RE: The Spherical Book : Writing in a Three-Dimensional Alphabet (3 of 4)
I find this really amazing. I like how you are dedicating your artistic endeavors toward finding new dimensions in the familiar. Every one of your posts I’ve read has made me rethink what I know about the world around me, with the realization that there is something amazing hidden in the nooks and crannies.
We take it for granted that language is static, the rules were written in stone a long time ago. It’s easy to think our native tongue will stay the same ad infinitum, but English has come a long way since olde English and Spanish the same with Latin.
A 3D alphabet could be the start of a whole new way to organize data, not just on paper or the digital realm, but in our own minds. It could lead to a paradigm shift. I mean the universe is not a flat two dimensional space, so how close could two dimensional words come to truly describing it! 3D words for a 3D world 😎
This idea of the 3D world totally reminds me of the language from The Arrival. You’re actually a septapod aren’t you? I knew it! 🤪
Thanks so much for the thoughtful response @nostone-unturned! I really appreciate it. I am indeed a septapod. You have discovered the truth.
And I agree - a 3d language for a 3d world would make more sense! As long as our computer screens are 2d surfaces I don't think language will become 3d, but as soon as digital technology moves into the world of 3d projection / virtual reality, I can totally imagine the way we communicate to completely change. Why not have a language that we can walk around and peer into and see from multiple different angles! That thought excites me and also intimidates me!
It’s funny you mention that! I caught a Steemit post pointing to this Engadget Article that talks about just such a 3D projection type technology. The clock is ticking, get to work @erb!
Wow that is so cool!! Thanks for sharing!
Hmm I just had a thought (cuz this idea is stuck in my head now), what would be the most likely feature of language represented by a third dimension? Frequency of use is a likely candidate, but I think frequency of vibration might convey more information to the reader. Imagine a cross between English (or any language) and written music. The z-length (3rd dimension) could tell the reader what octave the letter should be pronounced at. (Damn you dangling participle!) or it could be simpler and tell you wether an “A” should be the hard A or soft “ahh”. What do you think?
I love this idea @nostone-unturned! I think this would be a better way to determine the 3d form of each letter because this way the z-dimension actual provides valuable information and allows people to understand pronunciation just by looking at it. I also love the thought of all these letters being arranged and then simultaneously hit with a mallet and bellowing out a decipherable word or phrase.
On a different note - It's funny you commented with this idea because I recently wrote a short story about a place where emotions can only be felt when they are spoken aloud, because the vibrations and resonances of the body are the only way emotions can be felt. And the compatibility of two lovers is only a function of whether the musical notes produced by their emotions harmonize.
Simple idea, hard to explain here without the whole story, but thought I'd share because you reminded me of it. Thanks for continuing to contribute to this 3d alphabet discussion!
I like the mallet idea too @erb lolz. This is really an awe-inspiring concept. Language will evolve in time just as it has always done. Language used to develop based on factors like the distance between other people who speak your language. We are seeing this now as languages form their own "online dialects." The digital space is the natural place for a 3D alphabet to develop.
I like you're story idea, btw.