Milestones of a human lifetime on a log scale

In summary, several biologists think that some of the most important milestones in a person's life are covered in this time period.
  • #1
bob012345
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In another thread the concept of how many seconds in a year came up and it made me think of putting milestones of a human lifetime on a log scale. Units are seconds. Please feel free to amend or change or just make it better. Maybe an actual plot? What strikes me is most of life is in the last decade and a half from 10^8 to about 3x10^9.
UndefinedBirth
10^0First breath
10^1First cry
10^2First sleep
10^3First meal
10^4First ...
10^5eat, sleep....
10^6eat, sleep...
10^7crawl, walk, talk
10^8kid, teen, college, job, marriage
10^9grow old, die
 
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  • #2
Too many words. A picture (a log plot) is worth 10^3 words... :wink:
 
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  • #3
berkeman said:
Too many words. A picture (a log plot) is worth 10^3 words... :wink:
This is more a scale than a plot but yes it could be made with little icons representing the stages of life on a real log scale but that's a lot of work and I am not a graphics designer. It was more the idea than the implementation. Also, I looked but did not find a convenient log plotter online.
 
  • #4
Or it could just be more like this;

timeline.jpg
 
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  • #5
Perhaps changes take place over each period of fifteen years?

0-15: childhood
15-30 young adulthood
30-45 maturity
45-60 middle age
60-75 early old age
75-90 old age
90+ extreme old age
 
  • #6
PeroK said:
Perhaps changes take place over each period of fifteen years?

0-15: childhood
15-30 young adulthood
30-45 maturity
45-60 middle age
60-75 early old age
75-90 old age
90+ extreme old age
It was meant in the spirit of Phil Morrison's Powers of Ten but over time not distance.

 
  • #7
bob012345 said:
Or it could just be more like this;
This is how most people think of history. Fire is the center of time.
 
  • #8
Doesn't this work in reverse as well? Last meal, last breath, last heartbeat?

And even in the middle? First meal today, first breath today, first heartbeat today.

Deep, man, deep.
 
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  • #9
Vanadium 50 said:
Doesn't this work in reverse as well? Last meal, last breath, last heartbeat?

And even in the middle? First meal today, first breath today, first heartbeat today.

Deep, man, deep.
Yes, but where do I put that on the scale?

Also, I could add a section from conception to birth.
 
  • #10
bob012345 said:
Or it could just be more like this;

View attachment 318268
You forgot my birthday!

Oh, no. Wait. The Big Bang is on there.

No worries.

-Dan
 
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  • #11
bob012345 said:
Also, I could add a section from conception to birth.
In this time period are some of the most important milestones in one's life.
So say several biologists.
  • fertilization
  • gastrulation
  • body axis formation
  • etc.
 
  • #12
BillTre said:
In this time period are some of the most important milestones in one's life.
So say several biologists.
  • fertilization
  • gastrulation
  • body axis formation
  • etc.
Not covered in many biographies.
 
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  • #13
berkeman said:
Too many words. A picture (a log plot) is worth 10^3 words... :wink:
1670357267092.png
 
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  • #14
Shouldn't that be on a log plot?
 
  • #15
  • #16
PeroK said:
Not covered in many biographies.
Should be!
 
  • #17
DaveC426913 said:
Nice, but seeing as how a partial picture may not contain enough useful information and multiple pictures just lead to confusion, I think it goes like *this;

desmos-graph (2).png


* function courtesy of prof. P.A.M. Dirac;

##Words(pics)=\frac{1}{a\sqrt{\pi}}e^{-\left(\frac{\operatorname{abs}\left(pics-1\right)}{a}\right)^{2}}\left\{pics≥0, a=0.000565\right\}##
 
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  • #18
Vanadium 50 said:
Shouldn't that be on a log plot?
Fixed.
1670422723229.png
 
  • #19
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What is a log scale and how does it relate to human lifetimes?

A log scale is a way of representing data that spans a large range of values. In the context of human lifetimes, it allows us to see the full spectrum of time from birth to death on a single scale, rather than having to use a linear scale where the majority of the data would be compressed into a small portion of the graph.

What are some common milestones of a human lifetime?

Some common milestones of a human lifetime include birth, first steps, first words, starting school, graduating, getting a job, getting married, having children, retirement, and death.

How does the log scale affect our perception of these milestones?

The log scale allows us to see the relative spacing between milestones more accurately. For example, on a linear scale, the time between birth and first steps may appear the same as the time between first steps and starting school. But on a log scale, we can see that the time between birth and first steps is much shorter compared to the time between first steps and starting school.

What are some limitations of using a log scale to represent human lifetimes?

One limitation is that it can be difficult to accurately represent very short lifetimes, such as those of infants or young children. Additionally, the log scale may not accurately reflect the emotional or psychological significance of certain milestones, as they may hold different meanings for different individuals.

How can understanding milestones on a log scale be useful in research or data analysis?

Using a log scale can help us better understand and visualize patterns and trends in human lifetimes. It can also be useful in comparing lifetimes across different populations or time periods, as it allows us to see the full range of data on a single scale.

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