Tau (sculpture)

American sculptor Tony Smith designed "“Tau”" in the early 1960s. It is 14’ high x 12’ wide x 12’ deep, and made from black painted steel. Its title refers to the Greek letter 'T', which also describes the shape of the sculpture. Fascinated by mathematics, biology and crystals, Smith designed Tau with geometry at its root. There are two extant versions of the large sculpture: Tau (AP), and Tau (1/3).

Description

Many of Smith's sculptures were made up of a space lattice: groupings of simple platonic solids, in Tau's case two such solids, octahedrons and tetrahedrons. The original model for the sculpture was created by Smith in 1961-62 using his signature process of joining small cardboard tetrahedrons, a process he began while recuperating after a severe automobile accident in the spring of 1961.

During this period, Smith was transitioning from his 20-year career in architecture to focus on painting and making sculptures. Smith had also started teaching at Hunter College, New York, in 1962. It took over 20 years for the piece to be installed outside the upper east side college at the 6 train's 68th Street entrance in 1984. In 2004, Hunter College held an exhibition, "Tracing Tau", curated by William C. Agee that offered an insight into the sculpture and its beginnings through paper models, drawings and plans of the work.

Pi

The number π is a mathematical constant, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, commonly approximated as 3.14159. It has been represented by the Greek letter "π" since the mid-18th century, though it is also sometimes spelled out as "pi" (/paɪ/).

Being an irrational number, π cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction (equivalently, its decimal representation never ends and never settles into a permanent repeating pattern). Still, fractions such as 22/7 and other rational numbers are commonly used to approximate π. The digits appear to be randomly distributed; however, to date, no proof of this has been discovered. Also, π is a transcendental number – a number that is not the root of any non-zero polynomial having rational coefficients. This transcendence of π implies that it is impossible to solve the ancient challenge of squaring the circle with a compass and straightedge.

Ancient civilizations needed the value of π to be computed accurately for practical reasons. It was calculated to seven digits, using geometrical techniques, in Chinese mathematics and to about five in Indian mathematics in the 5th century CE. The historically first exact formula for π, based on infinite series, was not available until a millennium later, when in the 14th century the Madhava–Leibniz series was discovered in Indian mathematics. In the 20th and 21st centuries, mathematicians and computer scientists discovered new approaches that, when combined with increasing computational power, extended the decimal representation of π to, as of 2015, over 13.3 trillion (10¹³) digits. Practically all scientific applications require no more than a few hundred digits of π, and many substantially fewer, so the primary motivation for these computations is the human desire to break records. However, the extensive calculations involved have been used to test supercomputers and high-precision multiplication algorithms.

Tau (particle)

The tau (τ), also called the tau lepton, tau particle, or tauon, is an elementary particle similar to the electron, with negative electric charge and a spin of ¹⁄₂. Together with the electron, the muon, and the three neutrinos, it is a lepton. Like all elementary particles with half-integral spin, the tau has a corresponding antiparticle of opposite charge but equal mass and spin, which in the tau's case is the antitau (also called the positive tau). Tau particles are denoted by τ− and the antitau by τ+.

Tau leptons have a lifetime of 6987290000000000000♠2.9×10⁻¹³ s and a mass of 7003177682000000000♠1776.82 MeV/c² (compared to 7002105700000000000♠105.7 MeV/c² for muons and 6999511000000000000♠0.511 MeV/c² for electrons). Since their interactions are very similar to those of the electron, a tau can be thought of as a much heavier version of the electron. Because of their greater mass, tau particles do not emit as much bremsstrahlung radiation as electrons; consequently they are potentially highly penetrating, much more so than electrons. However, because of their short lifetime, the range of the tau is mainly set by their decay length, which is too small for bremsstrahlung to be noticeable: their penetrating power appears only at ultra high energy (above PeV energies).

Oya

Oya (known as Oyá or Oiá; Yansá or Yansã; and Iansá or Iansã in Latin America) is an Orisha winds and tempests, rebirth and new life. "She is considered either the sister of the Orisha of storms Shango, or one of His three wives, with Oshun and Oba. She can manifest as winds ranging from the gentlest breeze to the raging hurricane or cyclone. She goes forth with Her husband during His thunderstorms, destroying buildings, ripping up trees, and blowing things down. Oya is known as a fierce warrior and strong protectress of women, who call on Her to settle disputes in their favor." [3] She is either syncretized with the Virgin of Candelaria or St. Therese of Lisieux.

Name

In Yoruba, the name Oya literally means "She Tore". She is known as Ọya-Iyansan – the "mother of nine." This is due to the Niger River (known to the Yoruba as the Odo-Ọya) traditionally being known for having nine tributaries."Oya is the Orisha of the Niger River, and Her violent rainstorms are said to be its source. Like Oshun, She is worshipped not only in Africa but in Brazil, where the Amazon is said to be Her river."[3]

Oya (name)

Oya is a common feminine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "Oya" means "lace", "Irish lace", and/or "lagestromia indica".

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Oya (comics)

Oya (Idie Okonkwo) is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #528, in the third chapter of the "Five Lights" storyline, and was created by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen. She is one of the "Five Lights"—a group of mutants who manifested their abilities after the events of "Second Coming".

Publication history

Oya first appeared in Uncanny X-Men as newly manifested mutant who is deeply conflicted about her powers. Following her introduction, she, along with Hope Summers, Velocidad, Transonic, Zero, and Primal, began to feature in the series Generation Hope. She made appearances in Uncanny X-Men and is currently featured in Wolverine and the X-Men.

Fictional character biography

The Third Light

Idie is a fourteen-year-old girl from Cross River State, Nigeria when her powers manifest. The first manifestation of her powers causes her village to burn down, and when she starts to freeze things as well, she is considered by the locals to be a witch. By the time Storm and Hope arrive, Idie's family and friends have been killed. Hope stabilizes Idie's powers, and Idie uses her new abilities to drive away the paramilitary group that was attempting to kill her.