Calculations without math
"Smart instruments" and the transposition of complex shapes in the wooden boat workshop
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5708393 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tom Martins (0000-0002-3808-6220, City University of New York, corresponding author), Sam Dillavou (0000-0001-9842-9582, University of Pennsylvania) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-11 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2520-100X • E-ISSN: 2520-1018 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s41809-024-00140-y |
| OpenAlex | W4393257012 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
This paper considers a historical boat building practice in light of Runeson’s (Scan J Psychol 18:172–179, 1977) concept of ‘smart instruments’, tools that exploit particular features of situated processes to aid their users in complex cognitive operations. The key example here is that of the ‘spiling stick,’ a flexible baton used to determine the two-dimensional shape of board stock that will eventually twist to fit a three-dimensional position on the hull of a ship. The authors illustrate the complexity of the cognitive operation carried out by the ‘coupled system’ (Clark and Chalmers in Analysis 58:7–19, 1998) of boat builder and spiling stick by performing a comparable operation solely with advanced math and physics, tools unavailable for most of the history of wooden boat building. The notion of a ‘smart instrument’ is then discussed in more detail as the authors argue that spiling need not be seen as a mathematical operation supported by material aids, but rather that math and materials provide equal routes for comparable cognitive work
Geometry · Architecture and Computational Design · Computer Science · Mathematics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |