Everyones focusing on the rainbow issue. The original observation had to do with whether even numbers are more important in Western cultures while odd numbers were more important in Eastern. Could be but I doubt it. What about the Trinity (3), the Pentateuch (5), the seven deadly sins (7). Seven seems to be quite important in many contexts from gambling to dwarves. I'm not sure how this question could be effectively addressed empirically. You would have to have some measure of importance.
Frank --- Frank C. Wimberly 140 Calle Ojo Feliz (505) 995-8715 or (505) 670-9918 (cell) Santa Fe, NM [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of George Duncan Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 3:11 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures Here's an interesting site on rainbows: http://www.eo.ucar.edu/rainbows/ Particularly see the Java applet. On 12/2/06, Russell Standish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Your diagram would imply Violet lies inbetween Indigo and Blue, whereas traditionally it is the other way around (Roy G Biv). To be quite frank, I cannot distinguish a seperate colour between blue and violet - does that mean my cones are defective? Cheers On Sun, Dec 03, 2006 at 10:54:43AM -0700, Robert Howard wrote: > My understanding is that there are really just three primary colors: R G B. > Even though the spectrum is mathematically continuous, evolution is not. Our > eyes have three types of cones (for color) and one type of rod (for > intensity). It seems that because the three super-imposed distribution > curves yield three maximum crests and four minimum troughs: total colors > would be seven. > > > > That is: > > > > Violet Green Orange > > > > Indigo Blue Yellow Red > > > > > > > > SEE: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/colcon.html#c1 > > > > Rob Howard > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of James Steiner > Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 9:45 PM > To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures > > > > So, why was indigo worthy of inclusion, while cyan was not? > > > > ~~James > > http://www.turtlezero.com > > (JA-86) > > > > On 12/2/06, Dede Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Re Pamela's reply: Me, too! Re Robert's: When I was growing up, we > > > learned " Roy G. Biv", a name silly enough that you weren't likely to > > > forget it and that definitely included indigo. > > > > > > Dede > > > > > > On Nov 30, 2006, at 7:17 PM, J T Johnson wrote: > > > > > > > My apologies, and I seem to be pushing the evelope of original intent > > > > for the FRIAM list, but I find this sort of "anthropology of numbers" > > > > topic an interesting problem that converges on interesting questions > > > > in how we design, say, databases or UIs that are applicable anywhere, > > > > anytime. > > > > > > > > So for what it's worth.... > > > > > > > > -tj > > > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Date: Nov 30, 2006 5:55 PM > > > > Subject: [MEA] Fwd:The yin and yang of numbers across cultures > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > >From the Chronicle of Higher Ed's Magazine and Journal Reader. > > > > Thursday, November 30, 2006 > > > > > > > > A glance at the current issue of the Bulletin of Science, Technology & > > > > Society: The yin and yang of numbers across cultures > > > > > > > > > > > > In Japanese culture, a rainbow is considered to consist of seven > > > > colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. A > > > > rainbow has > > > > one less color in the West, as Americans and Europeans tend not to > > > > count > > > > indigo. However, because a rainbow is actually a continuous spectrum, > > > > both > > > > perceptions are wrong, notes Yutaka Nishiyama, a professor at Osaka > > > > University of Economics, in Japan. He says those distinct viewpoints > > > > reflect a Japanese preference for odd numbers and Western favoritism > > > > toward > > > > even numbers. > > > > Mr. Nishiyama provides numerous other examples to suggest an East-West > > > > difference in the preference for odd or even numbers. According to a > > > > Japanese proverb, for example, three heads are better than two, > > > > "whereas in > > > > English, two are better than one." In a study of number-related words > > > > in > > > > English and Japanese, he found additional evidence. "It appears," he > > > > writes, "that the Japanese language has a cultural setting that favors > > > > the > > > > odd numbers 3 and 5, whereas English has a cultural setting that > > > > favors the > > > > even numbers 2, 4, and 6." > > > > > > > > The author looks at historical clues in attempting to explain why > > > > different > > > > cultures may have a preference for one form of numbers over the other. > > > > The > > > > ancient Greeks, he says, regarded odd numbers as good. So did the > > > > ancient > > > > Chinese. The latter utilized yin-yang thought, which is based on the > > > > idea > > > > of alternating opposites. For instance, yang is generally considered > > > > to be > > > > masculine, and yin to be feminine. He emphasizes, however, that the > > > > concept > > > > is meant to be interpreted as a system of opposites and of "infinite > > > > change," not as "a case of one being superior or inferior to the > > > > other." So > > > > a man is yang in relation to a woman, but yin in relation to his > > > > parents. > > > > Only in modern times, he says, has yang come to be understood as "good > > > > and > > > > superior" in relation to yin. > > > > > > > > He concludes that the ancient preference for odd numbers probably > > > > faded in > > > > the West with the arrival of modern mathematics, "as represented by > > > > Newton." As he explains it, modern mathematics values rationality, and > > > > "seems to have abandoned the ideas of ancient Chinese yin-yang thought > > > > and > > > > ancient Greek philosophy, in which odd numbers were male and even > > > > numbers > > > > female. When counting numbers, odd numbers were incomplete, in-between > > > > numbers, whereas even numbers were certainly more rational." Thus, "in > > > > contrast to the East, where odd numbers are positive and good, in the > > > > West, > > > > odd numbers are incomplete and superfluous." > > > > > > > > The article, "A Study of Odd- and Even-Number Cultures," is > > > > temporarily > > > > available free through Sage Publications. > > > > > > > > http://bst.sagepub.com/cgi /content/abstract/26/6/479 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > MEA mailing list > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/mea > > -- > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile) Mathematics UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Australia http://www.hpcoders.com.au ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org -- George T. Duncan Professor of Statistics Heinz School of Public Policy and Management Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268-2172 ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
