Mario Livio's "The Golden Ratio"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Mario Livio's book "The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number", chronicles the history of, not of a person, thing, or concept, but a number. The paper then relates that this number phi, or notion of proportionality or the 'Golden Ratio', however, has been invested with so much cultural, emotional, and religious importance that it has taken on a character of its own. Next, the paper points out that the reason that phi is astonishing is because, for centuries, our fascination with proportion and beauty has made its properties an object of wonder. The paper concludes that, although Livio ultimately deflates the mystery of phi, his book is a helpful explanation not just of the number but also of why balance and symmetry dominates so many modern discussions of art and architecture.

From the Paper:

"But ultimately, astrophysicist Mario Livio says that creating this mysterious proportion is no different than a person cutting a piece of string into pieces. While the 'Golden Ratio' appears in many natural phenomena, some supposed appearances are really not true 'Golden Ratios' (such as the Pyramids and Parthenon) and all appearance of perfection is based in human notions of proportionality. It is evidence of humans looking at nature, not that nature or God through nature looking back at us. We see perfection and proportionality because we are looking for it in nature."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Livio, Mario. (2002). The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number. New York: Random House.

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