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| Pascal's
Coin Box
Plastic, Glass, Metal,
Electronic and Mechanical Parts. |
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In this piece, the viewer
must start the action with the insertion of a coin. As the penny moves through
a series of right or left "choices," it alters the configuration so that
the next coin takes a different route. The outcome is demonstrated by Pascal's
Triangle. There are 128 possible paths to the bottom. (That is two raised
to the seventh power, for the coin has two possible directions at each of
seven levels.) The result is an uneven distribution of coins at the bottom
(forming a bell curve). This is due to the varying number of combinations
of choices for each route.
The participant sees it as a sort of game or toy. The appearance is one
of total chance. In reality chance has only a small role. It is similar
to the way one experiences traffic lights when driving in Manhattan. There
is an overall controlling pattern (synchronized lights), but the random
point in time that you enter the system and the interactions you have while
on the street prevent you from seeing the whole. Chance also comes into
play in the slight vibrations which can cause some changes in the states
of the individual flippers.
The apparatus itself has provisions for self-documentation. The right side
of the piece displays a series of 16 counters. A personal computer was employed
to explore the expected outcome. These results are recorded on the top eight
counters, while the actual outcome is indicated on the remaining counters.
to be used only with written permission. |
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