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Oxford's Geometry of War and The Hurt Locker

Through the availability of Netflix, we watched The Hurt Locker last night and understood its prominence in the list of the Oscar nominees for 'Best Picture of 2009.'

Illustrations from an exhibition at Oxford's Museum of the History of Science, The Geometry of War, although not exactly comparable to the scenes used in Kathryn Bigelow's film, are elemental enough to illustrate the use of weaponry:

"The mathematicians of the Renaissance applied their geometry to all manner of practical disciplines - from navigation and surveying to cartography and perspective. They aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of geometry as well as its ingenuity and certainty, and to associate it with action, achievement and progress. Many new instruments were designed in this context, as the collections of this museum amply demonstrate."

"Developments in the art of warfare in the late 15th and 16th centuries provided another outlet for geometry, and the mathematicians were quick to respond by devising techniques, designing instruments and writing books. Heavy guns manufactured in single metal castings were longer, capable of more accurate fire, and were adjustable in elevation. Consequently, gunners needed instruments to measure both the inclination of the barrel and the distance to the target, together with a means of relating these two measurements. Geometers offered a variety of solutions to these problems, as well as designs for fortifications to withstand attack from the new artillery."

"The ingenuity and precision of many instruments, and in some cases their elegance, poise and delicacy, contrasts with the harsh conditions of the battlefield. How usable would they really have been in practice? They were supposed to be employed in battle but it is clear that their purported military value also had other functions, in justifying textbook geometrical problems, for example, or in attracting patronage."

"This virtual version of the exhibition includes Summaries which list the instruments and books and also provide a way into the Catalogue with its Figures of every object. The summaries reflect the three main divisions of the exhibition - Gunnery, Rangefinding and Surveying, and Fortification - and also cover Troop Formations and the Telescope. The introductory Essay from the printed catalogue is also available in electronic form, as is the Bibliography. In addition, a Name Index offers a further means of moving between catalogue entries. Each of these sections may be accessed through the navigation bar at the bottom of each screen."

The essay that accompanies the Geometry of War exhibit expresses what could be said of today's warriors and The Hurt Locker's lead character, Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), a bomb 'technician' who lives for his art. A video at the FBI's site demonstrates the techniques used by the division in handling explosives.

"Instruments are illustrated in use where conflict is imminent or already begun, and the coolness of the practitioners who apply their geometry in the heat of battle can seem improbable."

Culture and Arts, Art and Museums, Theater and Film, History, Senior Women Web

Oxford's Geometry of War and The Hurt Locker

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