From the movie Inception I saw this Penrose staircase.
It is a two-dimensional depiction of a staircase in which the stairs make four 90-degree turns as they ascend or descend yet form a continuous loop, so that a person could climb them forever and never get any higher. This is clearly impossible in three dimensions; the two-dimensional figure achieves this paradox by distorting perspective.
Ah just another optical illusion....? Think again~
This was designed by Roger Penrose and his father Lionel Penrose.
A bitta history about this dude Roger.
He is still alive o.O not really old, currently residing in the UK, an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford. He works in the field of physics mathematics, integrating mathematical methods in physical problem.
He has won numerous awards in his field and he worked with Prof Stephen Hawking in the field of space and time, and of course that relates to the understanding of the theory of general relativity proposed by Einstein.
Roger Penrose himself is interested on how the human mind works. He once proposed that the known physical laws of our time are inadequate to properly describe the human mind. He argues that the new branch of science may need to bridge quantum mechanics and classical mechanics, which is quantum gravity.
Quantum gravity links classical and quantum mechanics under a single roof
In fact we now do have this subject called quantum gravity (its nothing new by now.. you probably haven't heard about the theory that requires 11-Dimension to work... the String theory...
Depiction of gravity by string theory
some of us have problem understanding 4-Dimension; X,Y,Z and t..let alone tackling 11-Dimension), which reduces to ordinary quantum mechanics in the limit of weak gravity (in places like... the moon, having only 1/6 of our gravitational force...
but no... it's not small enough. The gravity of moon is still too strong for this theory to work) and which reduces to Einsteinian general relativity in the limit of large actions.
Nevertheless that's just a bit of history and physics.
There are several other illusions created by the Penrose father-and-son; the Penrose triangle, blivet, and multi-legged elephant.
All these are strictly 2-Dimensional, and it is impossible to create those in 3-Dimensional. There are actually mathematics behind all these drawings. I can't decode the mathematics here cuz it's designed by ROGER PENROSE!!! COME on not everyone is smart like him~~ =(
Note the Penrose stairs... It has 6 stairs at 90 degree to each other, followed by a pair of 3 stairs at 90 degree to each other. Try other number, say 4 stairs with 6 stairs and you'll probably fail in constructing a similar image.
Also the Penrose triangle. All I know about the triangle is that the shape is the most stable shape. Once erected, a triangle is hard to fall to the side, ever wonder why the pyramids are 3-Dimensional triangle? why not square, or...spherical? =)
Well that remains a mystery to egyptologists. One suggestion here could be that the egyptians are skilled mathematicians, and they knew from ancient time that a triangle, at 60 degree to one another is the most stable structure ever. Even the Mayan and Aztec Civilization thousands of miles away in the depth of the Amazon knew this, and they've constructed similarly impressive pyramidal shaped monuments in the middle of the forest.
Aztec Civilization
Mayan Civilization
No one taught them that~ and the two civilizations have not encounter one another (sea travelling was not available until the time of Zheng He in 1421 A.D). But their remarkable intelligence enables them to acquire a common insight; the triangle is the most stable structure.
Ah... deviated from topic. Back to Mr. Penrose and his designs(he must be very angry if he reads this). So his creation has been used by many in IQ tests(pls la...u think everyone smart like Penrose meh....). And so, he must be really happy if he read this by now cuz another guy just fed his arrogance XD
Ah...talked too much. I'm supposed to go to lab now~ =P
p/s: i'm supposed to address him by Sir Roger Penrose~~ nvm I doubt that he's gonna read this =P
Malcolm
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