Tandemodus
Design + Strategy

Curiosities: Vol. 1.1

The Most Important Number

by Tandemodus

Preface

Seeking refuge in knowledge, Tandemodus researches, writes and designs on topics that stem from observation of every-day occurrences. Project 23.5 being the first of which, originated as a simple documentation idea and grew into much more.

Our studio located on Chicago’s South Side offers a breathtaking view of the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, ideal for observing nature in an urban environment. As Autumn approached, we discussed documenting the changing colors of the foliage. On Thursday, the 4th of September, the Nikon® D70 was mounted on the tripod. At 12 pm the first shot was taken.

Nearly two months later, 60 photos were captured at the same time and position. The photos were visual evidence of the changing seasons, the passing of time, and the wonder of nature. However, the question of what to do with this evidence emerged.

A big part of graphic design is researching, exploring and most importantly experimenting. Curiosity is a integral part of what we as designers do to achieve success. The platform for Curiosities allows us the opportunity to take an idea and challenge it to be something more. What began as a visual collection of seasonal changes in nature, uncovered a story far more elaborate and compelling than we could have ever imagined—a testament to the design process we work through for every project, big or small.

What’s in a number?

The number 23.5 is one of the most important numbers in your life. Chances are however, that you, like most of the world, have no idea what it means or how it affects you. The fact is that without the number 23.5 life on planet earth would be incredibly different. Civilizations throughout history have recognized 23.5’s significance and focused on it in both their humanities and theology. Many of the finest artists and theorists from these cultures have continually struggled with interpreting and decoding the number. 23.5 has been the source of controversy and governs much of our lives, yet many have never even heard of it.

So what is it?

23.5, (or to be exact 23.43), is the angle of degrees that the earth is tilted on its celestial axis, or more simply the angle the earth is positioned from pole to pole.¹ While that may appear to be of little significance, this number is a determinant of much of life on our planet. Without this number our earth would be vastly different. Birds would have no reason to migrate, plants would grow at different times and in exotic places, and day and night would be altered. The number 23.5 is the cause of our ever changing environment and the determinant of our calendar year and seasonal changes.

Scientists are not positive as to why the earth is angled at 23.5 degrees, however a few theories do exist. Some speculate that approximately 5 billion years ago a meteor the size of Mars struck the earth and caused the tilt.⁸ Others hypothesize that the earth started at an axial tilt of 0 degrees and moved due to gravitational pull. This change resulted in a pole shift of 4 degrees every 25,920 years, inverting a full 360° in a period of about 2,340,000 years, meaning that someday the earth will again regain its original position.⁸ Another theory believes that the axial angle continues to change to this day due to our planet’s continental drift and ever changing physical landscape.⁸ Earth’s continental drift occurs due to natural events in our tectonic plates and is unpredictable, making the axial tilt in this theory equally unpredictable and unstable.

A major discovery

23.5 was first discovered by the ancient Greek scientist Eratosthenes around 200 BCE. Eratosthenes was producing a celestial map when he calculated the angle of movement of the stars to the sun due to the earth’s rotation and came up with 23.5 degrees. He knew of the number’s importance and further recognized it when he discovered the measurements of both longitude and latitude to be 23.5.³ Greek philosophers theorized that the tilt of the earth had been unnatural and an “irregular condition.” They believed the tilt to be an occurrence set into effect by humanity’s faults.

23.5 has been a focal point of many civilizations’ belief value systems, religions, and traditions. The reappearance of 23.5 in these culture’s humanities and theologies have been no mere coincidence. 23.5 has also been a prominent theme in these culture’s artistic endeavors.

Religion, and mythical ties

The ancient Egyptians knew of the relevance of 23.5, and believed it to be essential to life. The angle can be found numerous times on wall-reliefs from their famous Djed column, which represented the god Osiris’ backbone as well as the axis mundi or “world tree.” The Djed on the column is consistently angled at 23.5 degrees, which the Egyptians believed was the main factor in the shaping of their world.⁵ Many theorists believe that the number was left as a message and symbol of Osiris to be encoded for later generations.⁵

The Egyptians’ finest piece of art, the Great Pyramid of Giza, also used the number 23.5 as a key digit in the geometry used in its construction. The core of the structure, the tomb, signified the center of the earth, and reality.⁷ When the pyramid is overlaid over the earth as seen above, the eclipse and pole lines can be drawn over the exact center of the great structure producing the angle of 23.5 degrees. The pyramid paid homage to Osiris and was even constructed close to 23 degrees away from the Equator or the center of the earth.

A deliberate encoding

While the Egyptians saw 23.5 as a symbol of life, later societies viewed it very differently. As the world encountered death, disease, and war in the Middle Ages, 23.5 became a number of meaning. Common belief during this period was the concept of the end of the “Golden Age” when the earth was upright and life was plentiful and ideal. Medieval civilization believed in a mythological ‘Fall from Grace’ of the earth that resulted in war, famine and plague. The “Golden Age” was believed to be what is known in the Bible as the story of Adam and Eve, and as a result of their actions the earth was altered and tilted.

Humanity and the arts

As the Middle Ages lifted and the Renaissance began, 23.5 again became a theme in art and theory. With the Renaissance came a renewal of hope and humanity and a reshifting of religion towards optimism. Art began to depict biblical and humanistic themes with the angle of 23.5 appearing often to show the Catholic theme of resurrection.⁴ Many of these pieces depicted scenes from the Bible with figures pointing towards the sky at the angle of 23.5 degrees. Others focused on Jesus and the cross with direct angular correlation to the golden triangle and backbone of Osiris.⁶

Many Renaissance artists explored 23.5 as being a symbol of creation and a link to human development. Leonardo da Vinci, in his famous piece Vitruvian Man, depicted man with his limbs outstretched at a 23.5 degree angle within a circle representing the circumference of the earth and divinity.⁴

In Renaissance literature, Shakespeare based his play Hamlet on the tragic story of the Egyptian gods Osiris and Horus. The tragedy and humanistic tale showed Renaissance belief in 23.5 being the focus of man’s existence and cause of his development, much as the Egyptians long ago believed.⁴ In the revival of classical thinking known as the Renaissance, 23.5 was the center of the universe and humanity.^4,7

The cause of death and destruction

Numerous Baroque paintings from the 17th century dealt with the theme of Vanitas or emptiness, and untruth, and have an association to 23.5. Many of these still life paintings portrayed death through images of skulls, and man made objects often at the angle of 23.5 degrees.⁶ The arrangements were consistently positioned angled facing the focal point of each piece. Artists struggled with the concept of vanity and death and used 23.5 as a symbol of both.⁷

The Baroque world was focused on the belief in the decline of humanity due to the wars and destruction that they faced. The unnatural shift in the earth, they believed, was the cause of this, along with the entrapment of humanity and the soul.

America and symbolism

We find the angle of 23.5 degrees again with ties to America. The founding fathers of America have often been linked to the secret society known as the Masons who have existed for hundreds of years. The Masons knew of 23.5’s legacy and used it in much of their symbolism, most notably the “All Seeing Eye” that depicted the Pyramid of Giza. This correlation to earlier Egyptian beliefs in Osiris and the heavens exemplifies the Masons belief in 23.5 being the main factor in the shaping of the world and heavens, a godly and holy number.⁵

Washington D.C. derives much of its layout from the number 23.5 and the Masons. The main streets are situated at the exact angle organized in a pentagonal shape with the center being the White House. The pentagon, symbolic of the Masons, can be seen superimposed on the map above.^2,7 Many of the founding fathers are believed to have been Masons, and their involvement in the Capital and its strong emphasis on 23.5 further supports this theory.⁷

Earth, a delicate balance

While it is unclear if the earth started in an upright position, as some religions believed, one fact remains true: the tilt is an integral part of the development and history of earth. Scientists have explored the effects of the tilt and hypothesized the drastic difference our world would have undergone had the tilt been at any number besides 23.5. Slight variations in either direction would have resulted in an extremely different and unfamiliar planet one with a very different evolution.

If the axial tilt had been greater than 23.5 degrees, the pole regions would have received a tremendous amount of sunlight in the summer months. While our calendar year would still be 365 days, Summer would be both longer (lasting around 5 months) and warmer. Winter would also be longer and darker with night encasing much of the world for lengthy periods and weather dipping to extremes. Temperatures at the Equator would vary more, and Spring and Autumn would last only a few weeks. The polar ice caps would alter with each changing season causing drastic weather changes, tropical storms, and varying ocean levels.⁹

On the other hand, if the earth’s axial tilt had been less than 23.5 degrees the result would have been equally monumental. Seasons would have ceased to exist and each day would have brought both equinoxes and solstices. Weather patterns would be altered and the planet would be similar geophysically, with temperatures and climates resembling the Equator today. Life would have been altered and the world would house life much like the ones that existed during the dinosaurs era.⁹

23.5, the meaning of life?

No other number is as imperative to humanity as 23.5. It has been the subject of religions, produced a shroud of mystery, and fueled art and culture. So what’s in a number? In regards to 23.5, essentially everything.

¹ “About Day and Night.” Lunar and Planetary Institute. 4 Jan. 2007 http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/day_night/about.shtml

² Jaettnig, Karl. Ca.1800. “Plan of the city of Washington.” Courtesy of the Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress.

³ “Latitude and Longitude.” 2008. Iowa State University’s Polaris Project. http://www.polaris.iastate.edu/NorthStar/Unit5/unit5_sub1.htm

⁴ Nisbet, Jeff. ”Rosslyn Chapel’s Darkest Secret.” June, 2007. http://www.mythomorph.com/mm/content/2007/0908rosslynchapelsdarkest_secret.php.

⁵ Osborne, Gary. “23.5 Degrees.” 2002. http://garyosborn.moonfruit.com/#/235/4516080214.

⁶ Osborne, Gary. “Axis of God.” 2005. http://www.freewebs.com/garyosborn/235degrees.htm.

⁷ Osborn, Gary. “Paradigmshift: The Angles of 23.5, 52, 38, 30, 6.5, 72 and 18 in Art and Other Sources.” 2006. http://www.freewebs.com/garyosborn/235degreereferences.htm.

⁸ Phillips Astronomy Planisphere:23.5˚. London: Phillips, 2006.

⁹ “The Seasons.” BBC. 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/earth/solsticescience.shtml