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PARADOX / PHILIP DIBELLO

My portfolio project title is:

PARADOX;a true statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies logic or intuition.


A bRief DescRiPtiOn Of yOuR PROject:

The Paradim Project will attempt to create situations (objects, experiences, etc.) which will defy logic or intuition in a visual and contradictory way.

“The mind perceives itself as the cause of certain feelings, (“I”

am the source of my desires), while scientifically, feelings and

desires are strictly caused by the interactions of neurons, and

ultimately, the probabilistic laws of quantum mechanics.”

—Douglas Hofstader, I am a Strange Loop


HOw DiD yOu cOme tO tHis iDeA?

After attempting to understand where my fascination and love for the SoC project came from, I ultmately decided I was most curious with the notion that we are in a tremendious position to create things that seem completely plausable, but in actuality are not what they seem. That, and some of the best ways to understand paradigms or impossible objects and the explanations behind them are best illustrated visually.

Many of the paradoxes come from the extensive research that went into the backstory of the Society of Computation. This includes themes such as recur-sion, natural numbers, fractals, functions, nature as opposed to computation, etc.


List sOme bRief DescRiPtive wORDs Of wHAt yOuR PROject is OR wHAt it is nOt:

IS• Attempts to visually show the illogical & logical• A problem solver• An educating tool• An image maker• experiments with forms• experiments with code• experiments with film

NOT• a hoax• a narrative• a scavenger hunt• extremely serious• math/science class


• micro-sites involving logic games• books or zines explaining specific paradigms or other ideas that live within the paradigm realm.• interactive elements that visually illustrate the given paradigm• Educational or absurd films• Educational or absurd posters• Website to house the experiments• Integration of iPad (app? game?)• Expansion of the SoC?

POssibLe cOmPOnents Of yOuR PROject (i.e. website, POsteRs, sHORt fiLms, etc):


wHAt is yOuR Objective witH tHis PROject?

To challenge and test logic – either persoanlly or through public components. Also to educate about laws in logic and nature that we deal with on an every day basis that are typically unmentioned.

And finally, to submit the user into a situation which will hopefully leave them with a “ah-ha” moment, comprehending the contradiction they are experiencing.


PROgRess AnD sketcHes:

In philosophy and logic, the liar paradox or liar’s paradox is the statement “This sentence is false.” Try-ing to assign to this statement a classical binary truth value leads to a contradiction.If “This sentence is false” is true, then it is false, which would in turn mean that it is actually true, but this would mean that it is false, and so on ad infini-tum.Similarly, if “This sentence is false” is false, then it is true, which would in turn mean that it is actually false, but this would mean that it is true, and so on ad infinitum.

tHe LiAR PARADOX


The Barbershop Paradox was proposed by Lewis Car-roll in a three-page essay entitled “A Logical Paradox” which appeared in the July 1894 issue of Mind. The name comes from the “ornamental” short story that Carroll uses to illustrate the paradox.The text, now in public domain, will be laid out in book format or poster format. It will include illus-trations to accompany the story.

tHe bARbeRsHOP PARADOX


tHe bARbeRsHOP PARADOX:

Briefly, the story runs as follows: Uncle Joe and Uncle Jim are

walking to the barber shop. There are three barbers who live and

work in the shop—Allen, Brown, and Carr—but not all of them

are always in the shop. Carr is a good barber, and Uncle Jim is

keen to be shaved by him. He knows that the shop is open, so at

least one of them must be in. He also knows that Allen is a very

nervous man, so that he never leaves the shop without Brown

going with him.

Uncle Joe insists that Carr is certain to be in, and then claims

that he can prove it logically. Uncle Jim demands the proof.

Uncle Joe reasons as follows.

Suppose that Carr is out. If Carr is out, then if Allen is also out

Brown would have to be in—since someone must be in the shop

for it to be open. However, we know that whenever Allen goes

out he takes Brown with him, and thus we know as a general

rule that if Allen is out, Brown is out. So if Carr is out then the

statements “if Allen is out then Brown is in” and “if Allen is out

then Brown is out” would both be true at the same time.

Uncle Joe notes that this seems paradoxical; the hypotheticals

seem “incompatible” with each other. So, by contradiction, Carr

must logically be in.


A Logical Paradox

Lewis Carrol


What, nothing to do? said Uncle Jim. Then come along with me down to Allen’s. And you can just take a turn while I get myself shaved.

All right, said Uncle Joe. And the Cub had bet-ter come too, I suppose?

The Cub was me, as the reader will perhaps have guessed for himself. I’m turned fifteen—more than three months ago; but there’s no sort of use in mentioning that to Uncle Joe; he’d only say go to your cubbicle, little boy! or Then I suppose you can do cubbic equations? or some equally vile pun. He asked me yester-day to give him an instance of a Proposition in A. And I said All uncles make vile puns. And I don’t think he liked it. However, that’s neither here nor there. I was glad enough to go. I do love hearing those uncles of mine chop logic, as they call it; and they’re desperate hands at it, I can tell you!

That is not a logical inference from my remark, said Uncle Jim.

Never said it was, said Uncle Joe: it’s a Reductio ad Absurdum.

An Illicit Process of the Minor! chuckled Uncle Jim.

That’s the sort of way they always go on, when-ever I’m with them. As if there was any fun in calling me a Minor!

After a bit, Uncle Jim began again, just as we came in sight of the barber’s. I only hope Carr will be at home, he said. Brown’s so clumsy. And Allen’s hand has been shaky ever since he had that fever.

Carr’s certain to be in, said Uncle Joe.

I’ll bet you sixpence he isn’t! said I.

Keep your bets for your betters, said Uncle Joe. I mean—he hurried on, seeing by the grin on my face what a slip he’d made—I mean that I can prove it, logically. It isn’t a matter of chance.

Prove it logically! sneered Uncle Jim. Fire away, then! I defy you to do it!

For the sake of argument, Uncle Joe began, let


The Droste effect is a specific kind of recursive pic-ture, one that in heraldry is termed mise en abyme. An image exhibiting the Droste effect depicts a smaller version of itself in a place where a similar picture would realistically be expected to appear. This smaller version then depicts an even smaller version of itself in the same place, and so on. Only in theory could this go on forever; practically, it continues only as long as the resolution of the picture allows, which is relatively short, since each iteration geometrically reduces the picture’s size. It is a visual example of a strange loop, a self-referential system of instancing which is the cornerstone of fractal geometry.This effect will be illustrated through an experi-ence in which a person passes by two parallel mirrors. The experiment will be documented and turned into a book and film.

tHe DROste effect:


fRActALs Zine:A fractal is “a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole,” a property called self-similarity. A mathematical fractal is based on an equation that undergoes iteration, a form of feedback based on recursion.While frac-tals are a mathematical construct, they are found in nature, which has led to their inclusion in artwork. Examples include: clouds, river networks, fault lines, mountain ranges, craters, snow flakes, crystals, light-ning, cauliflower or broccoli, and systems of blood vessels and pulmonary vessels, and ocean waves. This notion will be illustrated through pages of a zine. The left page will contain the fractal from a distance, the right a close up of the recursion.


Symbiotic relationships include those associations in which one organism lives on another (ectosymbiosis, such as mistletoe), or where one partner lives inside the other (endosymbiosis, such as lactobacilli and other bacteria in humans or zooxanthelles in cor-als). Symbiotic relationships may be either obligate, i.e., necessary for the survival of at least one of the organisms involved, or facultative, where the rela-tionship is beneficial but not essential for survival of the organisms.There will be an animation containing these rela-tionships (these will be either video footage, hand drawn or done with stop motion), cut to Mariah Cary’s song “I Can’t Live if Living is Without You”

miRiAH cARy sings Of symbiOsis:


The Ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus’ para-dox, or various variants, notably grandfather’s axe and (in the UK) Trigger’s Broom is a paradox that raises the question of whether an object which has had all its component parts replaced remains funda-mentally the same object.This will be illustated with other ficticious objects for sale, blatently explaining each part has been replaced.There will be flyers made as well as a section of the website with paypal links, and possible eBay auctions. Once the design is defined, the others will follow suit with the same template and aes-thetic look.

geORge wAsHingtOn’s AXe:


GRETZKY STICK

FOR SALELate 1990’s Wayne Gretzky Game Used Hockey Stick. During the 1996-97 season, Wayne Gretzky’s fi rst year with the New York Rangers, the “Great One” led his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Fi-nals by netting ten goals and rack-ing up ten assists in post season play. Gretzky would never make it to postseason play for the remain-der of his career, but the liv-ing legend had already assured his place in Rangers fans’ hearts. Of-fered here is a hockey stick Gretz-ky used during his days in New York. “Jack the Gripper” upper-shaft grip tape is applied prop-erly, and black tape is wrapped around the blade. Admittedly, heavy use proned the shaft and blade to be replaced post Gretzky play. If you’re a hockey collector, this is your Babe Ruth bat.

Late 1990’s Wayne Gretzky Game Used Hockey Stick. During the 1996-97 season, Wayne Gretzky’s fi rst year with the New York Rangers, the “Great One” led his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Fi-nals by netting ten goals and rack-ing up ten assists in post season play. Gretzky would never make it to postseason play for the remain-der of his career, but the liv-ing legend had already assured his place in Rangers fans’ hearts. Of-fered here is a hockey stick Gretz-ky used during his days in New York. “Jack the Gripper” upper-shaft grip tape is applied prop-erly, and black tape is wrapped around the blade. Admittedly, heavy use proned the shaft and blade to be replaced post Gretzky play. If you’re a hockey collector, this is your Babe Ruth bat.

GRETZKY STI

CK

FOR SALE

ers fans’ hearts. Offered here is a hockey stick Gretzky used during his days in New York. “Jack the Gripper” upper-shaft grip tape is applied properly, and black tape is wrapped around the blade. Admittedly, heavy use proned the shaft and blade to be replaced post Gretzky play. If you’re a hockey collector, this is your Babe Ruth bat.

Late 1990’s Wayne Gretzky Game Used Hockey Stick. During the 1996-97 season, Wayne Gretzky’s fi rst year with the New York Rangers, the “Great One” led his team all the way to the Eastern Confer-ence Finals by net-ting ten goals and racking up ten as-sists in post sea-son play. Gretzky would never make it to postseason play for the remainder of his career, but the living legend had already assured his place in Rang-

GRETZKY STI

CK

FOR SALE


PARADOXa project

RECURSIVE SELFFOR SALEFRACTALZI CANT LIVE WITHOUT YOU

Late 1990’s Wayne Gretzky Game Used Hockey Stick. Dur-ing the 1996-97 season, Wayne Gretzky’s fi rst year with the New York Rangers, the “Great One” led his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals by netting ten goals and racking up ten assists in post season play. Gretzky would never make it to postseason play for the remainder of his career, but the living legend had already assured his place in Rangers fans’ hearts. Off ered here is a hockey stick Gretzky used during his days in New York. Admittedly, light use is exhibited on this rare artifact, but that is appropriate for a late-year Gretzky gamer. This Hespeler CS Pro stick features all the correct attributes of a Gretzky-model stick. “Gretzky” is stamped in black ink on the shaft above the blade, with “Gretzky” embedded on the up-per shaft. “Jack the Gripper” upper-shaft grip tape is applied properly, and black tape is wrapped around the blade. If you’re a hockey collector, this is your Babe Ruth bat.


A Catch-22, coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22, is a logical paradox arising from a situa-tion in which an individual needs something that can only be acquired by not being in that very situation; therefore, the acquisition of this thing becomes logi-cally impossible. Catch-22s are often spoken with regard to rules, regulations, procedures, or situations in which one has knowledge of being or becoming a victim but has no control over it occurring.This will be illustrated with a designed situation a person will encounter involving a sword, a key, string, and a lock.

cAtcH 22:


Bonini’s Paradox, named after Stanford business professor Charles Bonini, explains the difficulty in constructing models or simulations that fully capture the workings of complex systems.Modernly, the paradox was articulated by John M. Dutton and William H. Starbuck. “As a model of a complex system becomes more complete, it becomes less understandable. Alternatively, as a model grows more realistic, it also becomes just as difficult to understand as the real-world processes it represents” (Computer Simulation of Human Behaviour, 1971).This will be illustrated with a iPad game challeng-ing a person to put together an object.If this is not possible, it will be translated to a physical game.

bOnini’s PARADOX:


An impossible object is a type of optical illusion con-sisting of a two-dimensional figure which is instantly and subconsciously interpreted by the visual system as representing a projection of a three-dimensional object although it is not actually possible for such an object to exist (at least not in the form interpreted by the visual system).In most cases the impossibility becomes apparent af-ter viewing the figure for a few seconds. However, the initial impression of a 3D object remains even after it has been contradicted. The impossibility does not become apparent spontaneously and it is necessary to consciously examine the geometry of the implied object to determine that it is impossible.These will appear in the real world, either as one large sculpture or smaller experiences.

imPOssibLe Objects:


Fold (the side with the dotted lines will always be the mountain/outer fold)

Cut

This diagram was provided by:The famous optical illusion artist and magician Scott Henderson specifically for use on the famous website: www.coolopticalillusions.com

Take a picture of your final work of art and we will postto the website! Please email us for permission to use thisin the classroom. Contact information is providedin the classroom. Contact information is providedat the above website.

Depending on the distance your eye (or camera) is positionedfrom the illusion, you may trydifferent lengths for this edge.(the longer this line, the fartheraway you can get).

YYou may also want to snip the corner angle slightly different here,in order to get the lines to fit exactly.


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nOw week 10

The goal is to complete two paradoxes a week. This will leave me with 20 experiments by the end of the semester. They will be housed in a website, designed for best use on the iPad, but also concerning desktop computers.

timeLine:


I will attempt to complete 15-20 different experi-ments by the end of the semester that will hopefully strengthen my and others abilities to comprenend paradigms. These things are comical devices made to prove logical problems. This doesnt mean they cant be strange or mystical, hopefully they will be com-prehensive and geeky. The goal is to make those who interact with these experiments have as much fun as I do making them.

cOncLusiOn:

“Paradoxes are greater than the sum of their parts. If one and

one is three, that last third is the conceptual leap that connects

them. It’s where insight lives... It’s about curation, choosing

wisely, and presenting an audience with something new. ‘Here,

look at this thing you didn’t notice.’ ‘Here, consider this thing in

a way you haven’t before.’ A good paradox broadens our scope

as people. It makes us question, but I think it also allows us to

accept.”

—Frank Chimero

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