Sketchplanations - A weekly explanation in a sketch

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Explaining the world one sketch at a time

The piston

The piston is an amazingly simple, ridiculously useful and successful mechanism that, together with a connecting rod and crankshaft, converts linear motion to rotational motion. This simple system is basically what allows us to take a force produced by, say, steam or an explosion and make a wheel turn. Stick a few of these together and time the rotation of each correctly, carefully controlling the explosions and the exhaust, and you have an internal combustion engine that powers and moves our cars. There are a lot of amazing things to me about it, but I am still impressed with how effectively it takes something moving back and forth and makes something spin around and vice versa.…The piston is an amazingly simple, ridiculously useful and successful mechanism that, together with a connecting rod and crankshaft, converts linear motion to rotational motion. This simple system is basically what allows us to take a force produced by, say, steam or an explosion and make a wheel turn. Stick a few of these together and time the rotation of each correctly, carefully controlling the explosions and the exhaust, and you have an internal combustion engine that powers and moves our cars. There are a lot of amazing things to me about it, but I am still impressed with how effectively it takes something moving back and forth and makes something spin around and vice versa.

9 Dec 2016

Typical gastropod anatomy

For a closer look next time you’re at the beach. Pay close attention to whether you find one with a dextral or sinistral aperture. Gastropods are the largest class of molluscs which includes limpets, snails and sea slugs. For those who weren’t sure. Info from the 1971 book, Discovering Sea Shells by Barry Charles…

29 Nov 2016

The half-life of caffeine

The half-life of caffeine is about 4 hours. The data vary, but for a medium-sized adult, you can probably expect half of the caffeine from that 3 pm cup of coffee to still be doing half of its thing about 7 pm, 4 hours later. Apparently, smokers deal with caffeine quicker, and caffeine sticks around in children much longer. You can expect about 10 minutes before it first kicks in, which, I suppose, is why if you’re feeling tired while driving, it’s a decent plan to take a break and drink a coffee, then have a 15-minute nap. Once it starts to kick in, you might hit peak caffeine any time from 45 minutes to 2 hours later. Caveat: The chart visualisation is extrapolated from reported data, so the shape is only approximate. Some references say longer, and some say from 3-9 hours or so. My source, which seemed pretty comprehensive, was: Bertil B. Fredholm, Karl Bättig, Janet Holmén, Astrid Nehlig and Edwin E. Zvartau, Actions of Caffeine in the Brain with Special Reference to Factors That Contribute to Its Widespread Use, Pharmacological Reviews March 1999, 51 (1) 83-133; Also see: tiredness can kill, take a break.…The half-life of caffeine is about 4 hours. The data vary, but for a medium-sized adult, you can probably expect half of the caffeine from that 3 pm cup of coffee to still be doing half of its thing about 7 pm, 4 hours later. Apparently, smokers deal with caffeine quicker, and caffeine sticks around in children much longer. You can expect about 10 minutes before it first kicks in, which, I suppose, is why if you’re feeling tired while driving, it’s a decent plan to take a break and drink a coffee, then have a 15-minute nap. Once it starts to kick in, you might hit peak caffeine any time from 45 minutes to 2 hours later. Caveat: The chart visualisation is extrapolated from reported data, so the shape is only approximate. Some references say longer, and some say from 3-9 hours or so. My source, which seemed pretty comprehensive, was: Bertil B. Fredholm, Karl Bättig, Janet Holmén, Astrid Nehlig and Edwin E. Zvartau, Actions of Caffeine in the Brain with Special Reference to Factors That Contribute to Its Widespread Use, Pharmacological Reviews March 1999, 51 (1) 83-133; Also see: tiredness can kill, take a break.

22 Nov 2016

Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions: a colourful wheel showing how emotions mix

Mapping emotions

This is Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. I like it because it tries to make sense out of the range of emotions we have by relating his 8 primary emotions to related ones where two primary emotions meet. For example, remorse is like feeling both disgust and sadness; awe is surprise and fear. On opposite sides of the wheel are opposite emotions eg, Joy >< Sadness Other versions of his framework go 3D and map the intensity of emotions as well, for example, rage > anger > annoyance, or ecstasy > joy > serenity. Neat.…This is Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. I like it because it tries to make sense out of the range of emotions we have by relating his 8 primary emotions to related ones where two primary emotions meet. For example, remorse is like feeling both disgust and sadness; awe is surprise and fear. On opposite sides of the wheel are opposite emotions eg, Joy >< Sadness Other versions of his framework go 3D and map the intensity of emotions as well, for example, rage > anger > annoyance, or ecstasy > joy > serenity. Neat.

16 Nov 2016

What is the golden ratio explained and the golden spiral and the golden ratio in faces, art, nature, architecture and how to calculate it

The Golden Ratio: Nature's Perfect Proportions

The golden ratio is a mathematical proportion in nature, art, architecture, and design. It's a shortcut to proportions we seem to find innately pleasing. What Is the Golden Ratio? The golden ratio has an elegant mathematical definition: the ratio of the long over the short dimension is the same as both added together over the long dimension. It works out at around 1.618. This relationship creates a golden rectangle. If you remove a square from a golden rectangle, the remaining space is another golden rectangle. This process can continue indefinitely, forming the golden spiral. The Golden Ratio in Nature In nature, the golden spiral abounds. Find it in: The spiral of a nautilus shell The arrangement of sunflower seeds The spirals of hurricanes and galaxies The shape of some seashells and the growth patterns of cacti Some parts of our bodies also approximate the golden ratio. You can try these measures out yourself. For example, measure the ratios of: Your height to the height of your belly button — mine is 1.68 Your finger length (not thumb) to the distance to the second knuckle — mine is 1.68 So, if you know your height, you can make an educated guess at the height of your belly button without even measuring. The Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture Designers, artists and architects have used the golden ratio intuitively and intentionally for 1000s of years. So you can find the golden ratio in: The Pyramids of Giza and the Parthenon Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa the shapes of violins photography compositions corporate logos No wonder it's sometimes called the golden ratio of beauty. Using the Golden Ratio The golden ratio is a tool for balance and harmony. Using it in your craft—whether creating graphics, taking photos, or designing a website or building—can bring balance and harmony to your work. You can use the golden ratio to guide the layout of elements. Use the golden rectangle: Divide your design area into a golden rectangle. This gives you a framework for positioning your text, images, and other elements in a visually pleasing way. Spiral composition: Divide your golden rectangle into a golden spiral. Position key elements of your composition where the spiral leads for a flowing, natural composition. The spiral works well for web design, posters, or advertising, leading the viewer's eye through your content. Proportions and spacing: When designing logos, posters, or even UI layouts, using the golden ratio for the size relationships between text, images, and borders can create a sense of proportionality that feels balanced. You can also make use of the golden ratio in photography. Just as with the rule of thirds, you can use the ratio to frame your subjects, with focal points falling along key intersections. This can create harmony and depth in the shot. More Check out some golden ratio examples. Even Trump. This sketch features in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures along with 136 other fun and fascinating concepts. Related Ideas to the Golden Ratio Also see: The rule of thirds The Golden Circle Rückenfigur Isometric projection Orthographic projection Parallax One-Point Perspective, Two-Point Perspective, Three-Point Perspective Atmospheric Perspective…The golden ratio is a mathematical proportion in nature, art, architecture, and design. It's a shortcut to proportions we seem to find innately pleasing. What Is the Golden Ratio? The golden ratio has an elegant mathematical definition: the ratio of the long over the short dimension is the same as both added together over the long dimension. It works out at around 1.618. This relationship creates a golden rectangle. If you remove a square from a golden rectangle, the remaining space is another golden rectangle. This process can continue indefinitely, forming the golden spiral. The Golden Ratio in Nature In nature, the golden spiral abounds. Find it in: The spiral of a nautilus shell The arrangement of sunflower seeds The spirals of hurricanes and galaxies The shape of some seashells and the growth patterns of cacti Some parts of our bodies also approximate the golden ratio. You can try these measures out yourself. For example, measure the ratios of: Your height to the height of your belly button — mine is 1.68 Your finger length (not thumb) to the distance to the second knuckle — mine is 1.68 So, if you know your height, you can make an educated guess at the height of your belly button without even measuring. The Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture Designers, artists and architects have used the golden ratio intuitively and intentionally for 1000s of years. So you can find the golden ratio in: The Pyramids of Giza and the Parthenon Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa the shapes of violins photography compositions corporate logos No wonder it's sometimes called the golden ratio of beauty. Using the Golden Ratio The golden ratio is a tool for balance and harmony. Using it in your craft—whether creating graphics, taking photos, or designing a website or building—can bring balance and harmony to your work. You can use the golden ratio to guide the layout of elements. Use the golden rectangle: Divide your design area into a golden rectangle. This gives you a framework for positioning your text, images, and other elements in a visually pleasing way. Spiral composition: Divide your golden rectangle into a golden spiral. Position key elements of your composition where the spiral leads for a flowing, natural composition. The spiral works well for web design, posters, or advertising, leading the viewer's eye through your content. Proportions and spacing: When designing logos, posters, or even UI layouts, using the golden ratio for the size relationships between text, images, and borders can create a sense of proportionality that feels balanced. You can also make use of the golden ratio in photography. Just as with the rule of thirds, you can use the ratio to frame your subjects, with focal points falling along key intersections. This can create harmony and depth in the shot. More Check out some golden ratio examples. Even Trump. This sketch features in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures along with 136 other fun and fascinating concepts. Related Ideas to the Golden Ratio Also see: The rule of thirds The Golden Circle Rückenfigur Isometric projection Orthographic projection Parallax One-Point Perspective, Two-Point Perspective, Three-Point Perspective Atmospheric Perspective

7 Nov 2016

Freeze lemons and limes

There always seems to be more than we need in a bag. This is a nice end for them.…

1 Nov 2016

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