[meteorite-list] Since Scale Cubes are a topic today

[Matthias Bärmann]

Well, Sterling, I'd say: the presence of a first-class precise scale cube in 
a photo marks the transition between relative and absolute, measurement and 
scale, thing and concept, with other words: it tells us something about 
platonic ideas.

best,

matthias baermann


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sterling K. Webb" <sterling_k_webb at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Mike Bandli" <fuzzfoot at comcast.net>; "'Delbert Waterbury'" 
<paseclipse at yahoo.com>; <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Since Scale Cubes are a topic today



> Hi, All

>

> I hate to sound a sour note, but these "artifacts" are

> for SCALE, not measurement. I think it's wonderful

> that folks make them accurate to +/- 0.001 inch or

> millimeter, out of materials with low coefficients of

> expansion, and so forth, but that is purely an exercise

> in personal perfectionism.

>

> Measurement from a photo with a scalecube in it

> is impossible except in the case of a very elaborate

> photo setup designed to make such measurements

> possible and even then, the precision is low. The

> purpose of a scalecube is SCALE ONLY. Scale

> is a measurement so crude that we don't even apply

> the word "measurement" to it.

>

> Originally, they were for use "in the field" only. You

> could carry it in your pocket and drop it on the ground

> for the "in situ" photo. Putting them into a lab photo is

> an affectation and serves only the PR purpose of making

> a photo of a rock look "scientific." (There were people

> who said, "We paid billions to go to the Moon, and this

> is what we get: a picture of a rock?" And you could point

> to the scalecube and say, "Nah! See, it's Science.")

>

> During the scalecube threadflood, Dean Bessey kept

> saying, "Just put a quarter in the photo." Apparently,

> he understands that the purpose of the object is Scale,

> not Measurement! If you see a picture of a rock with

> a featureless white background and there's a quarter

> next to it, you know it's a little rock. If you see a picture

> of a rock with a featureless white background and

> there's me standing next to it, you know it's a big rock.

>

> Making the scalecube artifact with such great care and

> precision is admirable and very enjoyable, but let's apply

> a little perspective to the purpose of the cube. And I DO

> admire the makers' pride in precision. Precision is a fine

> thing (say I, who have ancient Starrett verniers and micro-

> meters in their old wooden boxes, so I understand), but

> precision is NOT the purpose of the cube.

>

>

> Sterling K. Webb

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Mike Bandli" <fuzzfoot at comcast.net>

> To: "'Delbert Waterbury'" <paseclipse at yahoo.com>;

> <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:11 PM

> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Since Scale Cubes are a topic today

>

>

> http://www.niger-meteorite-recon.de/en/meteorite-scalecube.htm

>

> Best,

> Mike

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com

> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Delbert

> Waterbury

> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:04 AM

> To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> Subject: [meteorite-list] Since Scale Cubes are a topic today

>

> I seem to remember a few months back someone posted a

> link that told the story of the Scale Cube. I was

> wondering what that link is so I can read it.

>

> Del

>

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