Geometry is hard-wired into our brains, study suggests

[pokerfan]

Tests given to an Amazonian tribe called the Mundurucu suggest that our intuitions about geometry are innate.

Researchers examined how the Mundurucu think about lines, points and angles, comparing the results with equivalent tests on French and US schoolchildren.

The Mundurucu showed comparable understanding, and even outperformed the students on tasks that asked about forms on spherical surfaces.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13469925

[whoneedstickets]

1. Soon, Mundurucu kids will be displacing white kids in MIT's engineering school

If they don't wise up and choose Cal Tech instead.

[drokhole]

2. It's called 'Sacred Geometry'...

...and this is a great book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Constructing-Universe-Mathematical/dp/0060926716


And one of the most common geometric patterns found in Nature/the Universe is the Golden Ratio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVODhFLe0mw
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7179950432887640376#


Truly fascinating stuff.

[Nihil]

3. Seconding the book rec!

(I bought it after previous threads across DU and am enjoying it immensely thanks!)

With regards to the OP, geometry is hard-wired into Nature as a whole and so,
as we are part of Nature, it is not surprising that certain aspects of geometry
are hard-wired into humans.

(It's just a shame that it so frequently gets overwritten by the educational
system that so often manages to turn children away from the wonders of maths ...)

[drokhole]

4. Very well put!

Great insight on the OP (and on the educational system), you summed it up perfectly! I'm happy to have recommended the book, and even incredibly happier you're enjoying it! It really feels like you're being let in on some (what should be) blatantly obvious secret. The author also has a pretty neat video on YouTube about Egyptian Math (which is how I eventually discovered the book): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih1ZWE3pe9o


Thanks again for the feedback on the book, glad to know I not completely off base! :toast: