I'd appreciate comments on project (sci-fi).

[FantWriter]

As part of my exploring an idea, I latched onto a basic premise:
Our intrepid interstellar explorers discover the remains of an advanced civilization. Within the rubble, they find what they believe might have been a school, and they fax back images of one of the books they find. (When I began playing with this idea, the fastest way to send anything was by fax, so I'm keeping the term.)

While it's been great fun playing with what it might look like, every time I try to set it into a formal presentation, I get bogged down in the minutiae of font creation, page design, and the ordering of concepts, so I abandon it and start over from scratch again later.

This is the point I've reached this time:
http://www.user29344qw.jymes.com/images/Primer01.jpg
http://www.user29344qw.jymes.com/images/Primer02.jpg
http://www.user29344qw.jymes.com/images/Primer03.jpg

It was when I was working on the next page that I realized I need to rework most of it in order to standardize elements which are repeated on various pages, and I'm still quite unhappy with the font I made for it (my CAD program mangles character spacing, so the font has to compensate).

Before I do that, I'd appreciate comments on whether the concepts presented are clear, and what I could/need to do to make it simpler and/or easier to understand.

 

[StrikeEagleCC]

That's interesting. I'd never come up with something like this, and I'm glad there are folks (you!) who do. These pages remind my of my logic class in college. I think there is too little variety in the symbols to be language or even math. And while the layout is attractive the eye, it doesn't seem consistent with educational material. But, all my opinions are based on what I've seen in my life, which obviously, this is not supposed to be. I'm interested to see what else you come up with.

 

[FantWriter]

Thanks for commenting!

Since it's been a few days and my long time on these boards hasn't earned me the consideration of anyone else viewing my thread, I think it's safe to explain what you were looking at without spoiling it.

It's interesting that you are reminded of logic. My basic concept is that an alien brain might be arranged in such a way that learning discrete facts by rote is difficult, but they handle processes much more quickly and efficiently than we do. This means their education would be built around showing how things logically interact rather than blunt force "memorize all this stuff."

This is grade-school math.

In the first jpg:
The top section shows counting blocks alongside the symbols for 1 to 8.

The second section shows how the symbols for 1 and 2 are flipped vertically to represent one group of three and two groups of three.

The bottom section shows how the symbols for 1, 2, 3, and 6 are merged to create symbols for 4, 5, 7, and 8.

In the second jpg:
The top section shows:
The first line is 1+1=2 in counting blocks.
The second line shows how the Plus Sign (which is a stylized hook) drags what you're adding over to the first number.
The third line is 1+1=2 in symbols.
The next two lines show commutation: 1+1=2 is the same as 2=1+1.

The second section is the same for 1+2=3.

The third section shows the same rule for creating the symbols for 4,5,7, and 8 is also addition. 1+3=4, 2+3=5, etc.

In the third jpg:
The top section shows 1+4 and 1+7 side by side. Using the rules learned on previous pages, 1+4 becomes 1+1+3, 1+1+3 becomes 2+3, and 2+3= 5, so 1+4=5 (1+7=1+1+6, 1+1+6=2+6, 2+6=8, 1+7=8).

The second section shows the same procedure for adding 2+2.

The third section shows how 1+1=2 is flipped vertically for 3+3=6.

For a human to learn their numbers and how to add 1+1 to 4+4, they must memorize 18 unique and separate things which have no visual continuity.

In this system, they would learn:
1) to make the symbol for 1, you change the direction of your pen-stroke once (you start by going up, then go down).
2) to make the symbol for 2, you change the direction of your pen-stroke twice (you start by going up, then to the left, and then down).
3) the initial pen-stroke is downwards if you're dealing with groups of three.
4) symbols for other numbers are made by combining upper and lower symbols.
5) symbols created by Rule 4 can be un-combined when needed.
6) the Plus Sign is a hook for dragging things into place
7) the Equals Sign is a hand for presenting the finished product
8) 1+1=2
9) 1+2=3
10) 2+2=4
11) commutative process (if 1+2=3, then 3=1+2).
12) when adding things for which Rule 4 can't be used, split the symbols into their components using Rule 5 or Rule 11 and use Rule 4 on the parts.

Rather than 18 disassociated items to memorize, the alien would learn 3 things by rote and understand 9 concepts/processes.

The ratio of memorized vs. understood becomes much greater as one moves on to subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Again -- thanks for commenting!

 

[StrikeEagleCC]

Wow, you've put a lot into that. There is definitely more than met my eye! Also, your sig made me laugh.