Posted by Q (198.64.206.94) on February 03, 2000 at 09:15:52:
In Reply to: GREAT site - thanks Ueli (attn Q especially) posted by gary on February 02, 2000 at 20:22:51:
I have often wondered about creating a misery index along the lines of intensity x duration but never quite figured out how to weight the two in a mathematical relationship. This fellow simply used a scale of 1-4 for intensity and minutes for time to yeild a product, which he then graphed. That's one approach. But, if he used the 1-10 Kip scale, the graph would have looked different, perhaps WAY different. And what to do about Carl D's 20's? Mr. Nevyn C's CH-tracking program has a well defined concept of a misery index which is again a numeric score. This approach, too, has its conceptual merits.
I just don't know how to multiply time by a subjective pain factor and plot it, at least in a way that actually makes sense when you actually think about it. These things become even worse when applied to multiple people over time. Perhaps a dual x-axis with logarithmic scales on the pain side with a z-axis for purity yeilding a 3-dimensional bubble-chart with color-shading for misery index and sound effects for that 5th dimensional effect and add smell for a 6th sensation-dimension. That just might tell a pretty story that would help sell books. Maybe I'll go down the street and talk to some of my friends at NASA. I dunno. You got any ideas?
BTW -- I did go browsing the archives as you suggested and found something that inspires me to continue my little project. Remember it?