tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Dec 10 17:58:07 1999
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: cardinal directions
- From: Ben Gibson <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: cardinal directions
- Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 17:55:55 -0800
- Organization: Drakonian Aerospace
- References: <[email protected]>
Marc Ruehlaender wrote:
>
> In message <[email protected]> Ben Gibson writes:
> [snip]
> [snip]
> > triangles than using Cartesian squares. You get far less
> > geometric distortion in mapping a globe to a flat surface
> > using the isonormal system, than in using the system we
> > presently use. (For an example, take a look at
> > http://www.bfi.org/map.htm and compare it to a Mercator
> > projection.
> >
> this map doesn't show any coordinate system.
> and again, I think you are forgetting that "rows" in
> 'ev or tIng direction are spiraling towards the poles
> and thus creating the same discontinuity as orthogonal
> coordinates. (instead of rectangles Klingons have
> ahm... "diamonds", sorry I forgot the english word for
> the shape of a tetragon with equal opposite sides
> but angles different from right ones)
Tetragons is fine. I forget what the buggers are called too.
And I will see if I can find a version with its grid drawn
on. But the basis is just such a triangular coordinate
system as we are discussing here.
>
> [snip]
> > You make a comment about how it appears “that Klingons do
> > not have any special sense of orientation to the poles.”
> > That I think would be detrimental to the culture, and
> > unrealistic. (Yes, I know we are talking about a fictional
> > culture. I am not that loony. However, I am the type of guy
> > who can’t help but nit-pick such things. It is a sickness.)
>
> I'm not sure how relevant this point is for your argument,
> but some native american cultures used the point of sunset
> and sunrise at the winter and summer turning points as
> cardinal directions, roughly NE (sunrise in summer),
> SE (sunrise in winter), SW (sunset in winter) and NW
> (sunset in summer).
>
> they still had a pretty good way of figuring out when
> to plant and harvest crops.
Have any of them tried to navigate across open water?
Granted that such a system is fine when every place around
you is different, when going from A to B all the intervening
territory is unique. But if it is say, ocean, you are in
trouble.
> of course we don't know how Klingons do coordinates, as
> has been pointed out already. but certainly the use of
> chan and either or both of 'ev and tIng is not so far out.
>
I am simply not sure.
Ben (DraQoS)