Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Learn Engineering From An Artist!

     The man who invented the Marble Machine -- and wrote and performed the music it plays -- has built other fascinating instruments, too.

     You don't do that kind of thing unless you have a firm grasp of the basic principles; and you don't finish it unless you understand when it's good enough.  These are two of the most difficult lessons to take to heart but they are the very core of successful geekery: how to begin and when to stop.

     Here's a master at work:
    
     Form has followed function -- mostly.  Notice the exceptions; notice the places where function has driven form remorselessly.  There's the lesson.

     And the other lesson to be learned?  This is all to make music.  The thing itself is wonderful -- but so is what it creates.

2 comments:

Cincinnatus said...

Astonishing talent

Anonymous said...

Its so nice to see a designer that can actually BUILD what they design. Perhaps its the bubble I work in but we keep getting "Designer/drafters" that dont know the difference between a cap screw and sheet metal screw or square tube steel vs round tube vs pipe.They can draw pretty pictures but when you ask them how something goes together their eyes glaze over and I get a dear in the headlight look.
Sigh....
Sam