6/14/05 Tool's Fibonacci Sequence

My mind really wandered today at work, so I'm going to try and reconstruct the series of events that led to the following facts. To start, I was listening to what could perhaps be one of the finest albums ever created, Tool's "Lateralus". Many of the lyrics on the album are profound and somewhat cryptic. So I searched for interpretations of the lyrics and came up with Lyrical-Interpretations.com. It's basically a message board where you can post whatever you want.

Then I found this guy's interpretation of the title track. He says, "In my internet scavenging, I had read one review, written by a drummer, who mentioned that Danny Carey's drum beat formed a Fibonacci sequence during the song Lateralus. A drummer myself, I decided to get out the graph paper and follow Danny. I can't play like he can, but at least I can hear everything he's doing, and thus was able to construct the drum tabulature. Sure enough, Danny repeats a Fibonacci sequence through the number 13: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. After 13, he starts again with 1. Bringing in my Algebra 2 knowledge of the Fibonacci sequence, when the equation for the Fibonacci sequence (which I don't actually know) is graphed, it forms a spiral whose vertex depends on the number at which the sequence begins. Coincidence? I began to think not."

I once read about called "The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI". The Fibonacci sequence is directly related to the golden ratio of 1.618. This ratio is found in the shape of sea shells, pineapples, pine cones, the dimensions of the human body - it keeps going. It's kind of fascinating if you're a dork like me. Somebody also mentions that the lyrics start 1.618 minutes into the song. So yeah, lots of hidden messages.

The poster also continues to talk about the Fibonacci sequence in the syllables in the song (almost like a haiku) -

There's a Fibonacci in Maynard's lyrics, specifically the syllables:
black [1]
then [1]
white are [2]
all I see [3]
in my infancy [5]
red and yellow then came to be [8]
reaching out to me [5]
lets me see [3]
there is [2]
so [1]
much [1]
more and [2]
beckons me [3]
to look through to these [5]
infinite possibilities [8]
as below so above and beyond I imagine [13]
drawn outside the lines of reason [8]
push the envelope [5]
watch it bend [3]

Are you still reading? Good. Cuz there's more. I came across this page that talks a little more about the Fibonacci sequence and other hidden messages on that album.

The last song on the album is called Faaip de Oiad. I always wondering what in the world that meant. Someone posts, "There is a language known as Enochian- which is the language of Angels, given to man by Enoch, who walked upon the Earth with god before (everything). "Faaip De Oiad" is Enochian for "Voice of God". "

I've never heard of the Enochian language. Naturally, I look it up. According to this site (and most others), "The Enochian alphabet first appeared during the 16th century. The Court Astrologer and Magician, Dr. John Dee (1527-1608) and his associate, Sir Edward Kelly (1555-1597) claimed that the alphabet and the Enochian language was transmitted to them by angels."

The only other thing I looked up today and couldn't find an answer to is "What is the origin of the knock knock joke?". If you can tell me, please let me know.

I'll try to post something more fun and less informative tomorrow...