Random Thoughts XIV: Pizza, Pomegranate Juice, and Shreddies

[Valka D'Ur]

This particular one doesn't seem to do anything, it just tests for ability to use negative exponents and zero as an exponent. Typically in such tests there'd be some convolution regarding factorization of cubes or similar (a^3+b^3 or a^3-b^3) along with second degree polynomial factorization.
It's another reason I didn't like it
Basically it asks to you write that it is equal to a^3-[1/(1+a)^2]+4[2a/(2b+a)]+1 and then use the given values.

It would be more useful if it could make me a sandwich or feed the cat.

 

[r16]

the allure of the lawlessness is a firm conviction of being an alpha . That "Civilization" was invented by lessers who couldn't stand up to you .

that eventually makes you forget why you have been made to act civilized in the first place . Very few are blessed with the right mind to consider this .

 

[Kyriakos]

It would be more useful if it could make me a sandwich or feed the cat.

Sometimes stuff are more memorable, despite being shown easily to be true (but require some construction...).
For example in such tests you could see a^3+b^3+c^3, and also be given (or more typically have to establish) that a+b+c=0. In which special case, a^3+b^3+c^3=3abc, which is derived by one of Euler's identities
(eg if a=1, b=-1/2, c=-1/2, then a+b+c=0 and a^3+b^3+c^3=1-1/8-1/8=3/4=3abc).

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Sometimes stuff are more memorable, despite being shown easily to be true (but require some construction...).
For example in such tests you could see a^3+b^3+c^3, and also be given (or more typically have to establish) that a+b+c=0. In which special case, a^3+b^3+c^3=3abc, which is derived by one of Euler's identities
(eg if a=1, b=-1/2, c=-1/2, then a+b+c=0 and a^3+b^3+c^3=1-1/8-1/8=3/4=3abc).

Where's my sandwich?

 

[Voidwalkin]

If someone believes in free will, and that it is very influential, are they almost certain to become a moralist?

 

[Kyriakos]

Someone should tell King that for 0<x<1, sqrx>x

Spoiler :

Both are wrong, tbh. The square root of x is larger than x if 0<x<1 - eg sqr of 0.64 is 0.8. I suppose Rowling made a dumb verbal mistake, and King unwittingly showed that his knowledge of math doesn't even cover square roots; which tbf may be true also for Rowling; after all, it'd be pretty convoluted to assume that Rowling implied she originally was almost giving one full f (=1), but now she went decimal and consequently the sqr of not giving that percentage of f is increased=>she now doesn't care in a more pronounced way=>she cares less than before.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

View attachment 697508

Someone should tell King that for 0<x<1, sqrx>x

Spoiler :

Both are wrong, tbh. The square root of x is larger than x if 0<x<1 - eg sqr of 0.64 is 0.8. I suppose Rowling made a dumb verbal mistake, and King unwittingly showed that his knowledge of math doesn't even cover square roots (which tbf may be true also for Rowling; after all, it'd be pretty convoluted to assume that Rowling implied she originally was almost giving one full f (=1), but now she went decimal and consequently the sqr of not giving that percentage of f is increased=>she now doesn't care in a more pronounced way=>she cares less than before.

Pretty funny that he quote-tweeted someone while saying "I believe", "I could be wrong"

 

[Kyriakos]

Pretty funny that he quote-tweeted someone while saying "I believe", "I could be wrong"

I suppose he thought this added to the put-down.
Curiously some other...eh...not very potent person recently presented a thesis where his foundational argument was that sqrx<x in all cases. And wrote to Neil Degrasse Tyson about it. There's a video by the latter on that - it's filled with cringe

 

[EgonSpengler]

One of the subway lines I normally use is shut down for a few days for maintenance. In the meantime, they're running buses to replace the trains. The buses take a route through a neighborhood that I'm rarely in, and holy [fig] the traffic is a nightmare. I had no idea. Sheesh. I'm not in that part of the city often, and the few times I have been, it's been on the weekends. I mean, I knew the traffic here was bad, but I didn't appreciate just how bad. Also, there's tons of people riding bicycles, a lot more than I realized. Lots of those short-term rental bikes, too. I've never tried using those, but they seem popular.

On the bright side, the buses they're using to shuttle people aren't the usual city buses, they're the big coach buses, with comfy seats and tinted windows and good air conditioning. If it's going to take me an extra 30 minutes to get home in the evening, at least I can do it in style.

 

[Kyriakos]

What an awesome tombstone for a dog, in Lesbos island.

The text, as was usual in ancient carved epitaphs, presents things from the pov of the dead* (in this case the female dog), explains that her master made this burial site to thank her for being a friend, and ends with the dog suggesting to the reader that they too find someone who treasures their company
*a much more famous case of course being the one at Thermopylae, where a dead Spartan urges the reader to go to Sparta and tell its people that their fellow citizens lay here, "compliant to our shared laws".

 

[Narz]

Found this article in a box when I was organizing some of my old stuff at my mom's house.

1995, before the vast majority of people were online.

Spoiler for large images :

 

[Synobun]

Good enough for the disabled but treacherous for the abled is an interesting position to hold.

 

[Samson]

Found this article in a box when I was organizing some of my old stuff at my mom's house.

1995, before the vast majority of people were online.

Spoiler for large images :

View attachment 697604
View attachment 697605

So close to a Googlewhack. That article exists on google only as two references in papers. I shall have to read it in your images now.

Spoiler The cartoon google thinks is relevant :

Or of course you could read the Wikipedia summary of his book

 

[Samson]

From Wikipedia:

A technopoly is founded on the belief that technique is superior to lax, ambiguous and complex human thinking and judgement, in keeping with one of Frederick W. Taylor’s ‘Principles of scientific management’. It values efficiency, precision, and objectivity.

It also relies upon the "elevation of information to a metaphysical status: information as both the means and end of human creativity"

That is nothing like our post truth world.

 

[Kyriakos]

From Wikipedia:

A technopoly is founded on the belief that technique is superior to lax, ambiguous and complex human thinking and judgement, in keeping with one of Frederick W. Taylor’s ‘Principles of scientific management’. It values efficiency, precision, and objectivity.

That is nothing like our post truth world.

An issue with the term is that it has the same suffix as monopoly, thus isn't directly a term for a system of government but about the state of a market. The suffix is from πωλέω* (term with an omega) and unrelated to polis (with an omicron).
*generally implies "selling".
Technopolis would have been a better fit imo. When I think of "technopoly" I imagine a supercomputer moving stocks.

 

[Samson]

As issue with the term is that it has the same suffix as monopoly, thus isn't directly a term for a system of government but about the state of a market. The suffix is from πωλέω* (term with an omega) and unrelated to polis (with an omicron).
*generally implies "selling".

That is a good point, and without actually reading his work I cannot say what he meant. If he was saying in 1995 that our market would become dominated by information processing that would be more precedent.

 

[Narz]

Good enough for the disabled but treacherous for the abled is an interesting position to hold.

If you are homebound having virtual friends might be a godsend. It you can actually go out and participate in your community that's preferable.

That is nothing like our post truth world.

The destruction of communities is spot on. Information as god not so much. Media realized people are more interested in entertainment than information so news is now that.

Information became devalued I think because you don't have to work for it anymore you just Google it. And because Google has a near monopoly on "truth" ("Google it" has become synonymous with "get information") people have grown suspicious of this fast food "information", as they should. But because they've become lazy and disconnected with a more organic connection to reality (word on the street is now I heard on my Google/Microsoft/Fox/CNN newsfeed) they're now easy victims for misinformation, conspiracy, etc. Mainstream media and conspiracy hucksters both treat people like they're overwhelmed and sell easy answers.

 

[Samson]

I have only found his book as images. Here is the introduction, I am not at all convinced but it is interesting to see what people were saying about this in 1995.

Spoiler Intro to Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology :

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

If he was saying in 1995 that our market would become dominated by information processing that would be more precedent.

Did you mean 'prescient'?

 

[Samson]

The destruction of communities is spot on. Information as god not so much. Media realized people are more interested in entertainment than information so news is now that.

I so hate communicating by image. I am answering to this:

Spoiler Bits of article :

I see no reason why me doing my voting, banking and shopping online deprives me of community. I do not make any meaningful human interactions while doing those things. I get far more meaningful human interaction online than anything I got while voting, banking and shopping in person.

Work is a whole different thing, and the lack of human contact from work from home is significant.

Did you mean 'prescient'?

Yeah, I do. I googled, and precedent was the closest I could find

Skimming the papers referencing that, I came across this:

Sometimes reliance on a computer system rather than human judgment becomes “institutionalized” in the sense that an organization’s management and the legal system can exert strong pressure on individual professionals or employees to do what the computer says.

That could never happen resulting in the world blue screening...