Tattoo artists are increasingly leaving their mark on Western culture, but a study released on April 21 reveals for the first time how their designs will deteriorate as their human canvases age.
Tattooed celebrity trailblazers as diverse as David Beckham, Angelina Jolie and British “first lady” Samantha Cameron have helped bring body art into mainstream culture, but will they be regretting their choice as the years pass?
Ian Eames, a researcher in fluid mechanics at University College London, has created a mathematical model which can be used to predict the movement of tattoo ink particles over time, and give an idea of which designs age better.
Photo: Reuters
照片:路透
“Tattoos are incredibly popular worldwide with more than a third of 18-25 year olds in the US sporting at least one design,” said Eames.
The paper, which is published in the Mathematics Today journal, will enable those considering getting a tattoo to accurately predict how their design will look in 20 years’ time.
Eames said the study would “pave the way towards assessing whether there are any long-term health implications” and provide “an idea of how their chosen design could look several years down the line.”
Photo: EPA
照片:歐新社
Tattoo inks are a suspension of water-insoluble particles, such as mercury, which are injected under the skin using a needle.
Over time, these inks become dispersed as the cells which contain them die, divide or leave the body.
“Skin type, age, size, exposure to the sunlight and the type of ink which is used all influence how a tattoo disperses with time,” explained Eames.
(AFP)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
刺青藝術家正不斷深化他們對西方文化的影響,不過四月二十一日發表的一項研究,首次揭露他們的刺青圖樣,將會隨著人類皮膚老化而變質。
刺青先驅大衛‧貝克漢、安潔莉娜‧裘莉與英國的「第一夫人」莎曼莎‧卡麥隆,都是不同領域的名人,也是把身體藝術推向主流文化的推手,不過他們會不會在多年後,後悔他們早年的選擇呢?
倫敦大學學院一位流體力學研究員伊恩‧埃姆斯,建立一套用於預測刺青墨水粒子隨著時間轉變的數學模型,並且提供哪種圖樣有較好耐久性的概念。
埃姆斯說,「刺青在世界廣受歡迎,美國十八歲到二十五歲族群,有三分之一以上會現出至少一個圖樣。」
這篇刊登在《今日數學》期刊中的論文,將讓正考慮刺青的人們能夠正確預測他們的圖案在二十年後將呈現出的樣貌。
埃姆斯說,「這篇研究將會『讓評估(刺青)對健康長期影響的研究更為成熟。』並且提供『人們在選擇圖樣時,能對其圖案數年後可能呈現的樣貌有個概念。』」
刺青墨水是種像是水銀的一種不溶於水粒子的懸浮液,以針頭將它注射到皮膚裡。
因為吸附這些墨水的細胞隨著時間而死亡、分裂或是離開人體,導致墨水逐漸分散開來。
埃姆斯說,「膚質、年齡、體型、曝曬程度與使用的墨水種類,都會影響刺青隨時間而分散的情形。」
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. “We
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
On blazing hot summer days, fresh ingredients and cool refreshments straight from a refrigerator feel like nothing short of a miracle. However, chilled foods didn’t begin with modern refrigerators. In fact, the origin of refrigeration precedes the invention of this now-indispensable appliance by centuries. Initially, the quest for refrigeration was motivated more by the desire to cool beverages than to preserve food. The ancient Greeks and Romans, for instance, used snow stored in insulated pits to chill wine. Around the fourth century BC, the Persians made a significant stride in refrigeration techniques when they devised the yakhchal. Fashioned from
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Finally, cultural influence also plays a role in which hand people prefer. Historically, items that require physical manipulation have been designed for right-handed use. For example, tools like scissors and musical instruments are often constructed with right-handers in mind, making it difficult for left-handers to use them. __4__ While these factors offer some explanation, they remain speculative. The precise reasons for the global prevalence of right-handed people continue to be debated. Nevertheless, left-handedness will remain a phenomenon of great curiosity among scientists and researchers for many years to come. 最後,文化影響也在人們偏好哪一隻手上扮演一角。歷史上,需要用到肢體操作的物品都被設計來供右手使用。舉例來說,像是剪刀、樂器等工具常常就是考慮到右撇子而打造的,造成左撇子難以使用這些工具。因此,許多天生就是左撇子的人可能就必須透過學習使用右手來適應。 雖然這些因素都提供了一些解釋,但它們仍是推測而已。全球右撇子如此普及,確切的原因仍持續被爭論著。不過,在未來的許多年裡,左撇子依然會是科學家和研究人員相當好奇的一個現象。 What Did You Learn? (A) Specifically, different areas of