# Phi and the belly button **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 18, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092 "2004-06-18T18:30:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/1 "2004-06-18T18:30:50Z")
In regards to [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040618.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040618.html) Per Cecil’s comments: > [@](#): > > \*Your height divided by the distance from your belly button to the floor = phi. . . \* Here’s a chance to test the hypothesis for real. Please review the following link: [http://www.theeroticmuseum.com/projects/thehumanbodyproject/index.htm](http://www.theeroticmuseum.com/projects/thehumanbodyproject/index.htm) WARNING!!!: Not for those who are adverse to the clothing impaired. And no snickering… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/2 "2004-06-18T20:56:23Z")
**user\_hostile** , we generally do not allow direct links to material that might be objectionable. I’m going to allow this one – you’ve given a warning, and the photo and composites are not “erotic” in any sense of the word that I can imagine. However, I wanted to make clear that policy is not to allow direct links to nudie pics. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/3 "2004-06-18T22:27:24Z")
When I read Cecil’s responses to the various alleged properties of phi, especially the one concerning _phi vs. belly button_, the “web-site” came to mind because when I first viewed it, I immediately noticed that the belly button is used as the datum (reference) for the pictures (which I thought was pretty clever; the only other datums you could use is the nose or the mouth and that would have made it more difficult to determine whether the phi applies proportionally to the human body via the belly button.). I figured that the site would conclusively demonstrate that Cecil’s point was valid. I wasn’t even thinking that it would be considered out-of-line because the people of the SDMB are a pretty sharp and mature group (I found the nudity to be along the lines of Michelangelo’s “David” [not necessarily in quality however]–had it been erotically suggestive in anyway, I would have never used the link). However hindsight tells me now that it wasn’t the smartest URL to link to (and–speaking for myself–the “no snickering” comment was sophomoric and uncalled for). So consider this to be an admission that “mistakes were made” and “I vow not to repeat them." ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/4 "2004-06-18T23:05:33Z")
No sweat. I agreed with your thought-process, in this instance. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/5 "2004-06-19T01:58:18Z")
Actually, it’s a little tricky to measure relative heights using photographic images. For a naked person facing the camera, measuring from the top of the head to the tip of the toe will give an overestimate. Measuring to the heal, though, would represent an underestimate. A side-profile would solve this problem, but in those cases the belly button will usually not be visible. Oh, and I hope Slug da Signorino corrects his image soon. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phi-and-the-belly-button/251092/6 "2004-06-19T02:46:35Z")
Just a tidally-tad of comment: **Measure for Measure** , I agree with your premise: there is a distortion associate with the pictures taken with a camera which is more or less a quasi-point receiver. On the other hand, I would be willing to bet that the volunteers had to stand on a floor mark to ensure consistency from picture to picture. Given this factor, I still believe one could derive enough measurements to verify if _phi_ is present within the domain of human anatomy in spite of these distortions (it would have helped even more had the volunteers stood inside of a frame in each picture. However, none of this will occur until Slug carves out an enlighten path for illustrating the proportionality of _belly button vs.the phi_ correctly. Until then, the SD world will flounder in ignorance… :dubious: