a celebration of the past, a nostalgic recollection of a glorified masculine patriarchal world. Period.

 Lately, I've been immersed in discussions about the evolving world, to the point where I often feel like an outsider in the midst of fervent advocates of an explosive era of change. Alas, I wish they were right!

During a recent conversation with students at IIT Mumbai, I found myself discussing the connection between the rectangular geometrical shape and a predominantly masculine human society. One student interrupted to ask whether, in a world dominated by femininity, the rectangular shape would still prevail. I refrained from providing a direct answer and instead posed another question to her. I inquired 

about the origins of the rectangular shape of her phone.

Several responses emerged, ranging from material convenience to the influence of the iPod. The truth, however, is that the phone's shape can be traced back to the calculator, the predecessor of the "keyboard and display" system. The rectangular design of the calculator emerged as it was predominantly used by accountants and engineers, professions that were historically male-dominated. It needed to fit neatly into their rectangular shirt pockets. In essence, the rectangular cell phone design is a legacy of a masculine construct tailored to fit men's pockets. I had to point out that even the latest cell phone designs, which no longer fit into dress pockets but are often carried in back pockets of jeans or shoulder bags, still carry the legacy of the rectangular masculine design.

Although I stopped short of delving further into the discussion of rectangular masculinity, I diverted the conversation by asking her to consider the animal and insect world, where traits often appear more feminine. For instance, in the case of peacocks, curves dominate, in stark contrast to the angular structures. This could be the reason why artists, architects, and designers are often drawn to forms and perspectives characterized by curves rather than linear geometrical shapes.

Despite concluding the discussion on the rectangularity of the human world with the mention of men's pockets, I refrained from delving into the history of how men's shirt pockets acquired their rectangular form.

Men's pockets adopted a rectangular shape because currency notes were rectangular. In the earlier days, when transactions involved circular coins, individuals used pouches that didn't necessarily adhere to a rectangular shape. However, the transition from coins to paper currency prompted the use of rectangular forms because, in the mass production of currency notes, cutting rectangular shapes was the most convenient method. In essence, the rectangular shape was a product of production convenience and spatial division. It wasn't a matter of attributing masculinity to it.

To further complicate the story, printing presses were initially invented for printing books, with currency notes being a byproduct of the process. The question arises as to why books are rectangular rather than square. Ergonomics played a significant role here. Books needed to be double the size of a reader's palm to facilitate comfortable reading. When a reader focused on the top portion of the book, they held the bottom, and vice versa. As such, a regular book had to be twice the size of a man's closed fist (the position for holding a book), not a woman's smaller fist. Historically, it was men who predominantly engaged with books, not women. Therefore, the rectangular shape of books influenced the design of the printing press, which in turn influenced currency notes, men's pockets, calculators, and cell phones, all of which bear the imprint of the powerful male fist.

Recalling the famous Vitruvian Man by da Vinci, which illustrates the interplay between circular structures and the rectangular constructs of the human world, one can grasp the concept of spatial divisions in human society. In a natural order, our homes should ideally be circular rather than rectangular. However, considering that men often spent their time outside the home, the focus was on dividing space efficiently rather than ensuring interior comfort. Circular homes would leave substantial unused space between the boundaries of two houses, whereas rectangular ones provided clear and efficient division of adjacent spaces. This, too, reflects the influence of a masculine perspective. The contrast is striking: women's choices, such as utensils, tend to be spherical and diverse in form, while men's preferences are inclined toward rectangular shapes in various aspects of life, from boundaries and houses to furniture, books, storage, televisions, walls, steps, doors, windows, and more.

Returning to the initial paragraph, where I mentioned discussions about a changing world order driven by technological advancements and beyond, I can't help but notice that we haven't veered an inch away from the basic shape of our world, rooted in a masculine rectangular order. This persists from the priorities of our primitive ancestors, and to claim that we are changing appears to be the greatest irony. I've touched upon the fundamental masculine shape of our most advanced gadgets and computers, but there are countless other aspects of our daily lives that remain untouched by so-called technological progress.

The connection between the construct of artificial intelligence or deep learning patterns and the patterns of race, class, caste, and community organization is a classic example of how our technology is shaping our future. To my dear friends advocating the changing world order, hold on for a moment and don't be misled. Technology isn't changing everything. If change is to occur in this world, it must emanate from political, social, and cultural awareness and reconsiderations. Everything else is merely a celebration of the past, a nostalgic recollection of a glorified masculine patriarchal world. Period. (unedited & images from the internet are included for reference purposes only)