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Tattoos For the Math and Science Geek?
An anonymous reader writes "I've been thinking of getting a sleeve of math and science tattoos for quite a while now. With the money saved up, the only question remaining is, what equations/ideas should I get? I know for certain that I'm going to include some of Maxwell's equations, and definitely Ohm's Law. So, if you were going to put a tribute to the great math and science minds on your body forever, which ones would you choose?"
Someone I know recently got a lambda tattooed on his finger. Now he can bind people into expressions just by raising his middle digit.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Think twice. Do you *really* think this will be so important to you forever?
P != NP
In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.
The definition of information Entropy would be my choice.
0=e^(i*pi)+1
the preceding post was not spell checked... suck it.
Personally, I've always enjoyed the beauty of Euler's identity, any form of Gaussian (normal) distribution which has a standard form here and entropy in regards to information theory. Of course, these are just personal favorites -- the last two because I am a computer scientist with so much college work hinging on them. You probably have personal favorites in chemistry or physics or another field even. Honestly, the loan formula is probably one of the most widely used and life changing formulas in the United States today -- especially given the recent financial crisis. I think it would be best for you to draw up your own formulas in a geometric display rather than someone else's symbols. I suppose that would require extreme precision on the end of the artist and also introduce interesting problems with the elasticity of your skin ... but I'm one for originality especially if you're about to mark yourself in a relatively permanent way.
My work here is dung.
Put all of the good stuff together: e to the i*pi = -1
If you don't know what you want then just wait until you do. One of the worst things you can do for a tattoo is ask what other people think you should get. You'll end up with something that they want and it may be cool now but years down the road it won't mean anything to you.
Tattoo's are suppose to be for life. If it's something that you foresee down the road that you'll not be interested in and go "why did I ever do that, ugh that's so yesterday" it wasn't a very good idea.
-- Ed Bugg --You have freedom of choice, but not of consequences.--
The coolest math tattoo you could get would be nothing at all. Just hold up your arm and say "it's the empty set" and have them marvel at your coolness.
Seriously, tattoos are lame. Resist the urge. It's going to be an ugly green smear you will regrat.
Bad idea. People will think you cheated on the exams.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_identity
e^(pi*i) = -1
E=MC^2 is the classic, possibly to the point of being cliche. Your call.
Do you have any idea how long it takes to dig graves for twenty-three oak trees?
You definitely want Quaternions and Euler Angles:
The story behind Quaternions justifies permanent ink if any math theorem ever did: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternion
Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadratoquadratum in duos quadratoquadratos, et generaliter nullam in infinitum ultra quadratum potestatem in duos eiusdem nominis fas est dividere cuius rei demonstrationem mirabilem sane detexi. Hanc BRACCHIUMis exiguitas non caperet.
with one small change...
-Malakai
A Dragon Lives in my Garage
I don't get it. Why would you want to do this? Is it to be able to cheat at physics exam?
In the greek alphabet:
beta mu pi integral of e^x
which gives you
ButtSex
Math and science tattoos are a great idea! So many people have tattoos these days but they are lame. Yours will be great. I hope they catch on (but only amongst a small elite of cool people).
If doing this prevented a person from ever reproducing would it qualify?
I would include a glider from John Conway's Game of Life
I know we are now nerd chique times but I still am never going to find equations cool. Get an anchor or at tattoo with the word mum and be a real man !
The equation relating the Riemann Zeta Function to the Bernoulli Numbers!
Nice try Slashdot.
You obviously got the story from
Tatoos For Lamerz.
You may now return to listening to commercial radio, a.k.a. N.P.R..
Yours In Krasnovarsk,
Kilgore Trout, Esq.
http://xkcd.com/54/
Do you have any idea how long it takes to dig graves for twenty-three oak trees?
Getting all "inked up" because it's the trendy thing to do, and it'll make you look "bad ass" despite the fact you'd piss yourself before a real fight.
Here's a suggestion: stop being the attention whore you obviously are, and actually learn what Maxwell's equations mean instead of covering your scrawny arms with something you can't understand.
Get one of those Fibonacci nautilus shells on the small of your back where chicks usually get butterflys!
Tattoos hurt, they endanger your health, they are expensive, and most of all they are superficial. AKA they are for looks only.
Gee... At one time only drunk sailors thought this was a good idea and now you want to show how geeky you are with them?
Might I suggest Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica the full text of course.
Bazinga!
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
I wonder what would happen if you got tatted up with Maxwells equations and then tried to take the Physics GRE or something?
And Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law.
"The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
The sign for infinity has sort of a symbolic meaning to me personally and so I have always thought that if I did ever get a tattoo, it would be a mobius strip in the figure 8 shape of the sign for infinity.
Why would you want to deface your body like that?
Tattoos are one of the most unappealing things that a person can do to their bodies (it looks especially disgusting on women's bodies).
G = 8 pi T
Or is that:
G + lambda g = 8 pi T
On the other hand, don't get any tattoos. It's like that sunscreen warning thingy -- one day, you'll be sorry. Even about the equations.
sigfault (core dumped)
The equations E=mc^2 and F=mA come to mind
âoeAny society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
What about the Dirac equation?
And for me, mine would be Goldbach's conjecture.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
I like the Drake Equation myself.
N = R^{\ast} \times f_p \times n_e \times f_{\ell} \times f_i \times f_c \times L \!
symbol of circle, then life, infinite... though i'd reccomand to read mangu's advice first...
For some reason this post made me think of the Ray Bradbury story, "The Illustrated Man". Anyway...
Are you looking for specific equations or symbols (i.e. pi, e, etc.)? How about a fractal? I wouldn't recommend anything "corporate" however, like Petzold's "Windows" logo.
You Might want a Laplace transform.... that's some sticky stuff there
I designed my tattoo in Photoshop, and brought the file in on a USB drive. The tattoo artist could print it right out on the contact?transfer? paper (the stuff that makes it stick to your skin - not sure what it was called) and could follow all the straight lines and angles precisely. Worked out very smoothly and easily.
Do you really want to do this? It's going to be extraordinarily lame, and everyone is going to be forever looking at you like "Dude, what?".
I'm not dissing the notion of getting ink, I've got my fair share. But, really? Geek tattoos?? Equations? Chicks won't dig it.
And, as a purely practical matter, an artist is going to have a hard time adapting what you're describing, and won't know if he's making a mistake. If an artist isn't adapting it, you're going to end up designing your own tattoo, which will be mostly math -- your artist maynot know WTF it is. It could end up looking like you wrote crib notes in your arm and had them immortalized.
Go for a theme, or maybe something which depicts what you're getting in a more abstract way. But, a bunch of equations as a sleeve? I'd discourage it. It might not turn out a nice/cool as you're hoping.
Think of the poor guy with the Zune tatoo.
Unless you have a very concrete idea with some sketches, this could go wrong. Rule of thumb is if you describe it to your artist, and his eyes glaze over like it's a dumb idea, you might not like the end result.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Think of how dignified those tattoos will look when you age and your whole body looks like Reagan's neck. Do you really want to explain to your grandkids why you thought a math equation or Mighty Mouse or a kanji character that means "desk" was something that held enough meaning that it required you to permanently scar your body with it?
This applies to everyone who resolves to get a tattoo before deciding what it is of, btw.
Make sure you get tattoos of mathematical formula You understand and can actually use...
With explanations too:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/category/science-tattoo-emporium/
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
No.
I knew a guy who had the fallout symbol tattooed across his left shoulder blade,
maybe 4 inches across, in all its black and yellow glory.
I asked him why, but I don't recall his response.
He did allow that reading physics textbooks in coffee shops was a good way to pick up girls.
Need I say more?
For math formulas I would do Groethendieck - Riemann - Roch or Atiyah-Singer Index theorem. So many other (geometric) index theorems follow from these.
On the physics side maybe Navier-Stokes& Schroedinger Equation. If you really want to fill up space try the Lagrangian for the Standard Model.
You should put Pi on your right cheek. Facial cheek, that is.
Eight is equal or greater than zero!!!!
I like musicians who get the fermata symbol tattooed on their bodies. (Hold me.)
Best regards.
No equations, but if you looking for geeky look no further than a QR code tattoo! http://adam-lara.com/interesting/my-qr-tattoo/
I think i remember reading an article in wired about various geek themed tats.
perhaps this http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/multimedia/2008/09/gallery_reader_geek_tattoos
Get a tattoo of Fermat's Theorem and include:
I have discovered a truly marvelous proof that it is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second into two like powers. This margin is too narrow to contain it.
1D cellular automata? Otherwise known as "Mathematician's Plaid".
http://psoup.math.wisc.edu/mcell/ca_gallery.html
Speaking of "Mathematician's Plaid" does anyone in the wonderful world of slashdot know where I could get fabric with a CA pattern?
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Frankly, I'd consider a Möbius strip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip
Come on, the math is simple here. There are six billion people on the planet right now. How many of them have tattoos already? The probability of you coming up with a tattoo that someone else doesn't already have is nearly zero.
In other words if you get a tattoo, someday later you'll meet someone else who has the same one, or someone who knows someone who has it. Then you'll realize that your attempt at "individuality" was a failure. At which point hopefully you went to a clean enough shop that you didn't pick up hepatitis in the process.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Tattoos are so ... analog. Just get all of math encoded on a chip and have that embedded. Make sure it has an RF interface, like the modern ID tags for pets, and someday you will be able to read it with your phone or whatever. You could be the first person with their own brain-coprocessor.
The circle is the perfect mathematical shape. It has had the most profound impact on humans, it appears everywhere: in nature, in science and in art.
Inside it you should put the text: "Haha, despite appearances this is in fact an open disc on the surface of a 2-sphere (insert formula for area here), and all you hot ladies had best avoid me because I'm such a geeky weirdo!"
Get a full sleeve of the Mandelbrot set drawn with (literally) painstaking detail and accuracy. That should keep you and your tattoo artist busy for a while.
This sig has been stolen. Return it to its original user for a reward.
I second Euler's identity. It's the foundation for much of modern technology.
I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
Have them tattoo a googolplex in full...
Yay me! ^^
F = ma baby!
Shroedinger's equation kicks ass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger_equation (time independent equation)
I'd go for the derivative form of Maxwell equation or the Wave equation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_wave_equation
how long until
zn+1 = zn2 + c http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandelbrot_set
If you think it will make you look badass, or even evil, you can try putting there the Hanlon's Razor. That will give the others the opportunity to think.
Since I may be the only trashy biologist in attendance, may I suggest getting price's equation: http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/f/1/a/f1a89bf0a1591b77f40a81aeb0d74e91.png
Easiest to get it as a tramp stamp. However, in the likely event your are a dude, you get double trash points for tattooing it on the little Mr. Price.
The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
Forget the tattoo. Just stick with t-shirts from ThinkGeek or whatever like the rest of us do.
Someday when the anti-intellectual revolution comes and Sarah Palin is looking for some fresh necks for her guillotine (aka "Freedom Slicer"), your elitist tattoo will get you killed.
Am I joking? Sometimes I don't even know.
i have the euler identity on my arm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler's_identity. it says the most about the universe in the least amount of space :)
A grounded person would get a science tat like Ohm's law. Personally, I don't care about the real world. Get the fundemental theorem of finitely generated abelian groups. Or if you like Rs more than Zs, the analogous result for decomposition of R-modules.
Tried to get the proof to Fermat's last theorem tattooed on my penis, but it wasn't big enough.
Tattoos are not really "cool" but they are a way of putting art or information on your body and who's to tell you not to do it. As for the issue of them being all green and awful, most places will offer a free (or very cheap) touch up after a few years if you go back and ask nicely. Alternatively keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible.
I wonder what the MCAT/SAT/ACT/PSAT proctors would say if you came in with an arm full of math fodder during a placement or aptitude test. I imagine that would be an interesting conversation:
Aptitude Test Proctor: "Say, what are those tattoos you have there?"
Sam Submitter: "Well, we have Fermi's Law here, the Pythagorean Theorem here, Henry's Law, Hook's Law, Pi..."
Aptitude Test Proctor: "Um...well, I...uh...erm, hmm. But you don't have a calculator, right?"
Sam Submitter: "Uh, no. But I do have the TI-80 schematics tatooed on my chest. Is that OK"
Aptitude Test Proctor: "Um, yeah?"
"This food is problematic."
But then again, I'm an old coot that never got the tattoo thing.
That's a class idea my friend. I know a lady with the digits of pi starting on her neck and going down to her tailbone. Anyway, I would like to caution you about the social stigma attached to tattoos. There are still a lot of people prejudiced against people with tattoos and it can adversely affect your career. I know one person who volunteered at a government service organization and they went so far as to (badly) photoshop away her tattoos when making pictures of the social events and whatnot. I'm not even sure I understand the twisted reasoning behind such a thing, but it's your tax dollars at work. You might want to consider a location that can be covered by a long sleeved shirt.
@OP, I'm curious, have you looked at the question of whether letters even make good tattoos?
Won't they be more susceptible to be distorted and ruined over time, vs. a solid picture?
Looking at pictures from a previous reply, the Science Tattoo Emporium:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/category/science-tattoo-emporium/
I see the equation tattoos seem a lot less interesting and cool than the colorful (or even solid black) pictures other people used.
Across your knuckles. That's the tat all the dudes in prison math clubs get.
Ohm's law is just one particular class of current-voltage characteristic curves. It doesn't work for all sorts of things like lightbulbs or diodes. Voltage across a circuit element being linearly proportional to the current flowing through it isn't that interesting or general.
I would much rather go with Maxwell's equations or perhaps Kirchhoff's circuit laws, which are a special case of Maxwell.
If you have to ask what to get, maybe you don't need anything at all?
1:4:9 . . . or perhaps (1:2:3). It's the ratio the Monoliths are built to, and it's perfect.
Relevant PSA: http://gprime.net/video.php/tattooremover
Hopefully you'll get something that stands the test of time.
I like the guy with the 3-line PERL strong-encryption routine with the warning that it made the bearer an ITAR-controlled export-restricted munition.
I'm not really interested in any form of body mod, but if I had to get something, I'd implant some sort of subcutaneous RF device that could be programmed to do things.
I saw a girl on the metro once with the symbol of the Sun tatooed at the bottom of the back of her neck. When I asked her about it, she said it was a project: to get all the symbols of the planets tatooed down her back. I asked whether she'd include Ceres or Pluto (it was during the debate on dwarf planets) and she didn't know yet. Still, were I female and if I wanted a tatoo, it would be that. Therefore, my good anonymous, that is my suggestion.
What's this? Another weblog? On transit?
I'd go for a UUID, myself. I have a printout of RFC4122 hanging over my bed...
...then just use a Sharpie and be done with it.
If you still want the tattoo, then here are some simple tests to see how it will look in five years.
Take some very cheap newsprint and draw your design on it. Make it exactly the same size, include every detail, and use a really fat green felt tip marker.
Now crumple the paper up into a ball and squish it as tight as you can.
Submerge the paper ball in a sink filled with water and leave it there for exactly thirty seconds.
Scatter a handful of small rocks on a picnic table and then unfold your paper ball on top of them, trying to make as much contact with the tabletop as possible.
This is what your butt will look in in 2020.
not only will you be cooler than anybody who has a tattoo (its true!) - you can feel safe in the knowledge that your "individualism" cant be questioned. -0.
I knew I wanted it ever since I was 14, and at 18 drove to a neighboring state where it was legal to get it: It's a circle on my upper right shoulder blade. Many Greek mathematicians/philosophers considered it a symbol of perfection.
And screw these people who say tattoos suck, it's your body, do with it what you want. It's an art form, of course some people don't get it. But I do agree with those who say that you should think long and hard about what you are getting. Do not do it on a whim.
While this is an interesting discussion topic, I agree that getting one over another because /. tells you that something is cool is actually not cool at all, and to do so actually shows that you are maybe not ready for tattoos. If it's not really meaningful to you, don't get it.
That said, you can safely ignore the douche brigade telling you that tattoos are "lame" and "forever". Getting a picture of a skull with a pair of crossed machine guns under it with a Confederate flag in the background is one thing, being a math nerd and getting some equations inked is quite another.
My advice would be to go with the ones you know you want and leave some space available for later equations. You can always go get more ink, and you will probably come up with a lot of additional ideas once you have a couple of the equations inked.
+1 Information Entropy
A guy that I once met had a tattoo of a Smith Chart. Smart RF guy. Definitely dedicated to the field. ;)
A fool and his money are soon parted...
Or
There's a sucker born every minute
Or just the capital letter L on the forehead. :)
in the 90s I got a tattoo of the solar system on my back and brontosaurus tattoo on my chest. now both are incorrect :(
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510
58209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679
82148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128
48111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196
44288109756659334461284756482337867831652712019091
45648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273
72458700660631558817488152092096282925409171536436
78925903600113305305488204665213841469519415116094
33057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548
07446237996274956735188575272489122793818301194912
98336733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798
60943702770539217176293176752384674818467669405132
00056812714526356082778577134275778960917363717872
14684409012249534301465495853710507922796892589235
42019956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960
51870721134999999837297804995105973173281609631859
50244594553469083026425223082533446850352619311881
71010003137838752886587533208381420617177669147303
59825349042875546873115956286388235378759375195778
18577805321712268066130019278766111959092164201989...
..in graphical form. Can't go wrong with PI.
You could also go with euler's identity, e^(iPi)+1=0
Still. Pi.. hmmmmmhmhmhmmm.. pie.. *drool*
Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
I thought they were relatively easy to remove now.
Any geek worth his salt can derive Ohm's Law from Maxwell's Equations!
H-bar over two, of course. Definitely the coolest math/physics discovery to come out of the last century, IMHO.
An acquaintance of mine has an interesting and subtle tattoo. It's a black line across his wrist with three black tick marks such that the line segments separated by the marks measure out the golden ratio.
Are just a few ways that you could use that money to make a difference in science that will help others. When you die your tattoo will eventually rot away with the rest of your body. But if you sponsored something that helped science or math progress, people would know of you for some time.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
I have a replication of a bubble chamber photo on my wrist. I think there is so much beauty in science and math, and want to be reminded of this in everything I do....there is more to this world than the petty little things I find myself involved in from time to time. I want to add 137 to it as well. People ask all the time what it means, and it's an open opportunity to drop some knowledge on some people. Of course it helps if you can figure a way to dumb it down so they understand.
In another ten years people will look at you and laugh, there's another one who couldn't resist the fad of the time. Stand out by not polluting the look of your skin.
The AES128 algorithm in Perl?
...
Of course, you might need a special government permit to cross borders
If you didn't know that, then I wonder whether you are as geeky as you think you are..... ... At least consider Kirchoff before embarassing yourself with ohm's.
Silicon junctions (transistors, diodes, more), batteries, and fluorescent lamp's do not obey 'ohm's law'.... Ohm's law is the observable property of some conductors, it's not a law.
if you got that one wrong, I would hesitate on going further.
gus
.. if only.
... like the CPT Theorem.
Oh, damn. Anyone know where I can get a tattoo removed?
Have gnu, will travel.
get the answers to your next test as tattoos !
Note: I am heavily tattooed. Please take some time and think out a design on your own. As one user stated above, what someone else things is cool might not be what you want to have on your skin for the rest of your life. Tattoo removal, as I understand from folks who have experienced it, hurts far more than getting the tattoo. Plan carefully; tattoos are not (or at least, should not) be things that are rushed into. Take your time.
dumbkopf! F=mA is obviously a knuckle tattoo!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I'm not a maths guy, but I bet there is a topology pun somewhere in this idea. You are tattooing on a 2-D surface, stretched over a 3-D frame (your skeleton, muscles...). And isn't there a question in Topology or metaphysics about whether you can test whether the universe is curved, from the vantage point of a observer trapped within the curved universe? I think there is probably a pun in there... Also, isometric(?) representations of 3-D objects in the 2-D medium would be both visually appealing, but with some math relevancy.
Pretend I said something meaningful or insightful here.
http://www.fohguild.org/forums/attachments/screenshots/89999d1222990775-funny-strange-random-pics-goatse-tattoo.jpg
Pretty much the most useful tool ever created.
A bit bland of a tattoo but really a great starting point!
Captcha: shamed
(???)
A ruler on your forearm!
Thanks to the Parker Pen Company.
(3.5G + V/2)/4(H2O)^3 + 3(360deg) = M
Viewable with proper formatting in link above.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
1+1=2 I'm not so good at math.
icanhazinternets? - tattoo of confused cat with 2400 baud modem
icanhazhelpdesk? - tattoo of cat wearing geeksquad tshirt
icanhaznorton? - tatto of cat, laying dead, next to chihuahuha wearing Storm worm tshirt.
These are all awesome tattoos. We think you should get all of them.. ah, and let us know when you post the pics!
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
I've thought about this long and hard for some time now. Food for thought: David Wells' article "Are These The Most Beautiful?" from the 1990 Mathematical Intelligencer magazine:
http://bomber0.byus.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/are-these-the-most-beautiful.pdf
Myself, I think I've resolved to get the definition of a limit wrapped around my upper arm.
We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
How about the Drake equation? Maybe a Calabi Yau equation if you're into string theory, although that might not be very futureproof.
And what's with the "OH NOES! It am teh forevers!" responses? They've been able to remove tattoos with lasers and other methods for a quite a while now. I personally have no use for tattoos myself, but if the man wants ink that's his decision.
Man, the geekverse use to be so wild and (small "l") libertarian. WTF happened?
Sinus Cardinalis
and do not deserve to wear science on your skin.
Join the ranks of the clueless and change your name to "great pussy".
1/ = R (1/n1^(2) + 1/n2^(2))
$$ e^{i \pi} + 1 = 0 $$
I think you got some Idle on your front page.
The game.
E=mc^2 is probably the only one recognizable to most people. Most of those people will more associate that equation to "Einstein" than to math or physics. Most of the remaining will associate the equation to being the main equation in General Relativity rather than simply a part of Special Relativity. Fewer people ever took a physics class that actually had them use the equation, most of these people will associate the equation to the Nuclear Bomb. Almost all of these people won't realize Einsteins Nobel Prize lends more to his work with photosynthesis and photoelectric (how light can be converted into energy, how plants do it); they think he got it because of this simple equation only. Most people can regurgitate "Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared" with a great deal of undeserved confidence; though even many who hold degrees in physics might still have some issues actually understanding what the equation means and entails; the entire set of concepts that surround this equation, from General and Special Relativity to quantum sciences.
So, you see. If you understand E=mc^2, one of the most famous equations of the modern age. So few actually knows anything about it; though everyone will have an opinion or belief of what it might mean. A theoretical physicist might appreciate and understand your message, but the every day person will just see it as a synonym for genius and might think you are thinking a bit high of yourself.
Oh, and if you get more complicated, good luck finding a tattoo artist that knows this stuff. Take a look at all the bad tattooes out there with blatant misspellings. Now think of how tedious some of these math equations get. You better make damn sure they get it right, make damn sure YOU have it right. Otherwise, you'll come of really stupid with a tattoo of the Pythagorean theorem that's ultimately incorrect and every high school kid is going to know it.
I hope this person is never planning on taking any math or science courses at a University (perhaps he already has all the education he'll ever get). I wonder how a professor or academic review committee would view an armful of equations tattooed on a student? They generally frown upon writing formulae on your skin with an ink pen. . .
...I crowd-sourced my Tattoo to Slashdot!"
I would suggest trying the same thing over at 4Chan, but I think the ensuing tattoo would result in a lengthy prison sentence...
As a motorcyclist and geek, I've been contemplating "a = delta v / delta t" in classic math textbook font.
seg fault
2+2=5
Make sure you will never be writing an exam in the subject ever again. Failing due to having a tattoo cheat sheet would really suck.
Maybe not the most mathematical formula ever, but definitely has a strong following9=42 ;)
A friend of mine had a sierpinski gasket on his forearm (it was the third image in this diagram [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sierpinski_triangle_evolution.svg]).
If you are willing two get two sleeves, you could put a logarithm on each forearm. Then if you need two multiply two large numbers in a pinch, you can use them as a slide rule.
Binding people is hilarious, but how about commenting?
http://xkcd.com/156/
I'm not sure I'd want two green fingers the rest of my life, though.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
Henna
Other ppls formulas are only cool until you grock them...
For physics, get the Lorentz Trasformations, or the metric equation for spacetime. Or, of course, you could just use one of their eventual products, the relativistic energy-momentum equation. It's the father of E=mc^2, but it has far more science cred. Maxwell's equations are fine and dandy, but remember that magnetism is just the relativistic expression of the electric field. To my mind, relativity is more beautiful. But for the love of god, use the versions of these equations where c = 1 unitless, or they'll be a mess!
Oh boy, I almost forgot quantum. The Schrödinger equation would not be a bad choice, either.
For math, I'd do Taylor's Theroem, especially since you seem to have interest in physics. For more nerd cred, use the multidimensional version with the integral form of the remainder included. For that matter, the multidimensional fundamental theorem of calculus (divergence theorem) would be cool too, but none of this sissy 3-dimensional stuff, go for full generality! Euler's Identity has been mentioned, and that's cool, but I'd go with the more mind-blowing and fundamental Euler's Formula. The Gamma function would also be a fine choice.
I knew I wanted a tattoo before I was out of High School. I joined the military (19) and still wanted one. I asked myself over and over again; "what do I want?" I wanted something that was me, but not the military me. At the time I was a skater and a bit odd and different. I expressed myself and didn't want color in my tattoo for sure, and just plain old black tattoos were for me. I finally made up my mind at the age of 23. After a year of pondering where to get it and if this is what I wanted I got inked. Very happy with what I got and have not regrets. I did my tattoo in an Italian shop at the 'Gray Mall' in Aviano. Great memories and a great tattoo. My advice is take the advice of the posters and ideas, put it together and sit on it for a few months. You might find that one equation and idea don't go together after a bit of time looking at it on and off. Once the pattern is hammered out, next is to figure out where to put it. Keep in mind that where ever you put it and it is seen you may not get hired anywhere; because of the tattoo. Place it where your business/business casual work attire will hide it from your co-workers and peers. You want to be known for the work you do and not by something else. Good luck and take you time.
"The laws of science be a harsh mistress." --Bender
I find it offensive that you can get a well-formed equation tattooed on your butt before I can get a decent one displayed using markup on my web pages in a cross-browser manner.
Along with some variation of Fermat's Last Theorem.
It's pretty simplistic, but it's one of the most widespread and easiest to identify. I imagine an artist could do a fairly good job representing this equation graphically without writing it out explicitly.
The sleeve is a pretty neat idea. I think it could work out very well if you pick functions/equations that can be visualized.
Tattoos aren't in and of themselves lame.
It's a fad.
It's amazing how the dress and look of common trash becomes popular. Yes, tattoos and piercings make one look like trash. It's really hard to take some seriously when there's shit sticking out of their eyebrows, ear lobe things that make one look like a yuppie Bush tribesmen, and a tongue piercing.
yeah, yeah, yeah....don't judge someone by the way they look and I got a problem, blah blah blah blah.
People make snap judgments about others. Get over it. That's why you show up for an interview in a suit. That's why you show up for a date bathed and with your teeth brushed.
Sure, eventually you can win someone over when they get to know you but many folks won't give you the chance if you look like a fad chasing lemming that permanently disfigures themselves to follow a trend.
It makes you look stupid.
I tell you, years ago, I knew this plastic surgeon that was making mega bucks removing tattoos from bikers and I just see all those young folks getting their tattoos removed and his business increasing.
Career hint: Go to medical school and specialize in tattoo removal! Lots of business ahead.
There's a new fashion trend/fad forming. I see a lot of black kids dressing like the 60's brat pack: the hats, plaid shorts, the shoes are contemporary though, and the sun glasses - it's actually a good look. And since black culture drives fashion, music and everything else that's cool in this country, folk's tattoos are about to look REAL dated.
RIP America
July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001
Personally, if I was in the same spot, I'd go and look over all the XKCD comics and pick my favorite. It's nice black line art that would go well with a tattoo, particularly if surrounded by equations.
On the more personal side, I would probably get the equations from Tippler's "Rotating Cylinders and the Possibility of Global Causality Violation" which is essentially showing that physics does not care about causality and time travel is possible.
I suggest you tattoo the inverse of the dimensionless fine structure constant (1/alpha) to as many digits as it is currently measured (137.035999). As a dimensionless quantity that pops up quite naturally in quantum mechanics, it is truly universal*, as it is the same regardless of one's system of measurements (SI, cgs, Imperial, CowboyNeal Units, etc.).
Alternatively, you could go with the Arecibo Message, the Pioneer Plaque, or the Voyager Golden Record.
*Note: universality not guaranteed at exceptionally large red shifts.
And then just add things as they are discovered.
Actually, if you do plan on doing this, make ABSOLUTELY sure that the artist knows what the hell you're going for and is aware of how the symbols should look. Quite frequently when doing any kind of word or text or numbers that are unfamiliar, there are typos that are made. I have seen, at least 3x in my life, people who have spelling errors in their ink. I can only imagine they'll have plenty of room to screw this up, and you don't want to be the dumbass walking around with, essentially, 2+2=5 on your arm.
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
I stumbled upon this one recently. http://img.oddstuffmagazine.com/2010/05/scientific-tattoo-ideas-03-580x488.jpg
6 x 9 = 42.
Watch Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land, you tube it or something. The golden ratio from the Pythagoreans making up the proportions would probably be cool, yeah?
Possible suggestions, that lend themselves to equation form: the fundamental theorem of calculus; the central limit theorem; Taylor series expansion of a function; any of several definitions for e.
I would recommend forgoing straight equations in favor of some visual art. If you were just getting a little script on your forearm or wrist, that's one thing. But if you have enough ink to constitute a sleeve, I personally would go in a more abstract direction. You can always incorporate the equations into the work in a literal (but diminutive) sense as well.
Art with a physical/mathematical back-story is fabulous, although, make sure it's a story that you don't mind repeating ad nauseam, because if the sleeve looks good, you will be prompted by "what is your tattoo?", everywhere, all the time. If the back-story is subtle, you can always vary the amount of explanation you give.
A friend of mine has a couple of fractal tattoos; for the uninitiated, they look like pretty pictures. I went a different route, less mathematical (one of Darwin's finches, Russel's teapot, etc.) for my tattoos.
It's going to take you a while to come up with something. Art isn't borne of a vacuum; you may even get some good suggestions from the comments here (along side a majority of frightened vitriol.) When you have an idea, take it to a custom shop and get the artist to draw it up. If he/she doesn't have the artistic vision or ability to come up with something that you like, based on your inspiration, go somewhere else. Don't be scared off by flash on the walls; but I'd be wary of any shop that doesn't do a majority of custom work. Depending on where you live, you may have to leave town.
Good luck!
If the math equation isn't intimately connected to you already, why would you go ahead and get it tattooed on your body on the advice of a crowd of /.ers? You should be able to explain what the equation is, its history, what it's used for, and why it is meaningful to you, and for bonus points demonstrate a proof. Not be all like, "Yeah, a bunch of geeks on this web site said it was cool, so I got it."
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Navier-Stokes spherical coords http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navier%E2%80%93Stokes_equations#Spherical_coordinates ;)
You might need to overflow onto your back, other arm and legs.
On my right calf. Simple, effective, easily identifiable. I got it to celebrate my analytical, geeky side. Plus, I had just moved out on my own, so I figured that called for celebration, too.
I also have Gumby on my left bicep, which I got in college for reasons I can neither remember, nor fathom.
This questions was actually Slashdot-worthy? Ya know, unlike a certain other board, Slashdot actually was good at some point in the past... But to answer the last question I'll ever answer here: tattoos are meant to be personal. If you have to ask someone else if/what you should get permanenly marked on your skin, you should probably not be considering getting a tattoo at all. Operating under the assumption that you'll go ahead with it, are there mathematical formulas and/or symbols that actually mean something to you on an emotional level? Those are what you should get. Seriously, though, don't take any answers from here. If you do, you'll be just like every other tattooed hipster douchebag trying to be socially ironic: permanently stamped with FAIL.
"You know you're narcissistic when you quote yourself in your sigs." -- PRoPAiN!
If you can't decide on the tattoo you want on your own, without any outside help, you do not need this tattoo.
Not an atomically correct one. Mathematical curve. I've seen this one somewhere before:
((x^2)+(y^2)-1)-(x^2)(y^3)=0
e^2=m^2c^4+p^2c^2
Since I think it pretty much symbolizes all that is amazing about modern science. That mass and energy, mass and waves, everything, is fundamentally the same thing. That massless objects have energy just live massive objects. This is really why i hate the simplified form, as it does not express the full beauty of the world, only that we can make atomic bombs. I think the full equation would remind me that the world is not as simple as some want it to be, but still reducible and beautiful.
Though some people think that integrals and the like are sexy, so I would include some of those. And maybe some div and grad, maybe the god said type thing.
And then the bra-ket stuff is always fun.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
So, if you tattoo equations on your arm, would it be considered cheating on a physics test? On one hand, you aren't memorizing the equations, on the other hand, they will always be with you, which is a lot like memorization. Even better some might say.
A unique way to learn a language: http://languageloom.com
You could get = 3.314... It just would take forever for the tattoo artist to complete it.
I always thought it would be rad to see a tattoo of the Mandelbrot set.
More like he'll take that claim with him to the grave.
Such are tattoos and unprovable conjectures.
Don't get any tattoos. I can only name 2 people that I know that don't have something...
The older I get, the older that the "hip" crowd gets, and it just looks plain pathetic to be 30+ and have all these tattoos... Just think how bad the population is going to look 20 years from now - you'll have all these 40 yr olds that have way too much "ink" and you'll have none. I can't wait to be one of the very very few people who can say "I didn't get a tattoo because I wanted to be unique" at my 20 yr high school reunion.
The ultimate geek tattoo :P
E=mc2
Cant you get a tattoo that divides by zero and turn yourself into a living bomb?
I have a physics PhD and occasionally interview people for software jobs. Like most people in technical organisations these days, I'm pretty relaxed about what you look like; I don't really care if you turn up to interview in a suit or in jeans and a T-shirt, as long as it (and you) are clean and smell OK. Most days I wear the same outfit myself.
But if you turned up with G = 8\pi T tattooed on your arm, I would just think you were weird.
You can't take a tatoo off without pain and misery...
Thirty years from now that tat is going be ugly as crap
Possible infections, ink poisoning, skin rash & allergies
Loosing a promotion, all sorts of other inequalities...
You can always change a shirt, throw it away, make a new one, change your mind... whatever. It's true that a tattoo says/means nothing these days, but sometimes it does.
And if you do get a tat, make sure you don't have to wear long sleeve shirts everyday - what a pain!
I said no... but I missed and it came out yes.
How about the Periodic table of elements... :)
I've been thinking about getting my name and my kids names in binary around my bicep.
If I'm ever found dead a decently intelligent detective / should be able to identify me and notify my next of kin. :-p
The Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms for set theory (with or without choice, according to your taste).
E = MC^2 (Most famous one after all)
F = MA
Newton's law of gravity
Intel Inside logo. The best place to get this tattoo is on your head. You can cover it with you hair or a hat unless you're at quakecon then you can get girls with it. Trust me I know!!
Because that may be as close as you're going to get to it with tattoos like that.
I hope you live in a cold climate, because you will look silly going to a job interview with long sleeves in July.
I have been involved with hirings before and after tattoos became more acceptable. If all things are equal between candidates, I would pick the clean-cut person who does not have tattoos plastered all over his body. In this job market I would avoid doing anything permanently that could possibly impact getting a job. Color you hair, even body piercing may look like acne scars in a couple of years. Just avoid doing something you may regret 20 years from now, unless you are already in your 50's and you expect to be dead or retired in your 70's.
While I personally do not want to get a tattoo, each person must decide for themselves if a tattoo is right for them. However, a there is a good test that one can perform in deciding whether to get a tattoo, and which one to get.
1. Draw the equation/design in PENCIL on regular paper
2. Take silly putty and press down on the design.
3. Stretch the putty in different directions so that you know what the design will look like in 20 years.
I have heard about a female that got a tattoo of a butterfly around her belly button. After 3 children, I am told that it now looks like a pterodactyl being struck by lightning. I have seen a rose tattooed on a woman's breast that was turning into a long stem rose.
If you are going to tattoo an equation, make sure that the equation you have in 20 years is the same one that you originally wanted.
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
periodic table lower back tattoo.
You report, Slashdot decides
Prevueing you're poast ownly hellps iff ewe no how two spel inn teh furst plase
What? A fermata symbol?
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
Get tats of chicks with big boobs -- boobs can never, ever be proven wrong.
"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
Here's what Stephen Hawking has said he wants on his tombstone: S = (pi.A.k.c^3)/(2.h.G) It's the formula for the entropy of a black hole, also the maximum amount of entropy possible in a volume of space. It's interesting and extremely insightful into the nature of the universe because all the values on the right-hand-side are constants except for A (the area). So it says that the amount of entropy in a black hole, and also the maximum amount of entropy possible, is directly proportional to the surface area! This is very counter-intuitive and is related to the holographic principle.
Atheism is a religion to the same extent that not collecting stamps is a hobby.
I would advice against tatoos but if you must do not forget e^(i Pi) = -1 (use the greek letter and superscripts)
Everyone from frat boys to grandmothers have tattoos now... If you want to buck the system and stick it to the man, go without tattoos.
This one would give a nice large tattoo.
:)
This is a T-shirt sold at CERN.
This equation neatly sums up our current understanding of fundamental particles and forces. It represents mathematically what we call the standard model of particle physics. The top line describes the forces: electricity, magnetism and the strong and weak nuclear forces. The second line describes how these forces act on the fundamental particles of matter, namely the quarks and leptons. The third line describes how these particles obtain their masses from the Higgs boson, and the fourth line enables the Higgs boson to do the job. Many experiments at CERN and other laboratories have verified the top two lines in detail. One of the primary objectives of the LHC is to see whether the Higgs boson exists and behaves as predicted by the last two lines.
I have one.
Alvie
http://nuclear.ucdavis.edu/~tgutierr/files/sml.pdf
You should tattoo pi * 1337%
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
A couple of my science/geek tattoos:
Hemoglobin, because I work for some folks doing amazing stuff in molecular dynamics (and it's easy to spin some superficial symbolism about hemoglobin on top of my heart):
http://picasaweb.google.com/david.mertz/HemoglobinTattoo
A Julia set sleeve (just for fun):
http://picasaweb.google.com/david.mertz/FractalTattoo#
There's also perhaps something a little bit geeky about writing a tattoo in proto-Indoeuropean (and International Phonetic Alphabet):
http://picasaweb.google.com/david.mertz/IAmNot#
Buy Text Processing in Python
http://www.psych.uni-goettingen.de/home/ertel/ertel-dir/morehome/4gallerypast/4.04gravesofrenownscientists.html
See Discovery Magazine's 25 photographs/photos. slideshow.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
I have the equation for a qubit on the inside of my right wrist.
It's discrete enough for me not to look like a thug, and it can easily be covered with long sleeves.
Although quantum computing will change dramatically over time, this statement of the qubit will always be true, because it's a logical expression.
The only problem is when a girl sees it and asks what it means- I then have to give a vague answer, or risk boring her with geekdom.
I dream of a girl who will say 'No no, I really want to hear the long version! Maybe you could explain it to me at your place?'
The "no visible tattoo" policy is the antithesis of the 1st Amendment.
Please people, read the first amendment and try to understand it.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
It starts - and pay attention - "Congress shall make no law".
Do you see anywhere that Congress has made a law that says visible tattoos are bad?
This is a corporate policy. If you are hired, they are welcoming you in the door onto their property - on their terms. If they say you have to wear purple underwear to work here, guess what? YOU DO.
Employment is optional. Nobody has to give you a job. If they don't like your tattoos they don't have to hire you. It is really as simple as that. You have to do what the boss says - it's a job. It is not a right.
So back OT, to the guy who wants a sleeve of math equations, my advice would be DON'T. It's fun, it's nerdy, I can see the appeal. But you are limiting your options.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
You could always have the formula for the Planck Length tattooed on your penis.
Just sayin'...
Proof that tattoos in the world's culture are about to jump the shark...I keeeeed :)
Get this:
The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the square of the other two sides.
I cannot stress this enough. If you are getting an equation tatooed on you, make sure you get someone with EXCELLENT typography. The letters themselves can be just as beautiful as the meaning behind them.
Also, I have a penchant for the Golden Ratio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio).
or identity. Was it the first equation that really gave you a love for math or science, or woke you up to the beauty of creation? Is it something that speaks to who you are and how you live your life? If it's that or something like that you've thought about for years, then it will never get old or feel silly when you are old.
That's the answer I would give you to all the people here who are reflexively panning the idea of tattoos. I got two myself over twenty years ago that I thought long and hard about, a 17th century haiku by Onitsura and a passage from the Tao de Jing. I don't think about them much now, but when I do, they still exemplify core beliefs of mine and I'm happy to have them.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
how about u get one million digits of Pi on your back!!!
Like this!
$ unzip, strip, touch, finger, grep, mount, fsck, more, yes,fsck,fsck,fsck,umount, sleep
Tattoo one of those Resistor color code charts on your arm so you never have to worry about forgetting.
When the Mayan apocalypse happens in 2012 or the Sun Rays get us in 2013 and knock out all civilization you will still be able to navigate yourself to Margaritaville.
open source sub sim. I might start coding again for this. http://dangerdeep.sourceforge.net/contribute/
Drop the formula. Go for the symbol pi. e could also be a choice, except you will look like you are promoting drugs.
Glyphs in any alphabet are meant to be high-contrast and read at close distances. A tattoo should be distinguishable from further away, imnsho.
Also - if you need to ask, you shouldn't do it.
That's easy. Go for Pi. As in all the digits that will fit in tiny print across your body from your head to your feet. Sure, it'll be highly painful and but you'll get to laugh derisively when people ask you why you've got "a bunch of random" numbers tattooed all over you. And think of the pick-up lines! "Hey baby, care to come back to my place to see the millionth digit of Pi?"
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Whatever law or theorem or general saying you decide to go with...dont just write it, embedd it into a QR code using a QR code generator, and get that tatooed instead...its what I plan on doing
Embrace your non-conformity:
pi=3
The definition of Y in lambda calculi.
But really, don't put this thing in a too obvious place: you may regret it. Your forehead would be a fine compromise.
I was going to recommend a 'Pigeon flying over a Volcanic Island' tattoo.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
Like the Chinese geometric proof of 3-4-5 triangles or a Fibonacci spiral would be good choices, since they're aesthetically pleasing as well as mathematical.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
The Schrodinger wave equation?
I know for certain that I'm going to include some of Maxwell's equations, and definitely Ohm's Law.
Just last week, someone told me that on his final test for a class the prof had them derive Ohm's from Maxwell's, so this would be a great way to get BOTH in one!
Hope you have your back open, I bet you'll need it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal
Yeah, but how low is your self-esteem if you give a shit whether the bag-boy at the market thinks you look stupid?
Tattoo your IQ, because no one will believe it is more than 80 once you join the tat set. :)
Get a tattoo of the name of your ex-girlfriend.
Don't like the idea? You might not be so keen on your current idea in a few years.
They Pythagorean Theorem is just the Law of Cosines for a restricted set, so why not go with the more general solution?
Well, there's always the classics, a pen holding pocket protector on the chest; a slide rule on the fore-arm; and (for those adventurous enough to get a face tattoo) horn rim glasses.
Rules of Conduct:
#1 - The DM is always right.
#2 - If the DM is wrong, see rule #1
The best choice: S = k log W. Jus' representin', for my homey that didn't make it.
"I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain
Probably just showing my ignorance, but I thought the OP was asking about fake tats printed on a sleeve. Possibly for cheating on exams....
Could be "cool" in the right circles (anyone else recall the episode of Big Bang Theory where two of the cast went clubbing with sleeves?)
If the OP is serious about it, in addition to the photoshop etc. recommended ... a trial run with a Henna artist might be worthwhile.
Each to their own, if it's what you want do it whatever we /. folks say.
3x9[1]. What a coincidence[2]. :-))
[1] http://xkcd.com/759/
[2] http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0016356/
cb
I define almost any tatoo as pointless. Besides how stupid were you 10 years ago?
--
So who is hotter? Ali or Ali's Sister?
I've always wanted a small box (maybe an inch square) with "Pb" and it's atomic mass on my right foot.
If you are asking this question then you should not be getting a tattoo. You should know what you want its going to be tattooed forever on your body. Get something that means something to you forever not just get something that is cool. Cool changes these tattoos don't.
http://www.thetechnologygeek.org
If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. The Mandlebrot Fractal would be my choice.
I'm a Programmer. That's one level above Software Engineer and one level below Engineer.
I would suggest something that is personally significant and perhaps associated with an event. A generalized "I want a tattoo" choice will likely be regretted IMO.
I'm a physicist. I got the covariant for of the Maxwell equations as an arm band when I made tenure a few years ago. I'd wanted one like it for about a decade but kept thinking I would change my mind when I became more mature and professional. I'm afraid this is as mature and professional as I'm likely to get. I do optics-ish stuff, so it's meaningful to me. I like it, no regrets. There's also some comfort in knowing that these are the only equations in physics that remain unchanged in relativity and quantization.
If you have to ask which equations to use, you probably shouldn't do it. If you truly live and breathe equations, it should come naturally. If you don't live and breathe equations, you probably shouldn't do it. Tattoos are for the rest of your life, so they should be meaningful to YOU. Not meaningful to the people responding to this thread.
The Y combinator: y f = f (y f).
Quicksort in Haskell:
qsort [] = []
qsort (x:xs) = qsort (filter (< x) xs) ++ [x] ++ qsort (filter (>= x) xs)
The unification algorithm, if you need to use up some space.
NOOB
If you're not smart enough to answer this question, please don't get the tattoo
I find your hint of wearable displays very interesting. e-ink tattoos!
__
Men with no respect for life must never be allowed to control the ultimate instruments of death.
GW Bu
A tattoo is a very simple thing to understand and apply. It must mean something to *you*. No one else, and for no other reason. Anyone telling you if you should or shouldn't, or what to get (or not get) needs to mind their own business. Your body, your story. Tell it how you want.
If you have to ask what to get, don't get one.
But only if you can explain the strange attractors to a hot chick.
You should tatoo a "GET-A-LIFE!" on your forehead, pal!
I've been tattooed for around 20 years now. Never had a problem getting a job. Sure, there are bound to be a few wound up pricks passing judgment. But I've meet very few. It's probably because narrow minded people do poorly with hiring - selecting employees based on stuff unrelated to job performance. I'm smart and good at what I do, and that's always been more than enough to get the positions I want. Being tattooed hasn't limited me socially, either. I'm married to an extremely attractive woman. She is a physician. And in fact, many of her colleagues are tattooed.
"Sure, eventually you can win someone over when they get to know you but many folks won't give you the chance if you look like a fad chasing lemming that permanently disfigures themselves to follow a trend. "
Look - I don't know how old you are, but kids do impulsive and capricious things. It has been my experience that these kind of people are a lot of fun. You come off as really sour. Loosen up, have some fun - you might make some friends.
46 & 2
i would just go for 42. it's a number, so it should fit in the categories above...
Anyone who would mark their body for life needs to have their head examined. The subject matter really doesn't matter. All tattoo's look like hell especially over time.
And get off my lawn.
"We're all raised to be a part of this machine, and one cannot simply find some nice, fertile spot of land to raise crops and lovestock these days. "
Well...whatever floats your boat AC.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
has anyone said yet "hay tattoos r bad and you shouldn't get 1 cuz they look bad later in life?" just wanna b sure this guy knos lololololol.
Seriously people, how many variations of "don't get a tattoo" do we need to post? Your "i'm more intelligent than you because I didn't get ink on my body" pose isn't fooling anyone - you aren't going to "laugh at people later in life" because they got a tattoo, you are going to be the same quiet, nonconfrontational nerd you are today and you won't say a goddamned thing. Except maybe online.
That's why you are posting comments like this on a message board in the first place - if you really thought it was "stupid" you would just frown and ignore it like the rest of the world instead of feeling the need to post your superior opinions on the internet.
And this is coming from someone who has no tattoos whatsoever. GET OVER YOURSELVES.
but i'd go with the Lagrangian of the Standard Model.
On a site where users are meant to be smarter than average, it is disapointing to see so much ignorance.
tattoos are a fad, they are dangerous, they are lame, make you look trashy etc...
what crap.
I have 4 tattoos, and each of them correspond to a significant point in my life, despite the pictures themselves being somewhat meaningless apart from the fact I like them. None except the small one on my arm are visible if I wear a t-shirt, and I have never had any problem.
As I get older, as I lose friends or gain them or have new experiences, I kind of like having some marks on my body that remind me of key milestones in my life. Obviously it isn't necessary, but it isnt trashy or lame or whatever ignorant generalization people are projecting.
please slashdotters, just educate yourselves, because at the moment you sound just like religious extremists or some other equally ignorant set of fools.
Here is my rule for tattoos: Select the exact design and location you want to have. If you still want that exact design and location in ten years, then get it. Otherwise, or if you change the tattoo or its location even in some minute point within those ten years, the clock starts over.
I'd personally get a Calabi-Yau manifold. I don't understand the math around them, the science that uses them might not really be science at all, but they look cool as hell.
Equations, sadly (and blocks of text in general), don't make very good tattoos.
If you're really keen to go through with this, try looking for something that visually more interesting but still geeky. As an example, I know a math teacher that has the graphical example of the Pythagorean Theorem as a tattoo. Find some visually interesting geekery that's specifically important to you or your work... maybe a nice Penrose tiling.
Fermat's last theorem, on your .. oh I won't say it, because it's so obvious.
This can be a nod to the ATT/Bell monopoly or a tip of the hat to bad rap/hip-hop artists everywhere!
Ebers Moll equation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_junction_transistor
Either that, or just the number of 25.8070. (sqrt of 666) (If $ is the root of all evil, what is the square root of all evil?)
This is the most poignant question you've seen in a long time? Seriously?
Ok, look. Here's some wiki for you.
2,332,760 / 4,314,880 * 100% = 54%
54% of the arable land in North America is not utilized. If you want to live on a farm go do it. Uncle Sam will even help. But if you're totally punk rock and don't want to "be part of the machine", then go be Amish. They manage it pretty well.
The reason why nobody actually does this is because that way of life is stupefyingly difficult. Up before dawn to a full day of hard labor every single day.
Go spend a week on a real farm. Just a single week. I'm sure they'd be glad for the help. I'll bet you don't last two days. I doubt I would.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
The only idea I can come up with for a tattoo for myself is my blood type, O+, which could be turned into an o-times, the matrix operator, if combined and turned on its side by 45 degrees.
I'd probably have them put it over one the veins in my arm, if I weren't a pussy, or cheap, or afraid of blood poisoning.
I would go for some basic electronics building blocks like a folded cascode differential amplifier with current mirror load and differential to single ended conversion. If that is too large just leave out the folded cascode. A Gilbert cell would be another good tattoo.
Don't get a science tattoo. You will be marked for death in the idiocracy.
Tattoos are for trash. It's why criminals and the lower class have them in such great numbers. I'll make an exception for soldiers.
Everyone I know who is an engineer and has a tattoo are hipster dorks that are aging faster than their imagined coolness can mitigate. The older ones already hide their tattoos. You won't get jobs for your non-standard appearance and you'll look increasingly pathetic as every year ticks by.
Getting a tattoo is like having a nose ring or dying your hair green. It only works when you are in your twenties. Thing is, you can grow your hair out and take your ring off but you are stuck with the tattoo for life.
This question is like asking if you should get diamond encrusted grillz for your teeth, or if you should do body modification and split your wiener in two. Smart, logical, rational, thinking people that read Slashdot know that kind of crap is for trash only, the kind of people who are career criminals or work as a roadie or install roofing when they aren't punching their pregnant girlfriend.
The answer to life the universe and everything...
Careful! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7706225/Henna-tattoos-linked-to-leukaemia-risk.html
Henna tattoos can give you cancer! Personally I know a person who got leukaemia from henna tattoos!
f=ma
Nothing more important than that.
You don't think that some ideas or symbols are worth marking your body with?
I have a tattoo of the symbol for infinity on the center of my back. Any T-shirt covers it up so 95% of the people I meet haven't seen it and don't even know I have ink. I got the tattoo after thinking of the idea and considering it for 1 or 2 years. My Dad took me to the artist who did all of his tattoos right after my high school graduation ceremony, and paid for it as a graduation present.
I got the tattoo because the concept of infinity is closely related to immortality, timelessness, and endless life. It's ironic to tattoo a symbol for timelessness on a mortal body that will eventually wither, die, and rot. Therefore the tattoo is a personal reminder to live life to the fullest because it doesn't last forever.
The tattoo is not a cheap joke. It's not a kitschy idea. I don't show it at parties to get a laugh out of people. It's a very personal reminder to be happy and enjoy life.
You're right that it's very important to consider that tattoos last for the rest of your life (but not forever), and that they will eventually fade and possibly be warped by the wrinkling and sagging of skin. It's important to think about a tattoo for a long time before getting it to make sure that you want it, and it's also important not to get a tattoo of some political or scientific position you have that might change in the future. A tattoo of a flower is simple and timeless; flowers will always represent life, love, and beauty, and the tattoo could mark some important life event (such as my high school graduation). A tattoo that says "Bush Sucks" or "Jesus Saves" might not be a good idea because you might not always feel that way.
So, in summary, some tattoos are indeed stupid, but the idea that getting a tattoo is inherently stupid is a stupid idea. I'm not worried about my tattoo fading or wrinkling because it's a tattoo about aging and death anyway; the whole point is that it won't be there forever. The next tattoo I'm going to get will simply read "no hope, no fear" and I've been sure that I want it for over a year.
By Paul D. Graham, Peter T. Elliot, Kevin G. Gallagher
Has nobody mentioned the elegant subdivisions of a golden ratio tattoo? I've seen several, and they're all quite nice.
if you don't know what to get. have the "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." tattoed until you know what you want!
Use this picture of John "Horned" Conway. (Here's the math behind it.)
R = U / I
because it's the definition of electrical resistance. IMHO Ohm's law says that I ~ U, but only when R is constant (which is not the case in soo many situations, but you'll know that)
If i had to pick one it would be Schroedinger's equation, three-dimensional and time dependant of course. Should be a great opener for small talk but any of these will definitely make you look, well, geeky.
BTW: what about a URL ?
Do you have any evidence that any of your math heroes had tattoos? If no, you might want to rethink getting those.
With all the things to "invest" in, in the world, all the charitable causes or cool tech, tattoos fall way down the list between retarded and lame.
My boss goes through some employees, and without fail, the ones with the most tattoos do the worst and get canned the soonest. Not that this proves much overall, but anecdotally I have noticed it working around the country for some decades in several different fields. Ya, I know it is trendy and all, but it is what I have seen. People who think tattoos are important...I question their overall values and decision making on other topics as well, especially when done to extreme excess, and a full "sleeve" would be extreme and excess, IMO.
Not meant to flame, just a word of caution and really think about it beforehand, project out when you are older, do you really think you will like them then, or that it will really improve your life to any degree or really influence people for the better?
Geeky tattoos aren't even rare. Check out this site. Some of them are really clever/impressive.
There's also the site "geekytattoos.com", but it seems more focused on gaming and geek culture.
"99 dead duelists of Dios on the wall. 99 dead duelists of Dios! Take one's ring, pass it around..."
P(A|B)P(B) = P(B|A)P(A)
If you like Ohms law and Maxwell's equations, you must have some interest in electrical engineering. As such, don't forget the graphics. I highly recommend the right hand rule ripped off directly from , IEEE,
The coolest one I've seen was on a girl who had the digits of e (2.71828183...) spiraling around her arm...
I'd say be nerdier than that and get a Feigenbaum number (or, in the same vein, a Bifurcation Diagram).
where ** is a superscript
Besides looking geeky cool, if you're ever abducted by aliens you'll be able to use it to find your way home (or, alternatively they'll be able to use your empty skin husk to find more tasty treats).
The integral of E to the X power equal a function U to the N power :)
98% of people who get a tattoo feel immediate strong remorse and wish they hadn't. Seriously.
Get the design you want, print it out, then hang it on your wall for TWO YEARS. Somewhere where you can't avoid seeing it many times per day. If you still like it after two years, then go for it.
Sister company Think Geek pay attention. Business opportunity here to make these for geeks!
To Answer OP's question, I suggest Pythagorean's Thoerum. Too simple?
Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.
but you have to get all the digits.....
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
A full body periodic table might work.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Imagine.
No corporate job. :)
I could cope with that.
Do you have enough room for a proof of Fermat's theorem?
2+2=4
i > U
from T-shirt avail at thinkgeek
Interesting. Among other things, the United States Constitution says:
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Does the Constitution specifically state that the federal government has the power to legislate on the topics you mentioned?
That's all you need.
Escape Pod Films: Sketch Comedy and Web Series
I would question whether anyone with tattoos actually is any kind of geek, especially a math or science geek. We're supposed to be logical and have superior reasoning abilities, and there's absolutely nothing logical or reasonable about getting ink permanently injected into your skin.
There's nothing logical or reasonable about making your toaster run linux either, but it's considered a mark of true geekdom. Not all geeks have to be Vulcans. I think getting a tattoo of physics equations or a perl script or whatever to be incredibly geeky.
If you want art, get it on paper or canvas so you can pass it down to your descendants, not something that's destined to die when you do and that you can never sell or easily get rid of.
You can pass down your tattoo to your descendants... Just leave instructions in your will to be skinned and have your hide turned into a nice human-leather wall-hanging. (There's also photos & memories if you're squeamish).
Tattooing is a fad that comes and goes over the years; it was popular among the flappers in the 1920s and popular among WWII and Korean War soldiers. Today's tattoo fad comes to us courtesy of the American Prison Syetem, just like that other retarded fad, the pants halfway down with boxers showing.
Now tell these guys to GOML with their illogical fad following. Here's a hint for them -- you're never cool when you're trying to be. If you have tattoos, you might not belong at slashdot.
I know you're an old-timer, but tattoos aren't just for felons and soldiers anymore. They have actually achieved pretty wide mainstream acceptance. Kind of like how computers aren't just for geeks anymore.
Now, personally, I know I'm too fickle to commit to something that permanent on my body. But if other geeks want to decorate their skin with some geek-tribe symbols, I totally approve.
P.S. Discrimination for employment (or anything else) based on the existence of a tattoo should be punished as harshly as discrimination based on race, hair color, or sexual orientation. (However, an employer should be free to set a policy that tattoos must be covered while in uniform, as long as that policy is applied equally).
Knowledge != Intelligence
Don't alot of non-geek students write equations on their arm?
The Korporations ARE Kongress!
I've been thinking about getting a von Karman vortex street tattoo for years now. Maybe like one of those tribal patterns some people get around their upper arms. But cooler. Main thing that keeps me away is that getting my first tiny tattoo was nerve-wracking enough! I don't like needles...
http://unrulednotebook.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/turb_cyl_karman_vortex.png
Don't do it.
a pink triangle
As a signal processing engineer I'd vote for Nyquist theorem. :)
Integral of function infinity (x) = 42
What that looks like:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WhddCSlkIyzikdrGnetDGw?feat=directlink
Purple underwear? I'll wear pink and tell them it faded.
You know that to leave MIT your final test is to move a burning chalice off a pedestal, forever burning B = mu(H) into your left forearm and J = sigma(E) on your right forearm.
Be careful, if you have those marks and haven't earned them the MIT ninjas will visit you in the dead of night...
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
The Schrödinger equation is rather important. Also, not "some" of Maxwell's - go for all 4 of them... just leave room for magnetic monopoles in case they ever show up :)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Gospers_glider_gun.gif
Pick a frame.
With the first link, the chain is forged.
Order your knife through the company purchasing system. That is what I did.
How about 09 F9 {...}? Atleast you'll have an "illegal" tatoo..
.. was the UPC bar code for the book "Soylent Green" on my shoulder.
Regardless whether you are a scientist of engineer or how correct, at a fundamental level, the laws you plan to tattoo are one thing is certain: you had better not be planning to sit any more exams otherwise you may end up being skinned alive either literally or figuratively depending on your choice before the exam.
why would you get an equation tattoo when you could get a graph of said equation to illustrate it?
Butt-head:I'm gonna get a tattoo of a butt!
Beavis:Oh yeah, well I'm gonna get a tattoo of a butt, on my butt!
Butt-head:Oh yeah, well I'm gonna get a tattoo of a butt that has a butt-shaped tattoo on it. And I'm gonna get it right on my butt!
Beavis:Yeah, me too!
I think all tattoos should hopefully mean something to the person wearing them, so my advice here would be not to take any advice on what to get or not to get. Listen to your heart (herp derp) and get something that really speaks to you or who you are or the things you love. Just getting a tattoo that fits into your lifestyle well doesn't mean you're going to like it 50 years down the road, or that it will even mean anything to you at that point.
Fake Tattoo sleeves as seen on The Big Bang Theory.
No geek with an ounce of dignity would associate themselves with The Big Bang Theory. ;)
Also, there are at least two versions of fake tattoos, already. Temporary rub-on tats, and henna tats.
Want to make a statement at your next interview? Do a henna sleeve.
It'll impress them
-- This space for lease, low setup fee, inquire within!
As far as I remember, it took 300 years to solve it again, because Fermat was a poor fellow, paper was very expensive, and he just ran out of paper.
Why permanently deface your body? IMHO tatoos are ugly. A whole arm of formulae sounds especially ugly. Besides it screams "I'm a nerd" so no sex for you.
Has it all.
Yep. That was what I thought of, too. That, and how it would've saved Arnold Rimmer from smudging his crib notes in Red Dwarf.
You have received this message in error.
your body's a temple and all that. I don't think there's anything wrong with a bamboo tattoo as long as u don't go over the top. The Maori have always got them. Something to look at if u ever find urself in a concentration camp.
I've really only thought of one thing that I'd want to have tattooed onto my body:
DONOR just below the collar bone.
BLOODTYPE (whatever)
And then a line around the organs on my donor list (heart, lungs, kidneys and liver). My eyes are also on the list, but I really don't want to have a tattoo on my face.
...that when you consider your cannon (assuming 155mm, most common field artillery size in Western armies) has a lethal burst radius of 100m... sometimes "close enough" really IS close enough.
DG
Want to learn about race cars? Read my Book
Bee the German theoretical physicist at the Perimeter Institute here in Canada has a recent post about scientific tattoos on her blog Backreaction. It includes to nice photos of scientists with scientific tattoos on their arms:
http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-do-people-get-tattooed.html
I have for the last twenty years have been trying to persuade myself into getting a tattoo of Schrodingers wave equation, someday I will, or maybe not.
I haven't read all the replies, but I'm surprised that so far I haven't heard any mention of the amazing mandelbrot set. That could make for an interesting background at the least. If I were to do it, it would likely be some mosaic of all the most interesting math I could find, with probably some overlay of mandelbrot and the golden number (like, many many of the digits closely-packed) as the background. It would certainly take some time (yes, for me, probably years) to figure out what the foreground would be. Very interesting and introspective-inducing post. Shame on all those who preach "no tattoo" to someone clearly interested in a tattoo.
Make a list of all the suggestions that you're getting here, and make sure that what you pick isn't on that list.
Otherwise, it's not really an expression of whom really you are; it would be more confirmation that you're seeking to join a klatsch.
Seems appropriate.
Of course, attaching an autistic spectrum disorder to a view different than yours is logical too.
Then, also, you won't have to "save up" for tattoos.
I happen to like that show. :) Now for an "as seen on..." item, that won't exactly have me and my money parting.
As for sex with a freaky pierced girl, gotta love that. :)
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
Of course, it will never be finished...
Probably you shouldn't get something permanently on your body that might get you in trouble in tests...
apart from that: "e^(i*pi)=-1" and "knuth is my homeboy" and some chuck norris facts of course...
The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
The fact that you're even considering this tells me you've never been laid, and going through with this is certainly not going to help your situation. Perhaps you should spend the money on a good prostitute.
If you have moral objections to that, take a trip or take up a new hobby with some danger to it; add some adventure to your life.
Tattoo's demonstrate someone's inability to extrapolate.
Whenever I see a beautiful girl with a tatt, I always find myself thinking "wow, she's nice .... oh, what a pity, she's scribbled on herself"
If you really want to get a geek tattooo, get one of those programmable ones featured on thinkgeeks a while ago. They lay a grid of e-ink into your arm, then you can set them to whatever you want with a wand. Really want to impress the chick you met last night? Get her name into your arm and don't tell her its programmable. New girlfriend? Change the name. Going to work? Set all pixels to off.
as a runner/engineer I'd have to go with v1t+1/2at^2
I have some friends who have have had tattoos and the view from them is that you need to consider both the significance to you and the art of the Tattoo. a lot of text, how dull is that and do you get the writing upside down or the right way up, (who will be reading it) Maybe find one of those formulas that forms crazy patterns when graphed and get the formula tattooed in the line of the graph.
But seriously draw what you want on your arm with a pen and then look at the art of it from a distance(in a mirror or photo), if it doesn't look good don't get it done, whatever the perceived significance.
Suppose you decide at some time in the future that you'd like to take a few courses? What special arrangements will the examiners have to make to keep you from cheating? Flay you?
Just because tatoos are trendy, that doesn't mean they aren't trashy.
The A side of a slide rule on your left arm and the B side of a slide rule on your right arm.... Then when the apocalypse happens you'll still be able to compute
Good News - it's pretty.
Bad News - It'll take awhile.
Pug
An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media
mobius strip instead of barbed wire around the bicep
- or a Klein bottle made to look like your heart
Why not get your Identity incorporated into your tattoo? That way you can show who you really are.
It will allow you to perform linear transformations.
In order to estimate these probabilities properly, I'd start by tattooing Bayes' Rule into my arm.
Some of my favs are: e^(pi*i)+1=0 and pi% of 1337 = 42
Some might consider the Trekker option closer to fine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencf0618/4719438855/
I've several palm-sized tattoos, all covered up. And mathemamatically, I'd go with phi.
1) original proof of the 4 color theorem
2) classification of finite simple groups
good luck
I was wondering how he could possibly hope to fill up a sleeve. Pi is *perfect* for this.
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510... ...and as many more as he needs, in whatever is the smallest size the tattoo artist can make while still being legible.
Last post!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feynman_diagram
You think like a ReThuglican Jew
Ada Lovelace in a bikini.
Unless the "boobs" have names like "Rush Limberger" and "Glenn BeXX" ... Edible puns make great tats in the right places!
You probably don't want to copy him directly, but I was impressed by Thomas Scovell's Obfuscated C Code Tattoo.
Unexpect the expected!
Henna/mehindi - stinks. Having a stinky arm - will not impress anyone.
"Don't ask me, i'm just a girl"
Tattoos always seem to represent what people don't do. The giant dude with the screaming bloody skulls is usually pretty quiet and nice, where the guy with the crosses or angels wings is probably a sex offender. The tribal designs are for pretty conformist followers, and the spiritual goji fish water tattoos are often on really shallow people. Case in point, people with japanese symbols couldn't order sushi if it wasn't in english. Tattoos kind of represent whatever it is you really suck at.
If you want to stand out in mathematics, tattoos are not the way to do it.
Get a Fields Medal instead. Much cooler.
First, let me echo the sentiment that you shouldn't get a tattoo. Lots of people have cited good reasons not to; my personal take is that scrawling a tattoo on a human body is like scrawling a mustache on the Mona Lisa- c.f. 1 Cor 3:16-17,6:19. It doesn't matter how artfully done the mustache is.
However, as the professor I had for multivariate analysis said, "I wouldn't encourage anyone to get a tattoo, but if they were determined to get one I'd recommend Generalized Stokes'." It's simple (just 9 symbols) and profound: the integral of the exterior derivative of an (n-1)-form over a n-manifold is the integral of the (n-1) form over the manifold's boundary. The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Green's Theorem, Gauss's Theorem/the Divergence Theorem, and Stokes' Theorem are special cases.
Lines of equations and code and whatnot are cool, but fractals are where it's at. I imagine it'd be fairly involved as far as detail goes, but people have done it. It's about as visually appealing as mathematics gets.
You need more psychedelic art in your life. rhesusmonkey.deviantart.com
You mention you want to include some of Maxwell's equations. In that case, you need to decide on their form. There is the elementary vector calculus form, in which there are four Maxwell equations. The cooler and more elite might use tensor or differential form notation, in which there are only two equations. But the coolest people use the Clifford algebra or biquaternion formulation in which all of Maxwell's equations are contained in one simple equation! It has the advantage of being compact (a good thing in a tattoo), succinct, and only understandable by the elite.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
42
The longer it gets, the more accurate it is! 8^)
Youre not serious?
This guy will be a hit in the clubs "Yeah, thats Ohms Law! Cmon, dont resist me baby"
If you're a nerd you've presumably read the FDA's advice on tattoos.. There's no controlled clinical data on the inks or their systemic effects.
You might think that there's good de facto trial data simply because hundreds of millions of tattoos have been given and many of the recipients have lived to ripe old ages. Sounds OK...but since the pigments are unregulated it's not like there's really large populations of known users. And the huge explosion of tattooing over the last few years, and the concomitant arrival of new inks, makes the longitudinal data less relevant.
Plus your skin is designed to keep stuff out. Do you really want to circumvent that? Once it's inside...well read the part about the dyes showing up in the lymph nodes. Who knows what the toxic doses are?
I'd get things that meant something to me personally, rather than putting it up for some kind of vote.
But what the heck do I know? I'm just some jackass on the internet.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
It contains the most beautiful constants of mathematics (0,1,e,i,pi), addition,subtraction,multiplication, and exponentiation (lacks division)
I have a bust of Darwin tattoo on my upper arm surrounded by animals from the Galapagos. Darwin is a personal favorite and we share a birthday.
'nuff said!
Por favor, moderenme como gracioso ;-)
*** Suerte a todos y Feliz dia!
It's near impossible to wade through all the things that have already been posted, but in case you're looking for a visual library of inspiration, I recommend checking out evolutionary biologist/science writer Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/category/science-tattoo-emporium/
delta G = delta H - T delta S
Italic serif script with nice chunky triangles for the deltas.
Real geeks don't give a damn. Using the research of a great mind at your job is tribute enough.
Real geeks do not flaunt the title of "geek". They don't care.
End of story.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
Tattoos aren't in and of themselves lame. People get all sort of lame tattoos, however....
Obligatory Red vs. Blue (which is a phrase you probably haven't heard in years)...
"I don't care about the Constitution!" --Bill O'Reilly, November 17, 2009
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/files/2008/07/five-kingdoms.jpg
Saw it first in R.Dawkins book. Considering how well evolution is received in our "modern society" I say this tattoo is pretty strong statement of sanity, no? Pardon, I meant neediness, not sanity. Silly me...
try one of those: (Cauchy–Schwarz, Kolmogorov's or Minkowski_inequality (in integral form) ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauchy-Schwarz_inequality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolmogorov's_inequality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minkowski_inequality You may want to include some nice proofs.
Navier–Stokes equations in polar coordinates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navier–Stokes_equations#Derivation_and_description
(the (4) is a subscripted 4.
It's one of those ones that you either get, or you don' ... but it's lots of fun, once you get it, watching (and listening to) someone who doesn't try to figure it out.
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
You'll have to have "42" done somewhere. I mean, that is the ultimate answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything...
Feynman Diagrams. Specifically the diagrams that he painted onto his van.
That way the rest of us can avoid you.
Tattoos are s sure sign that the wearer can't think beyond tomorrow.
6*9=42
Get a Penrose tiling ! That will make the tattoo artist think.
Einstein's field equations. They're pretty as well.
E=mc2 OR
c2=a2+b2
I suggest having a large, perfectly spaced grid tattooed on your back. That way you can track the deformation of your skin over the years. Pretty sweet as a science project.
In physics, I have found that the single most powerful idea is that that if a "special" value is going to be picked out for use in describing nature, it is a local extrema. So I would have something like DELTA(S) = 0
Minimizing the action (Lagrangian) gives you mechanics (both classical and relativistic). It describes the motion of a state configuration through state space to show the thermodynamic evolution of a system. Fermat showed that light takes the path which minimizes transit time, giving the laws of reflection and refraction, I believe. Bubbles take the shapes that minimize surface tension. Laplace's equation in electrostatics gives the electric potential, and can be visualized as a surface which minimizes surface tension. Other of Maxwell's equations can be derived by minimizing electromagnetic energy density, I believe. Feynman offered a derivation of Schroedinger's equation by minimizing a function, and his path integral approach is variational in nature. In general relativity, objects travel along geodesics which minimize their their path length through space-time.
Another foundational concept to consider is the empty set { }
From it, the natural numbers can be "derived"
And that is true for Maoris in New Zeland, Yakuza member in Japan and idiotic teenagers in Western countries.
The question is: why do you need to obtain validation in that way?
As for how they look, sorry, but in general they look ugly and trashy, in Western societies tatoos have never been associated with classy or educated people, that is something you have to deal with once you get one done.
Many many responses here are from people who have negative opinions of tattoos. The general argument that tastes change, and tattoos are permanent. While they are correct, I just wanted to respond by saying not to give too much weight to their opinion.
People's tastes change, it's true. But very few people I know have grown to regret their tattoos. Tattoos are a form of expression, and a lot of people like to have one to express their personality, individuality and artistic taste. I myself have a geeky tattoo, and a decade and half on, I don't regret it :) I personally thought about my tattoo for about a month before I got it. Many people I know thought about it much less, and they don't regret it. If you're the type of person who often make impulsive decisions, you tend to be the type that doesn't fret over what their tattoo means to them now.
My personal advice:
- Avoid getting a tattoo that is visible while wearing business attire. Hands, face, neck, forearm, that sort of thing. It might not be something you do now, but you may be called upon someday to interview for a white collar job, entertain clients, give media interviews, scientific talks, that sort of thing, and visible tattoos aren't considered professional. It can also distract from the content of what you're saying at the time, depending on your audience. You might want to avoid a full sleeve tattoo in case you should ever need to wear a short-sleeve shirt, or roll up your sleeves. But it's not something you can't work with.
- If you should choose to get a tattoo, get something that is especially personal to you. There's nothing so tacky as a barbed wire armband. This doesn't seem like it'd be an issue to you.
- Your friends, social groups, and significant others do change as the years go by. I would avoid getting something that explicitly commemorates a specific relationship to a person or group. Especially true of gang tattoos, although this doesn't sound like this is something you need to worry about.
- Avoid making the decision about tattoos when you're not yourself. By this I mean while you're intoxicated, or maybe under a lot of personal stress. It's during these times we make decisions we wouldn't otherwise have made.
- Tattoos are removable, true. But it's not as cheap as getting them, and it's not convenient. If you have dark coloured skin, there is a higher chance that the removal process will leave a noticeable mark.
- Avoid getting very intricate tattoos. Better tattoo artists will tell you that. Over the years, they do get a little fuzzy. If you want to keep your tattoo looking fresh, you can have them redone every decade, but you need to have a design that can tolerate a little bit of "expansion" on the edges. As cool as the Mandelbrot set is, this is something that will deteriorate over time. For your sleeve of equations, if the print is too fine, it may be the case that some of the smaller print may become illegible or at least less crisp as the years go by. I'm thinking exponents and subscripts and such. Ask your tattoo artist to show you a tattoo they got 10 years ago to get an idea of how they get fuzzy over time.
Should you still decide to get a tattoo, I am sure you will still love it for years to come :)
The equation "e^(pi*i) + 1 = 0" has the elegance of not only being true, but containing the four most important constants in mathematics.
I just tell people that my moles are actually tattoos of a hologram of a unicorn. People really think I'm cool, and I didn't have to do a thing!
I think this is a terrifically cool idea. My advice would be not to put any equation you don't understand, or you'll feel like a tool every time someone asks you to explain it. If you know any quantum mechanics, you could put Bohr's equation for the energy levels of a hydrogen atom. Coulomb's law springs to mind as well.
Good luck!
You just want a permanent crib sheet for your physics exams!
Constitutionally Correct
I think you can safely ignore most of the commenters here (save me, of course!). I, like you, had had an idea for a while that I really wanted (several actually), and the ultimate reason I got the first one is as follows:
My designs, probably as your designs, are symbolic reflections of the past (which is even more permanent and future altering than tattoos) in some abstract sense. In this way the ideas that they communicate are ones that are already permanently embedded into who I am. So get your physics and math sleeve(s) because if you know what they mean then you've definitely put enough time into them that they are permanent fixtures in your mind/personality already, so the ink itself is really just a matter of "wearing your heart on your sleeve" so to speak.
As to your actual question (rather than the tangent 80% of these posts are on), I'd go with the Laplace Transform, a DNA helix, the lowres zoomed out mandelbrot set, the xkcd nerdsniping infinite array of ideal resistors (if you can't have a little fun you're taking everything too seriously), keplers law that governs orbits (been a while since school), and the speed of light in m/s.
Does that make you resistant?
The hex fingerprint for your PGP public key would make a good tattoo. Public Key crypto is deeply mathematical, and you'll be sure to always have your fingerprint available. Include some kind of stylized fingerprint image (meaning an actual human fingerprint, not a mathematical fingerprint) and you might even encounter a handful of stranger's who grok the meaning and invite a key exchange.
Slashdot is not a game, Slashdot is not a game. Crap, I just lost points.
How about Topsy the electrocuted elephant keeling over?
If you are a math geek. meaning you like the pretty symbols and kind of know what they mean, then get wahtever, your a waste, don't care.
If you are a math nerd, then take the money and time and help kids learn math.
Anything else is just worthless penis waving to distract from the fact that you have poor math skills, but feel a compulsion to make the non math people around feel like your smart.
It's not what you say, it's what you do.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
pi=3
? Apparently when other people do it, it doesn't look too hot...
Non-Linux Penguins ?
I am a mathematics and science teacher. After my first year in service, I got a capital Sigma on my right arm, and a capital Delta on the left.
I had been thinking about the Sigma tattoo for years, as I used to be in a math society with that name. I also like simple geometric shapes, so equations were out of the question. Sigma and Delta are nice shapes even when you don't think about the math, and they have multiple meanings in sciences. Looking at the front, you see a sum of changes, which is a description of my bottom-up approach to life.
I also agree with some posters that equations may not be valid forever. That is one more reason why I prefer showing a general attitude of mathematical and scientific thinking.
Actually, these are so-called "body tattoos" that should only last a couple of years, but mine have only slightly faded after six. The only difference to "real" tattoos is the depth. At the time, my then-gf was taking such tattoos to sharpen the edges of her "real" tattoos. I figured if you want sharp geometric shapes, they will blur out eventually, so I would have to redo them anyway after some time.
Being at the traditional location between the shoulder and the elbow, these are easy to hide even with many t-shirts. However, I often use shorter sleeved shirts during the summer, and I have zero problems with students and colleagues seeing them.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
That's what I've got. Nothing like saying everything changes and everything ends--in SCIENCE!
Try it out in henna (or some other semi-permenant ink) first. This has the advantages of 'wait ten years' –specifically, you're not stuck –but also lets you see if you really like it in person, you aren't just imagining it.
Personally, I am not tempted to get a tattoo. In addition to the permenance issue, I think my body is pretty sweet on its own –doubly so if what you want to celebrate is the beauty of the natural world and our understanding of the same.
golden spiral
I can't figure out how to do greek letters in a post. Replace 'omega' with the actual greek character. d'oh!
"omega Sweet omega" which translates to "Ohm Sweet Ohm"
It is unwise to ascribe motive