Types of knowledge

So a project I've been thinking about (for years) is a method of classifying knowledge.  Obviously there are many systems, but I want to have my own in place before I start researching others.  Though I gotta say, "known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns" is a pretty sweet method.

Definitions-
                When does red become orange?
Protocols-
                 PEMDAS
Useful lies-
                 Species concepts
Truths-
               unknowable, but do exist

I don't feel like finishing this at the moment, but I'll come back to it.


I'm back

So, oddly enough, I started a job homeschooling a kid whose father is a data head and basically likes to classify information.  Huh. He does computer programming stuff, which makes me think I might actually enjoy that if I were willing to give it a chance.  Something to think about later.

Also I had a conversation with a friend about the term "niche" as an ecology term.  Which is leading me into thoughts about nouns and abstract nouns.  Maybe I should look at a grammar book?

Why do stairs exist?

Okay, maybe a strange question, but what are the benefits of stairs as compared to ramps?

Some thoughts:
-cost effectiveness?
-space saving (slope/length)
-more exercise/less exercise?


Can anybody enlighten me as to other reasons?  Because it seems like those reasons are "get around-able" and that having ramps in place of stairs would be really helpful for a lot of people.

The main usefulness is the space, but I wonder how different that is.  I guess I should look up what the requirements are for slopes to be easily used by walkers and non-walkers and try to figure out what the difference is.  I mean, sure, if you want a direct staircase stairs would be much shorter, but what about ramps with landings?  Spiral ramps?

I guess I have a little research to do... anyone want to help?

slope ratio required by ADA 1:12 (one foot of ramp per inch rise)
ceiling height should be at least 7'3''

Okay, so that works out to an 87 foot ramp.  Which if it were a straight ramp, it would probably take up more than one room.  Of course, ramps could be steeper, but they wouldn't meet the ADA.  On the site I found the ADA info, it suggested that home ramps be no steeper than 2:1.  This would cut the length down to 43.5 feet.  Still pretty long, but if it were done in flights, it might not be as bad.

So lets assume for a minute that ramps for most people ARE doable if we don't meet ADA standards.  So, is there a point to making ramps that don't meet ADA standards?

Maybe.  Depends on how the ADA makes their standards.  If you still needed an ADA ramp, would it make sense to also have ramps for general use.  I think so, but I'm going to stop editing for a while while I think about this more.
>>>>>>>

Interior stairs are *best* with a 7'' rise to a 10" tread.  So for a 7"3' height (87") you would need 12.5 treads (lets go with 13) which makes 130'' length or about 11 feet.

Okay, so I think that means that a ramp would have to be about 4 times longer than a stair.  I bet I could have done this with Pythagorean logic, but whatever.

I wonder how hard it would be to build a house that is one long ramp with rooms coming off at intervals.  So this is hard to think about, but I guess the rooms would be built like a staircase.  I think I've seen these kinds of buildings.  I guess it's like a step pyramid.  I wish I were better a visualizing things.  I guess I need to go play with some blocks!  Good thing I have a 2 year old nephew and a 2 year old cousin!

a poem I like

This is what I remember (the poem)

‘I am cherry alive,” the little girl sang,
“Each morning I am something new:
I am apple, I am plum, I am just as excited
As the boys who made the Hallowe’en bang:
I am tree, I am cat, I am blossom too:
When I like, if I like, I can be someone new,
Someone very old, a witch in a zoo:
I can be somone else whenever I think who,
And I want to be everything sometimes too,
And I put it in along with everything
To make the grown-ups laugh whenever I sing:
And I sing : It is true; It is untrue;
I know, I know, the true is untrue,
The peach has a pit,
The pit has a peach:
And both may be wrong
When I sing my song,
But I don’t tell the grown-ups, because it is sad,
And I want them to laugh just like I do
Because they grew up
And forgot what they knew
And they are sure
I will forget it some day too.
They are wrong. They are wrong.
When I sang my song, I knew, I knew!
I am red, I am gold,
I am green, I am blue,
I will always be me,
I will always be new!”

DELMORE SCHWARTZ