The best music is not in the simple ratios of harmonics but the
subtleties
of being *outside* (a little sharp of flat) of these ratios. The perfect
envelope of a guitar bend is what separates the "artists" from the
6-string
craftsman. A good drummer will play a little ahead or behind the beat to
create push and pull (tension).

Which is all still math

At the risk of being completely pedantic, music can be simulated with a
mathematical model. Most if not all simulations are close but not exactly
the same as the original. The reproduction is only as good as the
mathematical model. For example, a CD recording is a represented by a
series of discete values, not the smooth anolog curve of the original sound.

IMO plaster walls look better than sheet rock, specifically because of
their
imperfection. In may cases perfection *is* unapealing.

So if a piece of furniture one of us made came out "perfect" should we
hang our heads, take it apart and try again?

No. I'm suggesting that "perfect", in the eyes of those beholding, is
probably not mathematically straight/flat/square/smooth etc. While I agree
that it's possible that machinery could render just about anything possible,
the real challenge would would be creating an accurate definition of what
our eye sees as perfect. Traditional tooling in conjuction with tactile
feedback loop, (including the analog circuitry in our heads) can to a better
job than a machine with using a fully automated digital simulaiton.

The limitation of automated systems is not the machines, but the algorithms
that drive them (spoken like a software guy eh?). If you can't define what
it is that makes the undulations of a plaster wall appealing then it's
pretty tough to automate its recreation.

I make these intarsia
leaves where the edges and grain of the pieces simulate the veins of
the leaf.

And therein lies the elusive quality of art. The ability to capure the
essance of something without shown the whole. This is why an illustration is
usually more effective than a photograph, because the irrelevant information
is subtracted. I think this applies to written works, music and physical
arts.

Cheers,

Steve


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