Nothing exotic or supernatural
May 31, 2015 8:44 PM Subscribe
Tatjana Joelle van Vark [previously] creates beautiful and sophisticated devices, like this recreation (including a "hypothetical planetarium") of the Antikythera Mechanism.
In this video she walks us through some of her constructions: Mythe van een Magistra
I had the honour of meeting her. She came to our local hackerspace to check it out and have a cup of tea, and ended up giving an ad hoc lecture that lasted for hours. It was a pure delight. She's something else, that's for sure.
Much skills, very dedication, wow.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:53 AM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Much skills, very dedication, wow.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:53 AM on June 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Wow. The ingenuity and workmanship that she's put into these is just incredible. Stunningly beautiful as concepts and as objects, and I love the glimpses that we get of her underlying philosophy. I am awestruck.
She came to our local hackerspace to check it out and have a cup of tea, and ended up giving an ad hoc lecture that lasted for hours.
I've gone from never having heard of her to incredibly envious of this within the length of that youtube video.
posted by metaBugs at 5:03 AM on June 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
She came to our local hackerspace to check it out and have a cup of tea, and ended up giving an ad hoc lecture that lasted for hours.
I've gone from never having heard of her to incredibly envious of this within the length of that youtube video.
posted by metaBugs at 5:03 AM on June 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Stunning, humbling and inspiring. How one person can possess all of that knowledge and skill...
posted by mondo dentro at 5:06 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mondo dentro at 5:06 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
What an amazing person.
posted by carter at 5:25 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by carter at 5:25 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Things like this make me wish I wasn't an idiot.
posted by aramaic at 6:57 AM on June 1, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by aramaic at 6:57 AM on June 1, 2015 [6 favorites]
God, I love the Dutch.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:42 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by humboldt32 at 10:42 AM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Where did you get the components?"
"I made all of them all myself... Out of raw metal" She says, in a matter-of-fact manner, as if it was what anyone would have done.
Right before explaining that she hasn't constructed an enigma machine, but rather improved upon the design so it can have proper punctuation.
Just wow.
posted by el io at 12:05 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
"I made all of them all myself... Out of raw metal" She says, in a matter-of-fact manner, as if it was what anyone would have done.
Right before explaining that she hasn't constructed an enigma machine, but rather improved upon the design so it can have proper punctuation.
Just wow.
posted by el io at 12:05 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, brilliant! I came across TvV's website a long time ago, when I was researching the Vulcan bomber avionics, but haven't been back for a bit. The video's terrific: large collection of (Philips, of course) test equipment: check. Working Strowager: check. Gratuitous analogue video waveform on gratuitous analogue video waveform display: check. Ebonite, turned brass: check. CNC machine: check. I have been in personal workshops with combinations of all of the above, but never all.
You have to watch the video twice, because you miss far too much if you have to read the subtitles. And you have to read the subtitles, if only because they contain the word 'thrice', which would have made the song much better - once, twice, thrice a laydee. (That gently spinning thing at 8:38 is the Vulcan gyroscope platform, btw.)
And mysteries. Why does the Antikythera Mechanism reconstruction have an outer dial that's calibrated in what look like degrees - but the 360 mark is five degrees anticlockwise from 0? Is that an X-ray machine or a prototype of Spock's viewing thingy? Would it be rude to mutter 'stiction' when looking at the mechanical harmonic generator? (Yes.)
I like the Dutch a great deal, even though I suspect they have bought all the most interesting old radios in existence leaving none for anyone else especially me The reasons I think they have never taken over the world (after early experiments in the art) is that they can't be bothered, that they think it would be too much fuss and they'd have to deal with too many obtuse people who just don't get it, or that they've simply got far better things to be getting on with. Like this. Plus, think of the horror of everyone trying to learn the language - the only thing worse would be if they succeeded.
posted by Devonian at 6:57 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
You have to watch the video twice, because you miss far too much if you have to read the subtitles. And you have to read the subtitles, if only because they contain the word 'thrice', which would have made the song much better - once, twice, thrice a laydee. (That gently spinning thing at 8:38 is the Vulcan gyroscope platform, btw.)
And mysteries. Why does the Antikythera Mechanism reconstruction have an outer dial that's calibrated in what look like degrees - but the 360 mark is five degrees anticlockwise from 0? Is that an X-ray machine or a prototype of Spock's viewing thingy? Would it be rude to mutter 'stiction' when looking at the mechanical harmonic generator? (Yes.)
I like the Dutch a great deal, even though I suspect they have bought all the most interesting old radios in existence leaving none for anyone else especially me The reasons I think they have never taken over the world (after early experiments in the art) is that they can't be bothered, that they think it would be too much fuss and they'd have to deal with too many obtuse people who just don't get it, or that they've simply got far better things to be getting on with. Like this. Plus, think of the horror of everyone trying to learn the language - the only thing worse would be if they succeeded.
posted by Devonian at 6:57 PM on June 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Why does the Antikythera Mechanism reconstruction have an outer dial that's calibrated in what look like degrees - but the 360 mark is five degrees anticlockwise from 0?
It's calibrated in solar days.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:13 PM on June 1, 2015
It's calibrated in solar days.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:13 PM on June 1, 2015
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I love how it's based on a real thing.
posted by gsh at 8:56 PM on May 31, 2015