may be a mystery, but it's not a secret. Each of us is capable of comprending much more than we might realize. A vision of mathematics different from that which we were taught at school holds an accessible key to a nearby world of wonder and beauty.

And thus begins the Introduction to A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art and Science (A Voyage from 1 to 10), by Michael S. Schneider.

Hm... intriguing, you may think. Or perhaps you're thinking: JAG, what the hell...?! Since when do you read about math?!!

Well, there's a first for everything. Admittedly, I'm not drawn to math. I'm not a numbers gal; I'll take words over digits any day. The beauty of this book, however, is the language used to bring mathematics - and more specifically, geometry - to life. Ponder the following...

In ancient Greece the advanced students of the philosopher Pythagoras who were engaged in deep studies of natural science and self-understanding were called mathematekoi, "those who studied all". The word mathema signified "learning in general" and was the root of the Old English mathein, "to be aware", and the Old German munthen, "to awaken". Today, (...) it's a shame children are exposed to numbers merely as quantities instead of qualities and characters with distinct personalities relating to each other in various patterns. If only they could see numbers and shapes as the ancients did, as symbols of principles available to teach us about the natural structure and processes of the universe and to give us perspective on human nature. (p. xvii)

T'is a shame indeed! Using only the three classic tools of the geometer (compass, straightedge and pencil), so far I have discovered the spiritual power of the monad (1), the birthing power of the dyad (2) and the unmistakeable harmony of the triad (3).

Take a moment to think about the number 3, for example. In our daily lives, the pattern of the triad is pervasive: yesterday, today and tomorrow... breakfast, lunch, dinner... red, yellow, green lights... morning, noon, night... ready, set, go!... three strikes, yer out!... going once, going twice, sold!... easy as 1-2-3... three cheers for... Do you see it now? Three represents wholeness. Two is not enough and Four seems superfluous. Three is perfect. It's also a pattern that most world religions have tapped into in some way, shape or form. (Yikes, there it is again!! :-))

Anyway, this book is nothing short of miraculous - it's has gotten me interested in numbers... and I'm only up to 5! It encourages first-hand experience with these patterns and, before I even knew what was happening, I was making circles, vesicas pisces and constructing three-dimensional shapes out of scrap paper (see accompanying photo). My next task is to create my own set of Borromean Rings.

Who knew there was a world of wonder hiding beneath the intimidating and boring world of mathematics? Or perhaps you consider yourself a math atheist. :-)

Pace e bene,