"Meta"-Learning of Metaphysics
Time: Since 2020
Personal Project
Role: Research & Coding
A prototype to Make Learning Zi Wei
(Purple Start Astrology) Easier
background
Metaphysics, in my project, refers to the system or tools that demonstrate and predict the dynamics of people and the world beyond science, such as Zi Wei Astrology in Chinese culture and Constellation in Western culture.
Challenges
A keen metaphysics enthusiast, I believe in its untapped potential to offer fresh world perspectives. However, learners (myself included) face these hurdles:
Every system has numerous elements to remember, from stars to planets. Their permutations are complex, making rote learning tough and impossible.
Existing apps merely present charts and outcomes but lack reasoning, which makes users feeling arbitrary.
Take Zi Wei as an example:
It has 14 main stars split between the northern and southern skies.
Over 100 supplementary stars exist;
Stars reside in 12 Palaces, each combination providing unique readings.
⬆️ Numerous items & combinations and permutations complicate the learning experience
Solution
For learners uniquely, rote memorization is not the optimal way to learn huge amounts of content. It's pivotal to remember:
LESS IS MORE. Simplifying is paramount.
Instead of merely analyzing samples, my design seeks to distill and visualize core system principles, making theories more digestible:
⬆️ Left - First, Enumerate all star combinations. Right - Next, Identify unique traits of individual stars or combinations.
Design Process
From over 120 samples, I deduced that nearly all charts of human beings around the globe (excluding Palace factors) fit into just 6 types. Imagine global charts distilled to a mere six categories—far simpler, right?
I then mapped star connections, deducing rules, and visualizing them in the p5.js editor:
Outcome
The basic being done, this ongoing project was rewarding. It’s not only about hard skills (mainly coding and data visualization) learning, but more than anything, it taught me the principle of understanding the world with SIMPLICITY. While models seem harder to build, the core value and gist are harder to grasp and command. That’s why I switched to learning the fundamentals and essentials of UX, hoping to grasp the gist.
Stay tuned for my progress!
