What is permeability? What does it mean when something is permeable? What do we mean when we say something has permeated something else? In class we discuss the semi-permeable cell membrane in detail, but we never really discuss the concept of permeability. It seems that the idea of permeability has to do with the movement of one substance across a boundary, but that is a very general and perhaps incomplete concept. What is a boundary? What is the substance? Does permeability have only to do with size? Porosity? Chemistry? Can we think of permeability in other ways? In common language we use the term permeable in many contexts. For example, we say that people in love are permeated with attraction for one another. Can permeability also relate to vulnerability? In another context we may say that a product has "permeated" the market. Does this imply strength?
As a scientist and an artist I think there are many ways to look at concepts we might otherwise take for granted. We can learn a lot this way. And by exploring "scientific" concepts from different angles, perhaps we can understand more about the properties, propensities, and possibilities of our world.
Here's an example. In this experiment with ceramics I made large balls of newspaper, then covered them with ceramic slip impregnated with salt. I "glued" the balls together with more goopy clay. Once my sculpture was dry I stuck it in the kiln and baked it for a couple of days. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the thing broke apart as I pulled it out of the kiln. But I got to learn a lot about the behavior of my materials.
Look closely at the mess I made and you can see that this is actually an experiment in permeability! How effectively did the slip permeate the newspaper? The thin paper-like formations are actually ceramic "paper," so you can say the permeability of clay slip into paper was pretty effective. Now look at the purple-blue color. That's the salt, vaporized in the heat of the kiln and able to then permeate the almost-molten clay. What do we see here? The salt did not penetrate the whole structure. Reasons unknown. But we have learned more about permeability. To be a bit more "scientific" we have learned something of how a vapor permeates a semi-solid substance in the oxidizing environment of a high temperature kiln.
My next example is from a store window in the incredible Centro Historico of Mexico City. I took this picture when I was preparing for an art residency there, which was supposed to focus on movement and materials of this vibrant market district. Pictured here are bags of plastic objects. The objects themselves are permeated with color. The plastic bags block some of that color and the window glass blocks it more. The lens of my camera blocked more of the color, as did the air between the window and my camera. We could go on. But here the question of permeability arises again. How "permeated" with color is this photo? And how "permeated" with color were the original plastic objects? You can see that in this example we are discussing permeability in a context that is different from my ceramics experiment.
I think we could go on about questions of permeability all day. Probably there have been lots of books written about it. From philosophy to thermodynamics, permeability is a huge question. I like to stay somewhere in between, in the world of biology. I also like to keep my blog posts short. So take a look (or should I say take a sniff) at the photo below. Lilacs. Beautiful luscious harbingers of spring, fragrant, delicious, rich appealing aroma. They permeate the atmosphere with their visual and olfactory generosity. Who says science and art are miles apart?
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ReplyDeleteSelective cell-permeable PKC inhibitor peptide. Consists of amino acids 19 - 31 of PKC pseudosubstrate domain linked by a disulphide bridge to a cell permeabilisation Antennapedia domain vector peptide. PKC?β?pseudosubstrate
DeleteThe first example of permeability that comes to mind is fabric. Since it is raining today I had the opportunity of experience the rain flow through the material of my sweater and saturate my skin. The fabric or yarn that my sweater is knit with is permeable because the water easily transferred through to my skin.
ReplyDeletePermeability seems to be happening everywhere in many different cases! An example that comes to mind is when water and/ or soap permeates a sponge. Living in my own an apartment with a kitchen this year, I have gained the responsibility of washing dishes, which requires a sponge! When washing dishes by hand, the water and soap are absorbed by the sponge throughout the process of dishwashing. Then there is the matter of dish drying! In drying the dishes, the water is then absorbed into the towel that I use to dry them. This is yet another example of permeability. It is evident that in many aspects of life, we can observe permeability.
ReplyDeleteWhat comes to mind when I think of permeability is vulnerability, particularly of the mind. I don't exactly know why this is that I think of it this way, but something permeable signals to me something lacking strength as you mentioned above. For example, I think of young children's minds as especially permeable (hence the expression "their minds are like a sponge" - sponges are extremely permeable to different solutes, particularly water). I babysit and nanny for various children who range in age 1-11 years old, and every time I visit with the much younger children, I see they have picked up different habits almost every time, either ones that mimic their parents, siblings, and even myself. Because their young minds are so permeable, I know I have to watch how I conduct myself because any one action or expression I use may permeate their growing thought processes that are currently in a weaker state than my own. I understand permeability in a biological sense, but for me, this example best illustrates the concept of permeability.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of permeability I think of a dog’s sense of smell. I have a chubby dog and when we open the pantry he can smell the food that we have in sealed plastic bags. He smells the molecules that are small enough to make it through the semi-permeable plastic bag. Permeability is the ability of some things to travel through a different medium. There are many factors that affect permeability in different environments, in my example the factor is size. For this reason, not everything is permeable to everything else. If it was the world would not exist. The article suggests that permeability is dependent on many factors due to the multiple different examples provided.
ReplyDeleteWhen I use permeable in a non scientific context it often refers to the containers given in restaurants to hold leftover Chinese food. These containers are white and made of thick cardboard in the shape of a square. By the time I'm home the sauce and grease from my delicious dumplings permeates through the container. This stains the white cardboard and makes a mess.
ReplyDeleteAn experience that comes to mind when I think of permeability is light, specifically from sunshine during the summer. Light permeates directly on objects when they are located outside in our environment. Light permeates through windows and other see through objects in doors. Even when you try to protect yourself from permeating light out doors, for example with sunglasses, a less harsh brightness of light still permeates through the lens. Or when you are in doors and you try to block out the sun light with a curtain, the heat from the sunlight still permeates through the window.
ReplyDeleteSomething that is permeable allows other substances to pass through it. An example I can think of is skin. Skin is permeable in many ways. First, it insulates our body but allows for hit to be entered or escape. Our skin also allows things like lotion or a ink tattoo into our skin because our skin is porous. When we sweat our skin allows for the heat to escape our body. Our body contains many things that are permeable and our skin is just one of them.
ReplyDeleteIt is similar to vulnerability because sometimes things that you don’t want to be able to permeate do, but not everything that is permeable is bad. For example if you are wearing leather pants they are not very permeable because the material of leather is hard to permeate, but if you were wearing jeans then it would be much easier. I do not think permeability only applies to biological systems for example, paper is not a biological system and it is still related to permeability. In reference to biological systems permeability depends on membrane solubility and the presence of specific proteins. Other factors could be pressure, concentration, and temperature of the molecules or solutes on either side. Also the size of the molecules can also affect permeability.
ReplyDeleteDoug Lewis
ReplyDeletePermeability is an interesting and unique characteristic of life because it can apply to so many mediums and variations of life. For example, as I look outside through the window, I see the fog filling the environment outside the glass. Through the fog I see the buildings, cars, and people only their figures and vibrancy are weakened by the density of the fog. However, even though the fog and the glass have distorted the objects outside, their figures and colors still permeate through, only much weaker than if the fog had lifted. The permeability of the environment outside the window is seems simple at first; just cloud cover, covering up it's surroundings. Upon digging a bit deeper, we can understand how the colors and shapes of these elements are less permeable in this environment due to the glass and fog surrounding them.
When I think of permeable, I think of the definition of one object allowing water or another liquid to pass through it. An example of this is a paper towel. When cleaning up a liquid, the paper towel will absorb the water, therefore objects of the permeable sort are often used for picking up messes. One would never consider to pick up a mess with a plastic, non-permeable object, because they are aware of the fact that it will not be efficient in this task. Permeable objects serve the purpose of absorbing or sifting through liquids, while non-permeable objects repel or restrain liquids.
ReplyDeletePermeability is a very interesting topic. I've never thought about how the definition of permeability can apply to almost everything in the world around us. The definition of permeability, the capability of being passed or diffused through, is different from that of porosity, how much of the structure allows for a substance to flow or pass through it. I think that if you don’t look at permeability in a scientific context, the term is synonymous with vulnerability. I’m not quite sure why, but I automatically thought about those giant, colorful sombreros one could buy on a vacation to Mexico. The dyes that make those hats so colorful permeated the straw or fabric. In this example the hat was vulnerable, and was taken over by the dye in a very specific way.
ReplyDeleteI think for me, I’ve never really thought of permeability in science terms before learning about cell membranes in science classes. As the article suggests, permeability can also be seen in other areas, for example the Arts. Usually permeability would trigger more reaction for me in the music area. For example, when playing in an orchestra (in school), the conductor would require us to adapt and compliment each other (different sections of the orchestra). And in the long term, all the music instrument players learn what permeability means in music: to create a holistic piece of music using different instruments, and create chords and cadences through interweaving musical notes. It means for us to not be afraid to play our parts loudly, knowing that overall as an orchestra we’d still sound awesome.
ReplyDeleteIsabel Vera
ReplyDeleteI first thought of permeability only in the context of biology, and the way it permeability impacts the cellular membrane and the cell itself; however, this post has greatly broadened my view of the concept. I now see that permeability is everywhere. Every living and non-living thing is permeating the environment that we are a part of by merely existing in it. When questioned if permeability implied vulnerability or strength, I couldn’t help but think of this environment that we are permeating. Thinking critically about this I can see that, like a cell membrane, our environment has its own semi-permeable characteristic to it. For the past hundreds of thousands of years we have pervaded our planet and influenced it tremendously. There is obvious vulnerability in our semi-permeable environment, as pollution has triumphantly taken a toll on our habitat. Yet, we often forget to consider the strength and resilience of the permeability of our environment that has been able to maintain itself and continue to support living organisms for millions of years. It is interesting to consider permeability in a broader context than the cell membrane.
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ReplyDeleteI have only really ever thought of permeability in the context of science. After read this, however, I realized that even though we use the term permeable a lot in the sciences it really can relate to pretty much everything. I think you brought up the interesting question "what is a boundary?" in the beginning of your post and it is seemingly unimportant, but if you think about it that really is the basis of permeability. How can something go through a boundary if we don't define what a boundary is? One way that struck me when I was ready your article was how powerful permeability can be. I thought of when my grandma's bathroom flooded and the water permeated through the ceiling and and ruined the ceiling and the floor below it and even some furniture below it. Obviously the the "boundary" of the ceiling wasn't enough to keep the water from permeating through it. What is interesting though is had there been a thicker layer of ceiling or if the ceiling had been made out of a different material then the water may not have permeated through the ceiling. I think this article helps you to think about these kind of things particularly in not scientific circumstances.
ReplyDeleteOne example of permeability that came to mind is a Christmas trees lights through the window of a house. If someone is driving by a street with many houses on it during Christmas time, there are many lights throughout the whole street, but often people see Christmas trees with the lights on it. Is someone is driving in a car, the light is premating through the air between the houses window and the Christmas tree, then permutes through window through more air between the house window and the car window, then through the car window. The fact that the light is still visible, although there are many things in-between that object and us is what makes it permeable. The windows between the light and us absorb some light, making it not as bright, which defines the porosity of this object. The object in between two objects is what defines permeability and porosity. It depend on whether the object is see through, or the shade of color that object is, and whether the objects colors be visible through it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that comes to mind when considering permeability is butter melting on some sort of food. For example, when one has hot bread and butter is spread on, it permeates through the bread. It melts and then moves through the bread. If left under heated conditions, the butter will all fall towards the bottom of the bread leaving little on top. It permeates through all the layers because bread is a matter that allows that. This makes me think of baking and cooking in general. Another example of this would be when one marinates a sort of meat. This in a way is a form permeability because the spices are being soaked up and moving into the layers of meat. Though with meat, the amount that would be soaked up is limited.
ReplyDeleteGabrielle Kanellos
I usually think if something inanimate as permeable or not, for example a piece of paper, or strainer in the kitchen. I have never really thought about whether or not permeable can apply to a market or peoples feeling like you pointed out. I found it very interesting how permeable in one context means weak and vulnerable while in another it has a strong connotation. I think that what determines is something is permeable is not whether it is a object or a feeling or a person, nor if it comes off as vulnerable or strong, but what determines permeability is how we perceive permeability. Personally when I think of permeability I think of objects and whether or not a liquid can pass through them. I consider this a vulnerable quality. Maybe now with this new insight, I will think of emotions as permeable and the people who effect me in my life as the water that enters me.
ReplyDeleteI am a type of person who likes to contemplate on emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Hence an example of permeability that comes to mind is the “permeability of emotions”. Professor Hammer, you suggested “vulnerability” in your “suggested questions to answer”; I assumed you meant it as “the tendency of a biological organism in accepting/denying biological stimuli, and possibly being hurt from it”. I see this in an “emotional” perspective in a sense that a person has a certain “permeability” of emotions. When a person meets another person, there is always a certain level of “permeability”, where they allow (or don’t allow) the other person to “get in” on our emotions. It is only when we are 100% comfortable with someone (like our future spouse) that we finally make ourselves completely emotionally permeable to that person.
ReplyDeleteIf something is permeable, then it is, by definition, a membrane which allows liquids and gases to pass through it. When I think of permeability, I think of something that absorbs a liquid or gas. A scientific example of this is dirt or sand. When it rains, dirt and sand absorb water and the result is mud or wet sand, as I learned in our water lab last week. In a non-scientific sense, something that I think about when I think of permeability is a car door. A car door acts as a barrier between the car and the outside world. It is opened to both let people in as well as let them out. People move in and out of cars through the door, which acts as a membrane, just as liquids and gasses move through a cell membrane. This comparison helps me better understand the scientific significance of permeable membranes.
ReplyDeleteI used to only think about permeability in reference to science. However, after reading this post, I now have a completely different perception of the word. When I think of an example permeation, I think to what we just finished learning in Social Sciences. After the February Revolution resulted in the abdication of Nicholas II, the desperate need for a legitimate governing body permeated all of Russia. Due to the starving peasants, exploited factory workers etc. there were severely miserable conditions in Russia. Russians expressed, or even exuded their need for reforms and authoritative rule, permeating the country.
ReplyDeletePorosity is a measure of how much rock space is open, while permeability measures how easily water can flow through a rock. The more porous and permeable a rock is, the more vulnerable it will be to natural outside effects. Additionally the environment in which a rock is located can greatly affect it's permeability. For example, I'd imagine if a rock was located in the desert, it would become more permeable overtime due to the constant sand and wind hitting the rock repeatedly over it's lifetime. This would create more holes in the rock, allowing water to flow more easily. While sometimes permeability can rely on structure alone, it does not necessarily mean that something has to be a biological system to be porous or permeable. For example, although a water bottle is not very porous, it is quite permeable which allows it to be used as a water bottle in the first place.
ReplyDeletePermeability has to do with the movement of a substance across a boundary. Permeability can be vulnerable, and it can be strong. Permeability can be a substance in any facet in life, it may be flowers permeating our sense of smell, water permeating through a porous cloth, or someone’s thoughts permeating our minds, the idea of permeation is an infiltration from one being through the next. In the context of the mechanistic theory, permeability does connect many an organisms in the life cycle. May it be from an animal smelling the permeating aroma of its young, or it might be a cell keeping homeostasis and letting the solutes permeate through the proteins of its cell membrane.
ReplyDeletePermeability is the characteristic of something that allows substances to pass through it. I believe the permeability can be seen as a vulnerability because of the passive traits an item may have. When I think of this, I think of tie-dying a T-shirt. Rolling the t-shirt into a specific patter and pouring a watered-down form of paint on it allows for permeability because one can physically see the dye permeating the shirt. It travels through the shirt, creating patters, and being visible on both sides of the shirt (meaning when it is inside out). The shirt allows the dye to permeable because of the liquid state of it, however if one were to paint on the shirt with acrylic paint, for example, that paint would not permeate the shirt in a similar style as the dye did. I think that permeability is dependent upon many factors in both biological and non-biological systems. I think that both substances that are interacting in the permeability must contain at least one characteristic that allows one thing to permeate another. Both must interact with each other, suggesting the mechanistic theory form a particular standpoint.
ReplyDeleteI think of permeability as the process of one thing saturating another. An example that comes to mind occurred at my babysitting job. The girl I babysit and I dyed pasta for the halloween party she was throwing. The boiling pasta was mixed with food coloring, resulting in bright pink, dark green, blue, and orange colored spaghetti. Looking back, I now understand this to be permeability because the color was soaking into the pasta.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to think of permeability in any sense other than scientific because I was first introduced to the term in a science setting. From there on out, It usually always immediately reminds me of cell walls and cell membranes. However, in a more large-scale, concrete way, I suppose I'd think of different materials, such as a brick wall. A brick wall is impermeable while a beaded curtain is very permeable. A wooden door is impermeable but a screen door is very permeable.
ReplyDeleteAbby Danowitz
Permeability can be described as the rate of flow through a material.. but can it be as diverse as smell.. as colors.. I would like to think also as information or sensibility.
ReplyDeleteLet me elaborate: for example, on sustainability projects, focusing mainly on creating user consciousness in a sustainable environment.. how permeable is the information on the design to a simple user who does not know anything related to sustainability..
This can be changed into the rate of flow of information from the ambience into the users receptor system, brain, eyes, senses etc. How easy to understand can a space become and how can it PERMEATE the information and create consciousness without pointing it directly to the users.
Permeability describes the property of an object to be able to let substances pass through it. Porosity seems like a type of permeability where you are able to visible see the substance pass through the object. For example, a sponge is not a biological system. However, it is still able to portray aspects of permeability and porosity.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of mechanistic theory, permeability is important to know the manner in which chemical and physical restraints can pass through a biological system.
When I think of permeability I think of a good rain jacket vs. a bad one. A good rain jacket is one that isn't quite permeable and does not let rain in. (Like the one I just bought.) A bad rain jacket is one that is (unfortunately) permeable and lets rain through. (like the one I wore the other day)
Permeability is described as the ease at which an object (any substance) can pass through another object. My non-scientific example of permeability would have to be an air conditioning unit. Although it is doesn’t have a heart beat, this unit is very much alive in the sense that it pumps cool air into the environment. An air conditioning unit would be an example of permeability because as air is flowing through its complex system cooling down, it passes through a filter that collects all/most of the bacteria (depending on the quality of AC) and only releases clean, cool air. So in a sense it is semi-permeable because only some particles can pass through the air-conditioning unit, while others are trapped in its filter.
ReplyDeletePermeability is the ability of something to flow through one object to another. Porosity and permeability are not the same thing because porosity is a measure of how much of something is open space whereas permeability is the ability of something to flow through that open space. When I think of permeability I think of waters ability to permeate most things like my clothes or my hair if I happen to be walking in a rainstorm. I think of smell with permeability to. For example, if a skunk sprays you that smell with permeate your clothes.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of permeability, I think of it as when one substance flows through another. What comes to mind when I think of this is rain and soil and how this creates a cycle of life. By water flowing through the soil, it allows for seeds to grow into its full potential (whether it be a shrub, flowers, trees etc.). In this case, the soil would be vulnerable because it is allowing for the rain to flow through it. Although this may be a scientific way of looking at permeability, I think it could also be seen as artistic in the way that permeability allows for the development and creation of life. Without permeability, living organisms couldn't grow.
ReplyDeletePermeability is the ability of a substance to allow another to pass through it. Not all materials are permeable and their are varying degrees of permeability. I don’t think its the same as porosity. Porosity sounds like the object has holes in it and because of that liquids are allowed to pass through it. It sounds similar to permeability, but I think the latter has more to do with how easy or difficult a time a liquid has in relation to the material. Many things in life are permeable--for example, soil. Water permeates the soil to reach tree roots.
ReplyDeleteOur whole bodies are not permeable, but aspects of it our. Our cells for example are permeable. Cultures can be permeable. Noways there is a lot of culture exchange going on--exchange programs, westernization, traveling abroad. It is important to explore this further because it is important to find a balance with the exchange, it won’t be good for their to be a bid difference in balance.
When I think of permeability, I think of sunshine, especially today when it has been raining all week. The light from the sun permeates through everything that it shines on. Light permeates to help all living things grow, it permeates through glass windows, sunglasses and sometimes even sunscreen. Not only does the light from the sun permeate but also its heat permeates through almost anything. When wearing black in the summer, one can always feel the heat of the sun permeating through one’s clothing.
ReplyDeletePermeability allows liquids to pass through it. Porosity allows liquids to pass through its holes. This is not the same as vulnerability. An example of permeability is the liquid passing through my clothes on to my skin on a a rainy day like today.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest examples of permeability that comes to mind is the beach. When you fill up a bucket with ocean water and drag it back to the dry stand and dump it, the water permeates the sand and sinks down. This would hardly be true if you dumped water on pavement, per say, where the water does not permeate nearly as well and instead just sits there.
ReplyDeleteSounds can permeate the air. It's in a more abstract manner, but things can change based on how much sound surrounds them. The air can be so saturated with sound it becomes white noise, or so barely saturated all is heard is a murmur.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this exploration of “permeability,” I realize that the term is a flexible word that can apply to many situations outside of the sciences. The word “permeability” is used to describe how one object goes through another. The first non-science example that popped into my mind is an airport where people are either allowed to pass through or denied access through the security gate by the security guards. However, my initial concept of permeability changes after reading the paragraph about the colored objects and the many obstacles between our eyes and the object. My idea of permeability changes as I realize that the definition of permeability is even wider than my definition, and that it can apply to most, if not all, situations. Culture, atmosphere, objects, and such are all permeable and dependent on multiple factors (as explain by the colored object and lilacs paragraphs).
ReplyDeleteSelective permeability is the state of a material that allows certain liquids or gasses to penetrate, but not others. An example of permeability would be a rain coat. The rain coat fabric repels liquids, particularly water. However, the fabric still allows air and probably other gasses to pass through.
ReplyDeletePermeability can be applied to countries as well as biological systems. A countries permeability has a lot to do with its relations to other countries. For example North Korea has extremely limited permeability when it comes to people and goods entering and exiting the country. Both are so limited and tightly regulated by the government the way a cell is regulated by the proteins in its membrane. Another semi-permeable place is Cuba. The US government does not allow Americans to go to Cuba, an outside force is restricting access. However, the Cuban government does allow Americans to visit Cuba. Therefore, to Americans access to Cuba is possible but through limited ways. In terms of countries, permeability is a kind of interaction that deals with regulated access.
ReplyDeletePermeability allows the passing through of one thing through a barrier. On a windy and rainy day like today, one can’t help but think of all the raincoats, rain boots, and umbrellas people have on themselves. Materials like these are what prevent the rain from reaching what is underneath them. They are selectively permeable, preventing the passing of liquid through their material. It is what allows us to stay dry while running from class to class outside.
ReplyDeletePermeability is a word that is used in both the scientific and everyday world. It is the movement of one object across another. In the case of a cell membrane, some things may pass through while others are blocked. In a boxing match, a fighters defense may be called permeable if he allows some shots to connect while blocking others. The word permeable can be used in almost any context. Porosity and permeability are not the same thing scientifically. However, when used to describe non scientific things, you could used the word porous in almost all the same places. You could say a fighter's defense is porous ie. full of holes and allowing shots in. In this context they mean nearly the same thing. In the scientific world, porosity may refer to voids that can be filled with air or water. I find it interesting that scientific words such as these are used in everyday conversations and very few people really think about their true meanings.
ReplyDeleteI think of permeability in a language context-specifically with borrowed words in between different languages in contact. Somehow, languages allowed some foreign words to be permeated, to pass through many barriers, and not others.
ReplyDeleteAlejandra Rodriguez
I believe that permeability is the ability to have things flow between a barrier without trouble. Although this term is mainly applied to the scientific world, it can also be seen in the everyday world. For example, a window with a screen could be considered permeable. The screen allows for a continuous stream of air to come in and out of the window. This permeability is based off a number of factors that allow for this to happen.
ReplyDeletePermeability allows substances to pass through an object. Porosity is the measure of empty space while vulnerability refers to the inability to withstand an intense environment. I don’t believe they are truly the same exact definition, but they both relate to permeability. Substances can definitely be more permeable to one thing than another. It all depends on the object it’s passing through; some are more selective than others. Permeability doesn’t only apply to objects. They can apply to our own biological systems, humans too! Every day, our own biological systems filter and choose what to let into our system. Human beings choose the kind of people they want to “let in” to their lives and build relationships with. Permeability controls many aspects of our lives, which is why it is so important to learn.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about permeability in everyday life I immediately think of my broken shower drain. When I fill the bathtub up with water, even though the shower’s drain drop to stop the water from passing through, it still does. Slowly but surely the bathtub will empty (annoying, I know). Permeable means, something that allows liquids or gas to pass through. Another exam would be a pasta drainer. When you poor the boiling water and pasta through, the past drainer allows for water to pass through and leave the pasta. We see permeability everywhere in our life, especially on a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteAn example of permeability in gas that came to me is scuba gear. When you are scuba diving, you use your regulator to breath. This is permeability. The regular is the passageway for the oxygen to pass through, thereby allowing you to breathe.
Even a straw! A straw allows water to pass through it, or in my case a slurpee.
When a membrane is permeable substances can pass through it. An example I think of as a rower is the gear we train in. We have long sleeve and short trough which is a much more water resistant substance than regular cloth. Although its much better than just wearing a T-shirt (which arguably is way better during a summer or indoor row) the spandex shirts still allow water to soak through it. On a dry sunny day its more likely sweat or water from splash that permeates through our gear, but on days like this morning when its raining the water just soaks through and you have no chance of staying dry on the water.
ReplyDeletePermeability is something that occurs in our everyday lives whether we are aware of it or not. It is the allowing of something to pass through it. I think it can be related to vulnerability because it is "open to attack". SOmething that is permeable is open to allowing things pass through it. Take for example a knit sweater. It can be permeable in the fact that it lets things pass through its holes. Like air and water can pass through pretty easily. However, the holes being a specific size does not let everything pass through it. This can be related to the cell membrane because the cell membrane is permeable where it lets certain things pass through it but not all things.
ReplyDeletePermeability is the state of a material that allows liquids to pass through it. The first example of permeability that comes to mind involves water and sand. At the beach, when water is poured onto dry sand, the water moves through the sand and the resulting product is completely new.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in the article, permeability is more than just a substance being able to move through a barrier. Every second I’m in class my knowledge on the class content is growing. My mind is permeable to the information be fed to me and is able to retain the new content. Or at least most of it. There are some things that get through and other things that get left out. Certain subject matter gets easily retained because my mind has a different level of permeability for different information. Permeability has many different examples throughout life.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of exploring permeability as layers. To me permeability implies entrances or openings to allow the movement of energy and materials. In sustainable design, this seems essential for fluidity, filtration, mimicking natural processes, and accessibility. Nature is porous, on so many levels and layers. Each layer of pore metabolite may serve a slightly different function. For example, in researching the salt water marsh, we see the development of habitat, durability, and expansion through a multi-layered system of permeable spaces. Cities that allow permeability are dynamic and
ReplyDelete...will be more durable as a result of embracing the flow of goods and materials that can be processed and transformed within a site. This can be applied to varying aspects of design. Using biomimcry as an example, natural systems contain this type of permeability and thus are durable, transformative, adaptive, multi-functional, and thus sustainable.
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