I thought this was a very interesting read. Though difficult to understand at times, and
requiring me to go back and read it over in order to fully grasp the ideas
being conveyed, I really liked the idea of this reading. Part of my lack of understanding was due to
the enigmatic language used throughout to describe the different methods. However, despite my lack of comprehension of
a fair amount of these words, I was able to derive the general idea of the
passage.
It begins by stating that our world is “caught up in the
two-dimensionality of the endless flatlands of paper and video screen”,
establishing the idea that far too much of what we see in our daily lives is
simply two dimensional, but states that there are several ways in which we can “escape
this flatland”. In particular, this
passage focuses on methods by which we can both increase the number of
dimensions displayed on a flat piece of paper as well as increase the data
density. He also describes why
3-dimensional displays, especially that of the solar system, fails in
adequately providing basic understanding because the focus on the complexity of
the actual model draws away from its basic concept. This is the basis through which he argues
that multiple dimensions can be portrayed on flatland, such as in the case of
sunspots or railroads. One thing I was
confused by was how exactly the method of viewing sun spots incorporates a
piece of paper in order to amplify the image.
This was the technique which Galileo used, and he was able to depict the
most accurate image of the sun at the time.
Through his understanding of dimensions, he was able to refute beliefs
that sunspots were simply stars or satellites.
As time went on, methods for marking the locations of sunspots vastly
improved. Scheiner fabricated a model of
tracking them which was more complex than that of Galileo, but not quite as
advanced as those of Maunder or Fisher, which made use of parallel sequencing
to enhance dimensionality and density.
It is amazing how far they came and how much people were able to improve
on the work of Galileo. The next example
was particularly interesting. It
describes the system by which Java was able to create a 2-dimensional chart
which was still able to accurately tell the movement of trains along
railroads. There are many ways in which
we can “escape flatland” and portray multiple dimensions even in a way that
would normally be 2-dimensional.
