For those who require a graphical representation of concepts.
Orbs, held within the fold,
of flesh, cleft and braced.
Forbidden that none behold,
yet dressed, then placed,
To draw eyes and ire,
that hearts burn and seethe desire,
And wonder at the sense,
to stash a sacred thing where all can see.
Regardless of the wearer’s intent, female clothing is geometrically designed to direct attention to the chest – the precise area deemed inappropriate for inspection.
Whether motivated by a biological imperative or the need to vicariously atone for their own deficiencies, parents pursue the success of their children with fanaticism. And since we all know that education is the foundation for happiness and wealth, it is often the center of parental focus. Even after secondary graduation, the importance of education is stressed by parents as well as left-wing radicals bent on brainwashing young minds.
So how do we know whether or not a student is succeeding in school? The answer is by simply looking at the student’s grades. What isn’t so simple is the method by which those grades are calculated, interpreted and transcribed.
The basic concept of grading is that teachers award their students a score for each of their assignments and exams. Then, using the student’s combined scores, a grade is assigned. This grade determines the student’s level of achievement in the class and dictates whether they are passing or failing. Although nearly all institutions assign grades in this way, their interpretation of a student’s performance will vary significantly. In some countries, students are graded on a 1 to 20 scale, some simply use 1 to 5, while others assign letters.
In many parts of the world, most predominantly America and Western Europe, a student’s score is expressed as a percentage representing the ratio of correct answers to problems given. For example, a student who answered 24 questions correctly out of 31 is given a score of 77. Now everything up to this point has made sense, but we’re about to make a bumpy trek into the world of letter grades.
In an attempt to more clearly communicate the level of achievement, many nations have adopted some form of alphabetized ranking derived from the percentage score. In these systems, the letter A indicates the highest grade, while E or F represent the lowest. Here are some different interpretations of the letter grade system:
| United States | Ireland | Singapore | Pakistan | Jordan | |||||
| A | 90-100 | A | 85-100 | A1 | 75-100 | A1 | 90-100 | A | 60-100 |
| B | 80-89 | B | 70-84 | A2 | 70-74 | A | 70-90 | B+ | 55-59 |
| C | 70-79 | C | 55-69 | B3 | 65-69 | B | 60-70 | B | 50-54 |
| D | 60-69 | D | 40-54 | B4 | 60-64 | C | 50-60 | C+ | 43-49 |
| F | 0-59 | E | 25-39 | C5 | 55-59 | D | 40-50 | C | 35-42 |
| F | 0-24 | C6 | 50-54 | E | 33-40 | F | 0-34 | ||
| NG | 0 | D7 | 45-49 | ||||||
| E8 | 40-44 | ||||||||
| F9 | 0-40 | ||||||||
As we can see, there is great variety even among nations that use letter grades. To complicate things further, many districts consider letter grades too vague, so plus and minus suffixes are used to add complexity to a system designed to be simple. Here’s how it works in most American schools:
| United States | |||
| A | 90-100 | A+ | 98-100 |
| A | 93-97 | ||
| A- | 90-92 | ||
| B | 80-89 | B+ | 87-89 |
| B | 83-86 | ||
| B- | 80-82 | ||
| C | 70-79 | C+ | 77-79 |
| C | 73-76 | ||
| C- | 70-72 | ||
| D | 60-69 | D+ | 67-69 |
| D | 60-66 | ||
| F | 0-59 | F | 0-59 |
Now we would expect that such a finely-tuned system would satisfy all concerned parties, but this isn’t the case. Because employers and post-secondary institutions often wish to know the overall average grade of a student during a semester or program, an entirely new system was devised: the grade point average (GPA).
Grade points are awarded based on either the student’s final letter grade or percentage score achieved in a class. Most institutions use a system in which students are awarded between 0 and 4 points per course. Institutions that use use percentages to calculate grade points do is in a number of ways, and the most common is to simply divide the percentage score by 100 and multiply the product by 4.
Institutions that determine grade points using letter grades will simply translate an A as 4 points, B as 3 points, C as 2 points, D as 1 point and an F as 0 points. However, letter grade suffixes allow a student to be awarded more than 4 grade points for a single course. In many schools, the plus or minus suffix simply adds or subtracts 0.3 or 0.33 to the grade point value.
| Standard 4 Point System | 4 Point System with Suffixes | ||||
| A | 90-100 | 3.5-4.0 | A+ | 98-100 | 4.3 |
| A | 93-97 | 4.0 | |||
| A- | 90-92 | 3.7 | |||
| B | 80-89 | 2.5-3.49 | B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.0 | |||
| B- | 80-82 | 2.7 | |||
| C | 70-79 | 1.5-2.49 | C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.0 | |||
| C- | 70-72 | 1.7 | |||
| D | 60-69 | 1.0-1.49 | D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
| D | 60-66 | 1.0 | |||
| F | 0-59 | 0.0-0.99 | F | 0-59 | 0.0 |
The grade point average is then calculated by adding together a student’s grade points and dividing by the number of courses taken during that time. Sometimes grade points also incorporate the credit value of courses by multiplying each course GPA by its credit value, then dividing by the total credit value of courses taken.
So to recapitulate, here’s how grades are calculated:
Now if you begin to feel an intense and crushing feeling of terror at the concept, don’t be alarmed. That indicates only that you are still sane. For in the same way that the measurement of fuel consumption and time have been corrupted by counterintuitive expressions and unnecessary calculation, grading also suffers from superfluous complexity.
We should not manipulate systems to suite our interpretation but interpret the expressions of the simplest and most efficient system. In this case, a percentage is the simplest and most efficient expression of a grade, since it is nothing but the numerical representation of the correctness of a score. Letter grades, suffixes, grade points and grade point averages are all derived, directly or indirectly, from the percentage, and they necessitate additional levels of interpretation to understand.
Whether expressed as a B, B+, 3.3 or 3.4, everyone understands that 88% is a pretty good score, so let’s just grade in percentages.
Imagination is a powerful thing, especially in the hands of children. As we have already seen, when children are deprived of entertainment, their minds will bend reality to suit their needs. A wonderful example of this is the use of sticks as medieval weaponry. Here’s a graph which identifies common interpretations of various stick lengths:
But stick aren’t just instruments of brutality. They can also transform into magical devices, with the length of the stick determining the level of magical power contained within.
Some would argue that scepters and canes may also possess magic, but the power of a scepter is merely in its representation of a high position, and canes are mostly used to assist those with a limp.
What do the Lance Armstrong, Michael J. Fox and the Christopher Reeve Foundations have in common? Besides being established by and named after a celebrity, these three organizations were all devoted to eradicating the very condition with which their founder struggled.
These men are (or were) hailed for their contributions to these causes, but is it really heroic to try and cure a condition only after you’re diagnosed with it? Surely these men didn’t create a charity organization in an effort to cure themselves, rather for others in the world struggling with the same condition. But if their motivation was the good of others, then why did they only begin their crusades once they were personally affected? Perhaps human empathy is more of an automated response than a noble pursuit.
Before moving forward, let’s be clear about this subject: these are serious issues that cause real and terrible suffering. Our goal here is merely to explore the peculiar ways in which we react to them.
Supporters of foundations like the ones we mentioned believe that empathy can be spread by generating awareness. These concerned folk band together to form special interest groups, which seek to advance only a single, specific cause. Their objective is to use whatever means necessary to make known the extreme importance of their concern. In addition to snatching up nearly every date on the calendar, they have also exploited the light spectrum as an instrument of awareness. Because color is simple and pervasive it makes an ideal canvas on which to paint one’s message.
The use of color as a medium is most commonly advanced through the display of ribbon-shaped bumper stickers and plastic bracelets. Here’s a chart which identifies few colors and the movements they represent:
| Melanoma | Gang Prevention | Death | |||
| Diabetes | Asthma | Brain Cancer | |||
| Peace | Brain Injury | Bone Cancer | Terrorism | Poverty | Adoptees |
| Tobacco | Colorectal Cancer | ||||
| Arthritis | Victim’s Rights | Free Speech | Water Quality | Water Safety | |
| Drunk Driving | Child Abuse | Colon Cancer | Tobacco | Dystonia | Education |
| Prostate Cancer | Scleroderma | Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome | |||
| Epilepsy | Cancer | ||||
| Eating Disorders | Stomach Cancer | Pulmonary Hypertension | |||
| Pancreatic Cancer | Testicular Cancer | Thyroid Cancer | Lupus | Alzheimer’s | ADD and ADHD |
| Brain Aneurysm | Thrombosis | Headaches | Cesarean Section | Adults with Disabilities | |
| AIDS and HIV | Drug Abuse | Heart Disease | Burn Victims | Stroke | Drunk Driving |
| Breast Cancer | |||||
| Leukemia | Hunger | Cultural Diversity | Animal Rights | Self-injury | |
| Support for Troops | Suicide Prevention | Adoptive Parents | Bladder Cancer | Spinda Bifida | Endometriosis |
| Childhood Cancer | Sport Therapy | ||||
| Parkinson’s | Depression | Bipolar Disorder | Anxiety Disorders | Children with Disabilities | |
| Emphysema | Lung Cancer | Multiple Sclerosis | |||
| Ovarian Cancer | Cervical Cancer | Uteris Cancer | Sexual Assault | Tsunami Victims | |
| Pedestrian Safety | Lyme Disease | The Environment | Celiac Disease | ||
There are many more patterns than what are represented above, and many more causes associated with each one. The color purple, for example, can be tied to over thirty distinct movements. In their inability comprehend the scope of such behavior, special interest groups have devalued the meaning of color. They fail to realize that if everything is special then nothing is special. But this doesn’t discourage supporters from proudly donning their ribbons and bracelets.
Although the motives may be genuine, this method of expression does raise questions about the narrow focus of concern. For example, someone wearing a pink bracelet is not only declaring their support for breast cancer victims and research, but their support only for breast cancer victims and research. Are these individuals not also concerned about lung cancer, suicide, sexual assault and child abuse? If someone considered themselves a supportive and caring person, we should expect their arms to project a prismatic array of plastic.
The reason we rarely observe anyone displaying more than one bracelet or ribbon is that humans can only experience legitimate empathy through suffering, either their own or that of someone they love, and chances are that each person is acquainted with only a small number of conditions.
The passion of Armstong, Fox and Reeve is inspiring, but we should remember that their zeal was forged by tragedy and hardship, not a bumper sticker.
Engaging in an argument with a colleague, friend or stranger can be a fruitful or frustrating endeavor. Because the subject of such discussions often centers around an issue about which we feel very strongly, our conviction can easily escalate a cordial debate into a futile shouting contest. In our earnest desire prove that our view is superior and shame our opponent, we can resort to poor debating techniques, mockery or outright deception.
Most arguments begin with two well-intentioned individuals politely discussing a subject of interest, but they can quickly deteriorate into a heated quarrel over the definition of a simple term, with neither party able to recall the original point of contention. This needn’t be the case, however. Our discussions would be more tranquil and productive if we were all experienced in formal debate, but since that isn’t likely to happen, let’s identify a few stumbling blocks that disrupt our deliberations:
These obstacles can be avoided fairly easily by taking a few moments to draft an outline of our position. By documenting our argument, we are cementing our thoughts into the physical world. This forces us to condense our complicated, abstract ideas into definite statements, making it much easier both parties to understand one another. It also offers a reference point for the discussion, ensuring that both parties are in agreement over the subject of their debate.
In addition to recording the crux of the argument, it’s also useful to include presuppositions, the unseen pillars on which our thesis rests, which offer both parties a clear avenue for dismantling their opponent’s position. By simply asking, “why?” we can unearth these subterranean pillars. Let’s look at an example:
The image above shows two arguments which support the claim that aliens exist. To defend this claim, we could elect to use either or both pillars, since both of them could independently prove the existence of aliens. If we wanted to assault this position, we must simply show that the reports of alien encounters are unreliable and that the Drake Equation doesn’t prove anything. There are, however, additional pillars beneath the supporting arguments in this example. Here’s an illustration which shows another tier of presupposition:
As we can see, the arguments which support the idea that the speed limits should be reduced are dependent on the belief that people being hurt or killed is bad. Without acknowledging that people being hurt or killed is undesirable, the argument for reduced speed limits collapses. Here’s an example of a more complex argument structure with many supporting pillars already identified. This is just one way that the argument structure could be illustrated, since there’s a multitude of pillars from which to choose.
In addition to dismantling the pillars supporting a position, arguments may be proven inadequate by showing additional ideas that a structure may support. For example, the argument for homosexual marriage is often oversimplified as a case for the right of a person to marry whoever they choose. Without considering what other pillars may be supported by an argument structure, we may end up constructing a framework that supports beliefs that we do not agree with.
If flow charts depict thoughts as a stream, then pillars portray them as a structure. Although each thought is related to its neighbors, there is no direction or flow between them. While flow charts may be used to guide from condition to conclusion, pillars are merely a framework that illustrates the relationship between different ideas and beliefs.
The number of pillars beneath an argument is not infinite, for if, like children, we were to continuously ask “why?” we would eventually reach the foundational pillar, which is the basis for our concept of reality. This often invokes an emotional, incoherent defense, since none of us are comfortable having our core beliefs called into question. It is most often unnecessary to probe such depths unless the subject of the debate is one which undermines an understanding of the universe.
Next time you sense a debate approaching, take a moment to sketch your pillars before continuing.
Many parents enroll their children in musical instrument lessons at an early age in hopes of fostering discipline, focus and an affinity for music. What they don’t realize is that focus and discipline aren’t cool. What’s cool is playing the guitar, and most parents make their kids learn some culturally irrelevant instrument like the harp or piano.
If you were one of those unfortunate children, then you were likely filled with poisonous envy every time you saw someone serenade their peers with a simple tune from their guitar. You also harbored secret resentment toward your parents, who didn’t have the foresight to choose an instrument that would make you popular.
The most common choice of instrument for children by their parents is the piano. This is likely because pianos add a subtle elegance to the living room and they can be played at a mild volume. But children don’t want to play the piano. All of their favorite musicians play the guitar, and keyboard players in most bands are easily and frequently replaced. This is why, as teenagers, many piano students eventually attempt to learn the guitar. However, there is a great hurdle that students of the piano need to overcome when learning the guitar: guitars don’t make sense.
If you are one whose first language is the piano, then you probably have a difficult time understanding how the guitar works. This is because a piano’s keys are is simple to play and its notes are arranged in a linear progression; the guitar is much different. This is how a piano player sees a guitar:
This example uses standard tuning on a six-string guitar with twenty-four frets. The guitar’s notes are a maze compared to those of the piano, but this diagram doesn’t tell the whole story.
The use of color in musical notation has long been ignored. By assigning each note in an octave its own color, students can recognize each note much more quickly and easily. This also allows us to more clearly see the drastic dissimilarity between the arrangement of notes on a keyboard and a guitar. For this example we will borrow the electronic color code, since it has twelve colors, and this will promote uniformity between the professions, allowing those in the electronics field to easily transition into music.
Now we’re getting somewhere. Because each string has its own tuning, the colors produce a chaotic spectrum that is sure to confound even the most accomplished pianist. This depiction isn’t entirely accurate, however, since it does not portray the horizontal distance that the guitar’s notes would cover on a piano.
There you have it, a guitar is actually six individually-tuned keyboards stacked one on top of another, offset by several notes. Even if we can make sense of this system, there is still the problem of adapting to the puzzling mechanics of the guitar.
The guitar has a shorter range of frequency than the keyboard. Also, the keyboard can be played with either or both hands, while the guitar must be played with two hands at all times. Both hands operate in basically the same way on a piano, while the guitar requires that each hand perform a distinct function. Furthermore, a keyboard player may strike one to ten different notes at the same time (or more if afflicted by polydactyly), while a guitarist may only pluck one or two strings or strum up to six adjacent strings. Guitar players are also limited by the tuning of the guitar, since each configuration has its own advantages and drawbacks.
One way to avoid some trouble in transitioning from the piano to the guitar is to use open tuning. This guitar configuration allows chords to be played without learning complex fingering.
Although the differences may not appear significant, open tuning produces a major chord when six parallel frets are held together. This allows the musician to play each major chord by simply stretching one finger along a fret.
So you want your children to learn piano? Teach them guitar. Once they can play the guitar, learning the piano will be a breeze.
A flowchart is a step-by-step graphical representation of a system or process. Flowcharts possess the unique capacity to produce a variety of solutions, making them very useful for problem solving and troubleshooting. Through unidirectional navigation of individual decisions and stages, the reader may quickly and easily reach the appropriate conclusion.
Flowcharts are used to educate or entertain in a variety of subjects, including business, economics, programming and philosophy. No matter what your interest or profession, flowcharts can add clarity to the most complex or mundane topic.
Click here to view a flowchart that everyone can enjoy.
