Resistor Code Tattoo

Technology
Resistor Code Tattoo

resistortattoo

Jimmie Rogers designed this cool tattoo for his arm, which features the resistor code colors. However, Jimmie put a lot more thought into the design than just the colors:

Most people tend to see just the rainbow, and that leads to lots of fun questions. I’m openly bisexual, and have done queer geeks panels at both CCC-Camp 2011 and again at 28c3. So I’m fine with the ambiguity, which adds itself into the meaning of the tattoo for me.

While I didn’t really need to have the colors implanted into my skin (already have them memorized), it will be a fun way of teaching others how to read the colors in classes. Also, I had the tattoo made to be five inches long, making each block one half inch. So I can use this tattoo as a reasonable-guess ruler. Being skin, it stretches and deforms, so I’ll have to learn the proper way to hold my arm so that it’s at least moderately accurate.

The next part of the tattoo, is that I programmed it in processing. It’s obviously open source, so do with it what you will.

So in summary, it’s a resistor color code chart, it’s a rainbow, it’s a ruler, it’s got both the golden ratio and Tau built in, and it was written in a programming language. So it’s a meaningful tattoo that’s also useful for me beyond looking great.

(Jimmie created the LOL Sheild, which is available in the Maker Shed.)

22 thoughts on “Resistor Code Tattoo

  1. chuck says:

    Very Cool! I’ve often thought about turning my forearms into a cheat sheet of formulas and tables that never seem to stick in my memory.

  2. Velognodoc says:

    My chemistry professor used to always say that we either needed to “memorize this or tattoo it on your arms.” I didn’t think anyone would ever opt for the latter.

  3. moonstuff says:

    > engineering tattoo
    > imperial units

    1. darr247Darr247 says:

      Most refer to them as SAE & Metric units, not Imperial & Metric.
      Well, I suppose they call them that in the UK. :-p

  4. zof says:

    In other news today resister manufactures across the globe today announced a new color scheme for the labeling of resistors due to their ever shrinking size and complexity.

    Sorry I just had to, it would be funny.

  5. Ivan Pope says:

    I don’t believe that’s actually a tattoo.

    1. Jasper says:

      From the text it sounds as if he designed it, but didn’t get it tattooed yet.

  6. akismet-dc3c60feba2565740e294872a428085b says:

    Hey – do you know how outrageous that comment is? He’s entirely allowed to tell us what he wants – you have no right to tell him to get back in the closet.

    1. GonzoBobH says:

      What does he want? I must have missed that. Your inference was lost.
      He got the tattoo — so his comments about his sexuality in relation to the tattoo are relevant. And no, you have no right to tell him to get back in to the closet. (So hateful.)

      The sub-context of your post prompts me to ask, are you okay?
      You have issues, brother. Try being a better person.

  7. John Baichtal says:

    Any and all homophobic comments will be deleted as they violate our “be nice” policy.

  8. Poet says:

    I was a little disapointed. I support the article and ideas presented, in basic theory. I had hoped the author had made the tattoo the actual resistance of his skin/ arm.
    We all see things differently and thankfully progressive ideas are open source!

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My interests include writing, electronics, RPGs, scifi, hackers & hackerspaces, 3D printing, building sets & toys. @johnbaichtal nerdage.net

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