Assignment 3 Reflection

 

One of the biggest takeaways from this assignment for myself was how important documentation has been for our exploration of different cultures and historical figures. Throughout this course we've learnt about historical mathematical inaccuracies that we've been told are true -- yet through dated documentation we're able to find the inaccuracies and debunk them. With the case of Polynesian star navigation, there is so much information, but very little exploration due to the wayfinding methods being passed down orally through generations. The techniques themselves though are extremely impressive; I have always been a fan of astronomy, and have been able to find star constellations to tell direction, but the ocean is a completely different ballpark. With the unpredictability of currents and waves, it's amazing how these explorers were able to navigate the sea with such precision and accuracy. It was also interesting to see the historical accuracies used in media today.

The movie Moana has a lot of cool moments that use star and wave navigation, both methods that were used by Polynesian islanders a thousand years ago. I think correct representation in mainstream media is extremely important for all audiences as it can allow people to connect or relate to the material in a stronger way.

In terms of the art piece -- I enjoyed collaborating with both Jacob and Zach. We had a few meetings about what they would write about in their poem and how I could incorporate it all into a single art piece. The collaboration aspect, as always, was enjoyable (although a lot of it was individualized work), but the art piece itself was fun. Growing up I never associated math with art, they always seemed like 2 separate classes that never crossed into one another. However, this class, as well as 342 have helped me understand that there are options, and they should be explored! Like the Polynesian islanders exploring the Pacific, I should explore the depths of math and art :)