Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, September 27, 2008 8:55 PM | permalink

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Top 10 Wired Reader Macro Photos, Decided by You

Today’s readings had me thinking about fecundity: a word which finds it’s roots in the French fécond or Latin fecundus  meaning “fruitful”. In the midst of searching for the line of work I am really after (art professor but I often wonder if a career in design of some sort would not absolutely please me), I am struck by how important it has proven to be to make apparent to others that progress of one form or another is being made; that beyond the university my art career continues to be productive. There is a strong sense in terms

of career that like attracts like: if you are working and making you are offered more chances to work and make things.

In reading about theories as to how men know how best to choose a “productive” mate, how realestate agencies are spraying lawns of foreclosed homes with a green dye so that they continue to seem as though they are flourishing,  I started wondering about the ways in  which people search for confirmation of  some sort in visual signifiers that may or may not be on track with the true attribute that will lead to their satisfaction. In the case of the foreclosed homes a green lawn stands as a cosmetic pleasure to decorate what is by far more important: the actual home a person might choose to live in.

Today’s post comes as an excellent follow up to some of the “surface appeal” that was in yesterday’s article postings.

Let us assume for one minute that the “attractiveness” our eyes have come to enjoy are simply preferences of the occipital lobe and are not grounded in any solid reasoning.Today’s project Fecundity Report is a response to the idea that solid information about a person’s “productive” nature can be easily totaled up from bodily characteristics.

Total amount of time spent: 1hr

Total Materials Cost: $0

Total amount of fun had (scale of 1-10): 6