Can Anyone Stump My All-Knowing Dad?

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The discussion revolves around a user seeking a challenging question to stump their highly knowledgeable father, who has a background in mathematics, engineering, and physics. Various participants suggest questions from different fields, including mathematics, philosophy, and even light-hearted inquiries about everyday topics. One notable mathematical question mentioned is the integration of x*sec(x), which is complex and cannot be expressed in elementary terms. Other suggestions include asking philosophical questions or fun trivia, such as the discrepancy between hot dog and bun packaging. The conversation highlights the challenge of finding a question that can truly stump someone with extensive knowledge, while also touching on the humorous side of the quest. Participants engage in playful banter, sharing ideas and jokes, ultimately emphasizing the difficulty of the task at hand.
Shippo
I have been trying for quite some time now to stump my dad on just one question. I've tryed out physics, Astronomy & Cosmology, Mathematics, Philosophy, logic, tecnology, almost every subject! It is getting to the point where i stay up late on the internet trying to find something. :bugeye: can anyone suggest a question please?
 
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Do you need to understand the problem? What is your dad's background?
 
Perhaps you can give us some examples of the questions you've asked and some answers he's provided. It porably wouldn't be fair to ask him to porivde a rigourous mathematical proof of the shape of an electron D orbital.
 
how do you know your dad's answer is accurate, not necessarily bogus, but he might be off the mark
 
Shippo said:
I have been trying for quite some time now to stump my dad on just one question. I've tryed out physics, Astronomy & Cosmology, Mathematics, Philosophy, logic, tecnology, almost every subject! It is getting to the point where i stay up late on the internet trying to find something. :bugeye: can anyone suggest a question please?


Well there is a question in Mathematics which My teacher asked me when i was in 11th class and i haven't come across anybody who could suggest or even hint a way out!

integration of x*Sec(x)

If your Dad succeeds at this,Pls tell me the solution too! :smile:
 
mattmns said:
Do you need to understand the problem? What is your dad's background?
well he has done a lot of things...he was a mathmatiton, he designs software, was an Engineer, has a masters in physics um...thats all i can think of at the time being.
 
GCT said:
how do you know your dad's answer is accurate, not necessarily bogus, but he might be off the mark
I don't know, witch is pretty stupid. If i eventuoaly find a question that stumps him and he says the rong answer he won't beleve that its rong.
 
I can't get my father to acknowledge that there is no such thing as centrifugal force. He insists (or did 10 years ago) that the bucket on the string will go flying away at an angle instead of tangential to the circle.

Some day ... some day ... I will prove it to him. I will probe him wrong. I will prove them ALL wrong. They laughed at me. They mocked me. But I will show them. I will how them my POWER. They will flee, like ants under my feet. I will...

What? Is this thing still on? **
 
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The easiest way to stump your genius dad? Ask him "what's something you don't know anything about?" He'll definatly be stumped. And if he has an answer, just find a question about that topic to ask him!
 
  • #10
"What is the purpose of meaning?"

-Dexter's lab
 
  • #11
Do the questions have to be about logic, or can they be history questions? Surely he won't know all of history :D
 
  • #12
Is he physcic? Ask him what number your'e thinking of. Better yet ask him what commercial will be on next.
 
  • #13
heman said:
Well there is a question in Mathematics which My teacher asked me when i was in 11th class and i haven't come across anybody who could suggest or even hint a way out!

integration of x*Sec(x)

If your Dad succeeds at this,Pls tell me the solution too! :smile:

The integral of x*sec(x) cannot be expressed as an elementary function- meaning usual nice finite combinations of exponentials, logarithms, polynomials, trig functions, etc. This is the same situation as the more common e^(-x^2).
 
  • #14
Tell him to go on jeapordy. He should do awesome. Except you said he answered every question right, I don't know how he'd fare given only answers. But he should go on some quiz show for big bucks!
 
  • #15
If you had a tunnel that went straight through the Earth from New York City to Tokyo and dropped an unpowered train in the New York end, how long would it take to roll to Tokyo (assuming the tunnel was a sealed vacuum and the Earth was stationary)? It would speed up until the tunnel reached the midway point between New York and Tokyo and then slow down at the same rate. It would take about 42 minutes for it to gently roll to a stop in Tokyo.

How about from New York City to Sydney Australia? About 42 minutes.

New York City to Los Angeles? About 42 minutes.

Even if he's not stumped, he'll at least enjoy explaining why.

This link, http://www.physics4all.co.il/open.php?link=628 , explains the problem. Just scroll down to "A Boring Problem".

Some of the other problems might give you some ideas, as well.
 
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  • #16
ask him for a valid argument of creationism :biggriN;
 
  • #17
Shippo said:
I have been trying for quite some time now to stump my dad on just one question. I've tryed out physics, Astronomy & Cosmology, Mathematics, Philosophy, logic, tecnology, almost every subject! It is getting to the point where i stay up late on the internet trying to find something. :bugeye: can anyone suggest a question please?
I made some quizzes here on PF, ask him these questions...just scroll down to the quizzes : https://www.physicsforums.com/journal.php?s=&action=view&journalid=13790&perpage=10&page=8

marlon
 
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  • #18
Ask him what women want. :biggrin:
 
  • #19
Or ask him who the REAL inventors of special relativity were. The guys, who came up with this idea PRIOR to Einstein.

Or ask him why there are only eight gluons ?
Or ask him who really invented heliocentrism
...check the quizzes
marlon
 
  • #20
Mental Gridlock said:
Tell him to go on jeapordy. He should do awesome. Except you said he answered every question right, I don't know how he'd fare given only answers. But he should go on some quiz show for big bucks!

sorry i phrased it rong insted of right it should be *correct. And yes he would be good on jepordy
 
  • #21
Right and correct mean the same thing, I meant you said he answered every QUESTION correct, but Jeopardy doesn't use questions, they use answers, so he could be screwed. It was just a lame attempt at a joke nevermind it!
 
  • #22
honestrosewater said:
Ask him what women want. :biggrin:
That's too easy. Women want a man that can dilate his eyes at will.
 
  • #23
honestrosewater said:
Ask him what women want. :biggrin:
money? :rolleyes:
 
  • #24
BobG said:
That's too easy. Women want a man that can dilate his eyes at will.
Why should I bother to learn how to dilate my EYES at will? :confused:
Yet another example of the inscrutable female psyche..
 
  • #25
BobG said:
That's too easy. Women want a man that can dilate his eyes at will.
An optometrist? Well, yeah, they do make good money and work regular hours; not a bad choice. :biggrin:
 
  • #26
Ask him what your thinking right now. Even if he does guess what your thinking tell him he's wrong anyway.
 
  • #27
Better yet, ask him whath es thinking about. Its an endless cycle of thinking about what your thinking about..
 
  • #28
whozum said:
Better yet, ask him whath es thinking about. Its an endless cycle of thinking about what your thinking about..

Watch out, his head might explode.
 
  • #29
don't put him on jeopardy, put him on millionare. you pick: $20,000 or $1,000,000
 
  • #30
arildno said:
Why should I bother to learn how to dilate my EYES at will? :confused:
Yeah, we really want someone with a huge e.g.o. anyway :wink:
 
  • #31
shmoe said:
The integral of x*sec(x) cannot be expressed as an elementary function- meaning usual nice finite combinations of exponentials, logarithms, polynomials, trig functions, etc. This is the same situation as the more common e^(-x^2).

I know its solution and i very well know its solution contain polylog function and other adhoc complex functions,but i don't care about the complexity involved!
Do you know how to solve it??
I have tried this question more than any question i can think of!

I don't agree with what you say about e^(-x^2)
Its a very easy question which can be solved trivially with the help of Polar Coordiantes and further with change of variables!

I guess you must have been pointing to x^x,its solution can't be written in form of elementary functions!
 
  • #32
honestrosewater said:
Ask him what women want. :biggrin:


Tell me what do you want??
 
  • #33
heman said:
Tell me what do you want??
If you have to ask, you don't really want to know. :cool:


Hey, I'm getting the hang of this inscrutable psyche stuff[/size]
 
  • #34
honestrosewater said:
If you have to ask, you don't really want to know. :cool:


Hey, I'm getting the hang of this inscrutable psyche stuff[/size]


So...Hmmmm...Ok...Well ...Yeah


I have observed all through that women reveal only when they are asked!
 
  • #35
heman said:
I know its solution and i very well know its solution contain polylog function and other adhoc complex functions,but i don't care about the complexity involved!
Do you know how to solve it??
I have tried this question more than any question i can think of!

Write sec(x) in terms of exponentials, sec(x)=2/(e^{ix}+e^{-ix}), then a change of variables, e^{ix}=t. Using partial fractions you can then write the integral in terms of dilog say, which is an integral you can't express in elementary terms. This isn't really anymore satisfying than the original form though, but I guess this is the find of thing you're looking for. I wouldn't call rearranging this integral into some other arbitrary looking integral, that necessarily has no elementary solution, "solving" anything, but that's just me.

Or if you like you can express x*sec(x) as a power series and integrate that (keeping mind of the interval of convergence). Again, this is somewhat unsatisfying and not in elementary terms (which implies a finite number of terms).

heman said:
I don't agree with what you say about e^(-x^2)
Its a very easy question which can be solved trivially with the help of Polar Coordiantes and further with change of variables!

You can work out \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{-x^2}dx exactly by polar coordinates or other tricks. This is not what I said was impossible. You cannot express an antiderivative of e^{-x^2} in terms of elementary functions (for the usual definition of "elementary function"), this is not debatable. There is a difference between expressing an antiderivative in terms of elementary functions and evaluating a definite integral exactly.
 
  • #36
Ask your dad this simple question-" Why do hotdogs come in packages of 10 and hot dog buns come in packs of 8?" Guaranteed he will be stumped.
 
  • #37
gravenewworld said:
Ask your dad this simple question-" Why do hotdogs come in packages of 10 and hot dog buns come in packs of 8?" Guaranteed he will be stumped.
You've obviously never had a weinie roast on a beach. Guaranteed, one hot dog will fall into the fire and be unretrievable. A different hot dog will fall into the sand.

Whether this hot dog is still edible or not depends on whether or not there's a least one person at the party you don't like and whether or not that person saw you drop the hot dog.

This makes the problem of why there is only 8 buns in a package instead of 9 a little more complex and is unsolvable through normal beach party math. It's because bun packagers belong to the conservative, pro-family segment of society. They assume the hot dog in the beach is unusable and the thought of a bunch of single people assembling on the beach together is such a totally repugnant thought that they never get as far as debating whether the sandy hot dog is still usable or not.
 
  • #38
BobG said:
You've obviously never had a weinie roast on a beach. Guaranteed, one hot dog will fall into the fire and be unretrievable. A different hot dog will fall into the sand.
Haha, that's true, but you forgot the part about someone trying to douse the fire with their beer. :rolleyes:
Whether this hot dog is still edible or not depends on whether or not there's a least one person at the party you don't like and whether or not that person saw you drop the hot dog.

This makes the problem of why there is only 8 buns in a package instead of 9 a little more complex and is unsolvable through normal beach party math. It's because bun packagers belong to the conservative, pro-family segment of society. They assume the hot dog in the beach is unusable and the thought of a bunch of single people assembling on the beach together is such a totally repugnant thought that they never get as far as debating whether the sandy hot dog is still usable or not.
Ah, but the pro-family people surely realize that there will be a baby in the family who will be served the cut up hot dog without a bun. So the mystery lives! :devil:
 
  • #39
honestrosewater said:
Haha, that's true, but you forgot the part about someone trying to douse the fire with their beer. :rolleyes:
Ah, but the pro-family people surely realize that there will be a baby in the family who will be served the cut up hot dog without a bun. So the mystery lives! :devil:
At least that's better than some parties where some guy tries to douse the fire and winds up getting hauled off by the police for indecent exposure. :rolleyes:

The pro-family segment realizes that at the typical family weinie roast, all of the hot dogs wind up in the fire or the sand, the buns get fed to the ducks and geese, and the family goes to MacDonald's to eat. :smile:
 
  • #40
BobG said:
At least that's better than some parties where some guy tries to douse the fire and winds up getting hauled off by the police for indecent exposure. :rolleyes:
Sorry to hear that - I hope the cops didn't mistreat you. :biggrin:
The pro-family segment realizes that at the typical family weinie roast, all of the hot dogs wind up in the fire or the sand, the buns get fed to the ducks and geese, and the family goes to MacDonald's to eat. :smile:
:smile: Right, how could I forget... good times.
 
  • #41
Shippo said:
I have been trying for quite some time now to stump my dad on just one question. I've tryed out physics, Astronomy & Cosmology, Mathematics, Philosophy, logic, tecnology, almost every subject! It is getting to the point where i stay up late on the internet trying to find something. :bugeye: can anyone suggest a question please?
Invite him to PF.Then we can examine him.
And if he would be able to answer every question, it will be great to have him here. :rolleyes:
 
  • #42
Lisa! said:
Invite him to PF.Then we can examine him.
And if he would be able to answer every question, it will be great to have him here. :rolleyes:
That's the most logical thing anyone's said all day.
 
  • #43
What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? :smile:
 
  • #44
Tom Mattson said:
What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? :smile:
:biggrin: Nice try, but this guy sounds like a nerd, i.e., he has the script on disk somewhere.

I'm right, aren't I, Shippo?
 

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