Math/Physics Tattoo Idea Request - Warren

[robphy]

How about the magnetic field lines of the earth, a loop, or a bar magnet?
http://images.google.com/images?&q=magnetic+field+lines
(FYI: some cool animations at http://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802TEAL3D/teal_tour.htm )

Here's a place you can shop for curves
http://xahlee.org/SpecialPlaneCurves_dir/specialPlaneCurves.html
(EDIT: How about a Lissajous figure?)

How about a conic section and either its reflection property or something?

 

[Cyrus]

Well, it looked nice because it was thin. It was like the outline of an indian wearing a feather hat with a bow and arrow extended infront of him about to shoot. It was like the outline of a real indian, not a comic character and it was all blue and done rather thin so it did not look stupid. It wasnt bad because it was original and nice.

 

[chroot]

How about the magnetic field lines of the earth, a loop, or a bar magnet?

Thanks for the suggestions, robphy, but I don't think I could do anything pictorial and busy like that. The tattoos I tend to like best on other people are simple line art, symbolic, with sinuous, solid, bold black lines.

- Warrren

 

[gabee]

E8.

Get ready for pain.

 

[Cyrus]

Here, I drew it up over an image I found. It looks almost exactly like this:

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/7066/tattoomn5.png

The difference is that the front of the bow makes up the radius of the front of the circle. I couldn't get it to do that with the picture I found. So you can think of the rest of the circle extending back from the ends of the bow around the indian man.

 

[chroot]

Blarg.

- Warren

 

[zoobyshoe]

Blarg.

- Warren

Blarg? Where did I just recently read someone using that expression...

 

[berkeman]

You damn well better be, that thing ant going away!

Actually they have a new ink now that can be erased with just one laser treatment. Pretty interesting technology -- I caught a piece about it on the national TV news a couple nights ago.

chroot -- I agree that a fractal theme could be a good approach. Especially if it were one that had some extra scientific meanings. Like how a coastline is often fractal in shape, or how fractal antennas can be used for some unique applications. I know that the infinite resolution thing is a problem, but in a 3"x3" tattoo, you could still probably get a reasonable number of levels of recursion.

What kind of fractals do you like the best? Check out the blue fractal rose!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=fractals&gbv=2


.

 

[chroot]

Good lord. I don't want anything pictorial. I've said it at least five times now!

- Warren

 

[berkeman]

Good lord. I don't want anything pictorial. I've said it at least five times now!

- Warren

You didn't like the rose?!

 

[Moonbear]

Well, I mean I see people getting tattoos left and right and the only reason I can think why is because all their friends have one.

Yes, many get it for those reasons. The ever-appearing flowers and birds stretched across women's lower backs, for example. Purely decorative and not meaningful.

But I really don't see why anyone would have the need to put something on their body like that if its not part of their custom/culture.

And how common does it have to be to be considered part of their custom/culture? It seems that's very much the case right now, that it has become part of American youth culture to have tattoos.

I see very very very few people with nice tattoos. Id honestly say that 90% of them look bad- really bad.

The only thing that matters is that they like them (and you never know...it's possible they think they look really bad too after getting them while drunk one night at some cheap tattoo parlor across from the bar). Though, I share the opinion that if you're going to permanently affix a marking onto your body, you better really be sure it's something meaningful or good-looking enough that you'll still like it and not regret it 20, 30, 40 or 50 years down the road. I think you also have to consider how body shapes change with age, and choose carefully. That cute rose on a young woman's breast is not going to be cute when she has breastfed 2 children and is in her 50s, and it's more of a pink blur. Placement of the tattoo is just as important as what the tattoo is. If you're not totally sure, don't do it.

If you do find something you really think is the most clever, meaningful idea ever, and after giving it some time contemplating it, you still think it's a good idea, are there people who will make custom, temporary tattoos? Something so you can "try it on for size" before committing to it...see how people react, if you enjoy the reactions, or get tired of explaining after a week, or thought you liked the idea, but realize it's too big, or the wrong place, or too detailed, or not enough detail, etc.

 

[Cyrus]

My friend I play cards with is an ex-marine sniper who went to Iraq and Afghanistan. He got drunk with his buddies and got a bulldog tattoo that looks horrible and he hates it.

I don't think tattoos are a culture as much as its just a fad going on right now.

Ive seen a woman with a tattoo on her breast - its disgusting. Talk about trailer trash looking.

 

[mgb_phys]

Here is a useful one http://screwdecaf.cx/forearm-ruler.html or perhaps;
A map of our position in the Virgo Supercluster would be useful if you ever got REALLY lost. Or you DNA sequence in case you need really advanced hospital treatment.
Remember tattoos are permanent so pi probably isn't a good idea, suppose it changes - then you would really look stupid.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I think this could be made into a cool tattoo:


E=½mv²
or
E_k=½mv²

 

[Cyrus]

Here is a useful one http://screwdecaf.cx/forearm-ruler.html or perhaps;
A map of our position in the Virgo Supercluster would be useful if you ever got REALLY lost. Or you DNA sequence in case you need really advanced hospital treatment.
Remember tattoos are permanent so pi probably isn't a good idea, suppose it changes - then you would really look stupid.

Thats one UGLYYYYYYYY tattoo.



E=mc^2

Everyone has seen that one, but its geeky and cliche.

 

[Kurdt]

that reminds me zooby of:

E=XT^c

contemporary and physicsy.

I really need to come up with a serious contender. I am thinking honest.

 

[dlgoff]

I was wondering. Do you really need an artist? Couldn't you design something yourself; create a computer file suitable for a numeric controlled tatoo machine?

 

[Kurdt]

A lot of people design their own tattoos yes. Unfortunately the tattoo robot hasn't been invented yet.

 

[robphy]

A lot of people design their own tattoos yes. Unfortunately the tattoo robot hasn't been invented yet.

Kurt, the tattoo-robot
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/006910.php

http://renfah.sonance.net/underror/KURT/KURT.PDF

 

[zoobyshoe]

I was wondering. Do you really need an artist? Couldn't you design something yourself; create a computer file suitable for a numeric controlled tatoo machine?

I don't know about the tattoo robot, but he certainly could photoshop a design to be applied by a tattoo artist.

 

[mgb_phys]

I was wondering. Do you really need an artist? Couldn't you design something yourself; create a computer file suitable for a numeric controlled tatoo machine?

There is a great cartoon (in German) of a tattoo machine writing
"error dragon.jpeg not found" across someones back!
I can't find it on google - don't try searching for "file not found"

 

[Kurdt]

I forgot I invented the tattoo robot

EDIT: Damn the advert on that page is for my university as well. I don't believe it.

 

[robphy]

This might be cool:
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/04/23/chameleon-blacklight-tattoo/
http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2006-04/glow-in-the-dark-tattoo.jpg

 

[mgb_phys]

Not exactly subtle, but better than the usual junk tattoo'ed on womens backs
http://www.cafepress.com/physchicks

 

[Cyrus]

This might be cool:
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/04/23/chameleon-blacklight-tattoo/
http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2006-04/glow-in-the-dark-tattoo.jpg

I don't like this work, but I like the concept. Instead of bones like this, I would make it the entire inside of the arm. Veins, muscles, etc. Make it look as if you're really seeing inside your own arm. That would be a really neat effect. (But very drastic).

 

[hypnagogue]

Not exactly subtle, but better than the usual junk tattoo'ed on womens backs
http://www.cafepress.com/physchicks

oh gosh, that's awful.

 

[hypnagogue]

chroot, if you're looking for something small and simple that could be mistaken for a design rather than obviously being an equation or something like that, maybe you should consider any of the various symbols for physical constants. Like hbar or epsilon naught or something.

 

[gravenewworld]

Honestly if I were ever to get a math tattoo I would never get one containing any symbols, numbers, etc. at all. I would just choose one that had a high degree of symmetry that also had a cool design. There is plenty of math behind highly symmetrical objects.

 

[Hurkyl]

How about the Fano plane -- the smallest of the projective planes, with 7 points and 7 lines. The usual way to draw it is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fano_plane.svg

 

[Moonbear]

This might be cool:
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/04/23/chameleon-blacklight-tattoo/
http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2006-04/glow-in-the-dark-tattoo.jpg

My boss' daughter has one of those glow-in-the-dark tattoos on her forehead of all places. The only good thing about it is that you won't see it except under black light.