Gothic architecture wasn't just a single style.

It had hundreds of versions, some strange and some beautiful, in different places and at different times.

So here is a journey through the world of Gothic architecture...

Gothic architecture first appeared in the 12th century, when the pointed arch appeared in Europe.

Until then churches and cathedrals had been built with the round arch. This style, in imitation of Roman architecture and its round arches, is known as Romanesque.
The pointed arch is much stronger than the round arch - buildings rapidly became taller, larger, and more complex.

Whereas structural concerns had once dictated how cathedrals looked, aesthetics soon took centre stage.

An architectural revolution swept the continent...
The first phase of Gothic architecture in Britain was the Early English Style (1150-1250).

Windows remained slim and the overall design fairly simple, as embodied by Salisbury Cathedral. The tower, added later and more complex, contrasts with the simplicity of the older parts.
Next came the Decorated Style (1250-1350), so-called because it embraced detailing and complex, flowing ornamentation.

The Bishop's Eye rose window in Lincoln Cathedral and the crossing of Ely Cathedral capture this spirit, permitted by more advanced construction methods.
That was followed by the Perpendicular Style, unique to Britain, which lasted until the 16th century.

It replaced the curving forms of the Decorated Style with more austere vertical lines, exemplified by the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey.
This emphasis on verticality, combined with a tendency for high walls and vast windows, resulted in buildings which were like cages, more glass than stone.

Elaborate, geometric fan vaulting was another common Perpendicular feature.
English Gothic architecture was heavily influenced by that of France.

There, too, the Early French Style was fairly plain in appearance - perhaps because of structural and technical limitations.

The result was a sturdy, unadorned monumentality.
The High Gothic style in France (1190-1250), is regarded by some as the pinnacle of all Gothic architecture.

It seems to mix the delicacy and elaborate ornamentation of later styles with the monumentality of what came before, a harmonious middle ground.
Similar to the Decorated Style in England, the French Rayonnant (1250-1350) was less about size and more about refinement, with technical progress allowing for the construction of much larger windows with more complex tracery.

Embodied by Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
The Flamboyant style, which dominated in France thereafter, comes from the French word for flaming, a reference to the flame-like appearance of the design motifs used in its decoration.

The overall impression is of astonishing complexity, detail, and delicacy.

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"I really want to break into Product Management"

make products.

"If only someone would tell me how I can get a startup to notice me."

Make Products.

"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."

MAKE PRODUCTS.

Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics –
https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.


There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.

You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.

But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.

And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.

They find their own way.
THREAD: 12 Things Everyone Should Know About IQ

1. IQ is one of the most heritable psychological traits – that is, individual differences in IQ are strongly associated with individual differences in genes (at least in fairly typical modern environments). https://t.co/3XxzW9bxLE


2. The heritability of IQ *increases* from childhood to adulthood. Meanwhile, the effect of the shared environment largely fades away. In other words, when it comes to IQ, nature becomes more important as we get older, nurture less.
https://t.co/UqtS1lpw3n


3. IQ scores have been increasing for the last century or so, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. https://t.co/sCZvCst3hw (N ≈ 4 million)

(Note that the Flynn effect shows that IQ isn't 100% genetic; it doesn't show that it's 100% environmental.)


4. IQ predicts many important real world outcomes.

For example, though far from perfect, IQ is the single-best predictor of job performance we have – much better than Emotional Intelligence, the Big Five, Grit, etc. https://t.co/rKUgKDAAVx https://t.co/DWbVI8QSU3


5. Higher IQ is associated with a lower risk of death from most causes, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, most forms of cancer, homicide, suicide, and accident. https://t.co/PJjGNyeQRA (N = 728,160)