Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Weekly Photo Challenge: Threshold

Threshold is a very charged word with many meanings.

Literally it is the sill of a doorway or the entrance to a house or a building.

But threshold means also a point of entering or beginning.

A point where you part to something new.

The electoral threshold is the minimum share of the vote which a political party requires to secure any representation.

This limit can operate in various ways.

In mathematical or statistical modelling a threshold model is any model where a threshold value, or set of threshold values, is used to distinguish ranges of values where the behaviour predicted by the model varies in some important way.

A particularly important instance arises in toxicology, where the model for the effect of a drug may be that there is zero effect for a dose below a critical or threshold value, while an effect of some significance exists above that value.

Certain types of regression model may also include threshold effects.
 

Or in psychology threshold can mean the point at which the stimulus is of sufficient intensity to begin to produce an effect.

Threshold is also a term in biology.

As scientists learn more about how our planet works, both now and in the past, they are increasingly aware of the existence of environmental ‘tipping points’ – points of no return.

These are thresholds beyond which environmental change becomes hard to stop.

Certain concepts are held to be central to the mastery of the chosen subject.



These concepts, could be described as ‘threshold’ ones because without the knowledge of them it is not possible to understand the subject wholly.
Threshold is a very strong word with many hues and shades.

I have always loved taking pictures of doors, gates and entryways.

The idea of threshold fascinates me.

I want to know what you can find on the other side.

What kind of world there will be waiting for us.

I have always wanted to explore those worlds beyond, know what the life is like there.

That is one of the reasons I live now in Ecuador, instead of Finland.

But it is also something that drives me to write, to explore what is beyond what we see.

And what we seem to see.

Thresholds are powerful and evoke compelling images.
Do you dare to enter?

9 comments:

  1. I like them all, wonderful entries. The last one is my favorit, so beautiful and green:)

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  2. As an English minor in college I loved looking at the main different definitions and meanings of one word!

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  3. Your post made me think more about the whole idea...and meaning behind that word. Very strong impression...Thank you.

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  4. I had never thought of/connected some of those meanings for threshold. Thank you for sharing!

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  5. Beautiful photos and words. :)

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  6. Really nice photos - a great way to express your point!

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  7. Love these pix! Thank you so much for sharing, it feels like I'm actually there :) Love the last pic!

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  8. The puppy is so sweet. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Love all the photos...and the meaning of the word. Entering might also get you to a surprise.

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