Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

[WannabeNewton]

Sometimes I am just too cool for words. I buy tea in those gallon jugs, and there was just a bit left, not really enough to bother getting a glass dirty. So I just placed the jug to my lips, tipped it up and the cold tea ran past my mouth down my neck and into my brassiere. I am wide awake now.

This sounds like an excerpt from "Fifty Shades of Gray"...not that I've read the book.

 

[collinsmark]

This sounds like an excerpt from "Fifty Shades of Gray"...not that I've read the book.

Yeah, Evo is awesome.

 

[zoobyshoe]

There's this 24 hour donut shop I go to. It's at the edge of a mall. On the other side of the donut parking area is the dumpster, sequestered in a chain link enclosure. So, I was there about midnight, standing outside drinking coffee, and I perceived a great deal of movement in the dumpster enclosure. Turns out there was a colony of rats cavorting in it, climbing up and down the chain link, jumping, playing tag, and wrestling. A couple had ventured out and were climbing up and down a tree. I didn't know rats climbed trees. The odd thing is that, when they climb down, they climb down head first. They have amazing grip. It was all pretty entertaining, like watching a colony of meercats.

 

[Silicon Waffle]

Neurobic activities in rats ?
All four legged animals seem just able to run or walk forward.

 

[WWGD]

My opinion of Rick Springfield, who sang "Jessie's Girl" changed when I realized the lyrics read " I wish I was _with_ Jessie's

There's this 24 hour donut shop I go to. It's at the edge of a mall. On the other side of the donut parking area is the dumpster, sequestered in a chain link enclosure. So, I was there about midnight, standing outside drinking coffee, and I perceived a great deal of movement in the dumpster enclosure. Turns out there was a colony of rats cavorting in it, climbing up and down the chain link, jumping, playing tag, and wrestling. A couple had ventured out and were climbing up and down a tree. I didn't know rats climbed trees. The odd thing is that, when they climb down, they climb down head first. They have amazing grip. It was all pretty entertaining, like watching a colony of meercats.

According to some research, a good way of cutting down on rats' (animals in general) lifespan is by giving them plenty of food, much more than enough to get by.Though it is tricky, since you may just get more rats eating small amounts.

 

[WWGD]

One of the reasons I play Sudoku , the "Evil" level, is because , to solve it, requires that I apply all my attention to it, and I am trying to train myself to keep my focus for longer, maybe indefinite long periods of time. I hear Newton used to immerse himself in his research for more than a day at a time ( though he did have a nervous breakdown late in his life). Imagine if you could keep an intense focus for , say, 2-3 days at a time; you could then fully absorb some concepts in those 2-3 days, instead of having to spend months dealing with fragmented bits of material before (possibly, possibly not) "getting it".

 

[zoobyshoe]

One of the reasons I play Sudoku , the "Evil" level, is because , to solve it, requires that I apply all my attention to it, and I am trying to train myself to keep my focus for longer, maybe indefinite long periods of time.

The problem with this is that it will increase your ability to solve sudoku, but nothing else. You really have to concentrate on the actual thing you want to be good at.

I hear Newton used to immerse himself in his research for more than a day at a time ( though he did have a nervous breakdown late in his life). Imagine if you could keep an intense focus for , say, 2-3 days at a time; you could then fully absorb some concepts in those 2-3 days, instead of having to spend months dealing with fragmented bits of material before (possibly, possibly not) "getting it".

Newton's "breakdown" was almost certainly the result of mercury poisoning. His madness cleared up over a few years time after he stopped experimenting with that dangerous element. There was a point when he used to sleep in a room with mercury bubbling away over a flame, and he used to joke the premature gray of his hair was the result of working so much with mercury.

Regardless, he did get absorbed in math and physics problems to the exclusion of all else, apparently for days at a time, losing interest even in eating. I don't think he trained himself to do this, though. He was naturally obsessive.

 

[WWGD]

The problem with this is that it will increase your ability to solve sudoku, but nothing else. You really have to concentrate on the actual thing you want to be good at. <Snip>

.

EDIT I am not so much interested in getting better at Sudoku, I am more interested in training myself to
remained focused over longer periods of time, and to do so at will.
But how else do you improve your ability to concentrate/focus over long periods of time? Especially since modern life seems to push you in the opposite direction, shifting back-and-forth between phone and computer, different webpages, generally massive inflow of noise ( not information, unfortunately) , all of which, together, almost require you to shift your attention constantly.

EDIT : Something else that may have helped Newton focus for such long periods of time was his isolation, living many miles away from the main population centers, and without most of the distractions/interruptions we have today. I think at worse, he may have received mail by horse messenger monthly or so, no TV, internet, etc. to speak of.

 

[phion]

One of the reasons I play Sudoku , the "Evil" level, is because , to solve it, requires that I apply all my attention to it, and I am trying to train myself to keep my focus for longer, maybe indefinite long periods of time. I hear Newton used to immerse himself in his research for more than a day at a time ( though he did have a nervous breakdown late in his life). Imagine if you could keep an intense focus for , say, 2-3 days at a time; you could then fully absorb some concepts in those 2-3 days, instead of having to spend months dealing with fragmented bits of material before (possibly, possibly not) "getting it".

You should try the ancient Asian board game Go. I fell in love with it years ago.

 

[WWGD]

You should try the ancient Asian board game Go. I fell in love with it years ago.

Thanks, does it require a lot of "machinery" to play? Websudoku gives me billions of puzzles, available by just going to the site, and playing only requires a mouse.

 

[phion]

Do you have an android smart phone? I recommend the Go game created by AI Factory.

 

[WWGD]

Do you have an android smart phone? I recommend the Go game created by AI Factory.

Unfortunately not, I will have to wait until I get a regular job until I can plop around $70 or so for a good phone; at this point, I only have a barebones phone that cost me $10.50.

 

[phion]

Unfortunately not, I will have to wait until I get a regular job until I can plop around $70 or so for a good phone; at this point, I only have a barebones phone that cost me $10.50.

No problem. Try this website and see how it goes. You might want to read up a little bit on the rules first since it can become somewhat complicated.

 

[WWGD]

No problem. Try this website and see how it goes. You might want to read up a little bit on the rules first since it can become somewhat complicated.

Thanks Phion, I will check it out right now.

 

[Evo]

There is a really great show on the weather channel called "Three scientists walk into a bar", they do all kinds of science demonstrations and dispel myths. You should watch it.

 

[Ibix]

I saw an episode of Peppa Pig the other day (young children's series about an anthropomorphic pig). Peppa's family decided to go for a picnic, crossing a river in a rowing boat on the way. When they'd crossed they realized they'd left their lunch behind, so sent Daddy Pig back to get it. He found the packed lunch on the other bank with the Wolf family, who had just turned up and wanted to cross the river too.

So we have a packed lunch, a pig, some wolves, and a rowing boat - which turned out to be only big enough for two of these things at once. I know a lot of children's shows put in some jokes for the grown-ups who end up watching them under duress, but that one was unexpectedly nerdy. Try explaining why you're laughing at that to a bunch of four- and five-year olds...

 

[WWGD]

I thought I had hit the jackpot when I realized my new apartment kept at between around 59 degrees to 70 degrees in Winter without the use of heating. Unfortunately the news are not so good in hot, humid weather, where I do need to make use of AC to have the apartment be at a reasonable temperature and humidity level.

 

[Evo]

To try to get more people to watch "three scientists walked into a bar".



http://www.weather.com/tv/shows/three-scientists-walk-into-a-bar/news/three-scientists-sneak-peek

 

[WWGD]

Kind of funny link about how nice Canadians are:

http://distractify.com/jake-heppner/friendliest-canadians-of-all-time-ever/

 

[phion]

I've seriously been considering moving there. For some odd reason I begun to kind of hate the United States.

 

[WWGD]

Why not, I have thought about it myself. I will get some maple donuts tonight, at Tony Horton's.

 

[phion]

It is a spicy meatball.

 

[zoobyshoe]

"Birds aren't descended from dinosaurs,
they are dinosaurs."

https://xkcd.com/1211/

By this logic, any chicken farmer could call his business "Jurassic Park," and charge people $10,000 a pop to see the "real, living dinosaurs!"

 

[rootone]

What is the answer to life , the universe , and everything?

 

[phion]

I just solved my Rubik's cube for the 3rd time today. I'm getting pretty good. I think I will buy a yo-yo next. Have you seen the tricks you can do with those things?

 

[Borek]

"Birds aren't descended from dinosaurs, they are dinosaurs."

There is an interesting discussion of different ways of treating the problem in one of Dawkins' books, I think it was a whole chapter. Sadly, I can't remember which book.

 

[zoobyshoe]

There is an interesting discussion of different ways of treating the problem in one of Dawkins' books, I think it was a whole chapter. Sadly, I can't remember which book.

I like my way of treating the problem:

WELCOME TO JURASSIC PARK!

 

[Evo]

Sigh, another thunderstorm, i was on my covered patio making sure all of my potted plants would be safe when a huge gust of wind went through the trees and I heard "SNAP SNAP SNAP SNAP" branches breaking. My dog was in the middle of a stretch when a loud clap of thunder hit and he froze in that position until I "undid" him.

 

[Ibix]

This may be me being ignorant of common knowledge, but how does one "undo" a dog?

 

[phion]

I feel like instead of a random thoughts thread, or supplementary to, we need a confession thread. In that sense, I started drinking way too early with nothing in my stomach.