Today I Learned

[mfb]

There is a right way to tie your shoe laces.

Yes, but the video does not show it.
See here

 

[jim hardy]

The computer can make mistakes very big and very fast.

With no remorse at all.

 

[Ibix]

With no remorse at all.

The computer is your friend.

Trust the computer.

 

[Astronuc]

It is estimated that about 4% of persons on death row are innocent. Is that acceptable?

http://www.upworthy.com/30-years-on...oure-freed-the-prosecutor-comes-to-apologize/

 

[mfb]

How many guilty persons get free? And how would those two rates change with suggested action X? I don't know, but that would have to be investigated.
There is only way to reduce this rate to 0 % - don't send anyone to prison. That is not a working model.

 

[jim hardy]

Does the old adage "Better a hundred guilty men go free than one innocent be convicted" suggest 1% is acceptable ?

 

[Astronuc]

How many guilty persons get free? And how would those two rates change with suggested action X? I don't know, but that would have to be investigated.
There is only way to reduce this rate to 0 % - don't send anyone to prison. That is not a working model.

I was reflecting on comments like"
". . . evidence regarding his whereabouts and the murder weapon (which would have swayed them to acquit) were suppressed, according to Ford's attorneys."

and from the prosecutor:

And I knew this was a very burdensome requirement that had never been met in the jurisprudence of which I was aware. I also participated in placing before the jury dubious testimony from a forensic pathologist that the shooter had to be left handed, even though there was no eye witness to the murder. And yes, Glenn Ford was left handed.

All too late, I learned that the testimony was pure junk science at its evil worst.

In 1984, I was 33 years old. I was arrogant, judgmental, narcissistic, and very full of myself. I was not as interested in justice as I was in winning. To borrow a phrase from Al Pacino in the movie 'And Justice for All,' 'Winning became everything.'

Such an injustice.

I certainly don't advocate the guilty go free, but rather, when the system be much more careful and just with regard to depriving someone of their life and liberty.

 

[mfb]

Does the old adage "Better a hundred guilty men go free than one innocent be convicted" suggest 1% is acceptable ?

It's a bit more complicated. For a fixed amount of effort put into the investigation, it is possible (in theory) to derive an ROC curve for court decisions. Different threshold for "this is enough evidence" give different rates of "guilty => correctly identified as guilty" and "innocent => falsely identified as guilty".
The actual ratio of innocent to guilty in prison also depends on the ratio in court. If the police does a "perfect" job and no innocent ever gets accused, then court can go for 100% correct positive rate and put everyone in prison. If most of those are innocent, however, most of them have to get free - which means most of the guilty persons will get free as well.

 

[WWGD]

Prof. Dan Simon argues , effectively I think, that much could be improved in the us justice system, that there is even little effort made to provide a fair trial:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325568-8/dan-simon-doubt

 

[zoobyshoe]

Sorry for the necropost, but I just read this and the answer came to me while cooking lunch.

Not that hard to show this is not possible: first, check this does not hold for 24!. Then notice that if n>24, then n>10. This is obvious, but notice that multiplying by anything larger than or equal to 10, the factorial will gain at least one digit in length. So , Let N(k!) be the number of digits in k! . We are trying to see when/if we can have N(k!)=k.

Then, given 23! has 23 digits , i.e., N(23!)=23, and N(24!)>24 , we see that N(k!) will increase at least by 1 from k to (k+1), while the digits increase just by 1 , i.e., when we go from N(24!) to N(25!) , k goes from 24 to 25, i.e., increases precisely by 1, while k, the number of digits, increases at least by 1, so there is no way N(k!) can catch up with k , since N(24!)> 24, and the expression in the left will increase at least as fast as the expression in the right. I leave it to you to see what happens when we use a number base different from decimal.

So you have two expressions A,B ; A>B for n>24, and then A goes on to increase faster than B after 24, so B cannot catch up with A.

Go back to post #464 and read forward a few pages.

 

[WWGD]

Ah, OK, let me just delete my post, you can delete yours too, of course. EDIT: just deleted, it; I need to go, but if you delete yours, I will delete mine too.

 

[Astronuc]

The Man Behind 'The Most Interesting Man' Is Interesting, Too
http://www.npr.org/2015/06/20/415835643/the-man-behind-the-most-interesting-man-is-interesting-too

Stay thirsty my friends

 

[Lisa!]

Recently I realized that switiching to a vegan diet might not be as hard as it sounds!

 

[WWGD]

Recently I realized that switiching to a vegan diet might not be as hard as it sounds!

But it will likely be as un-tasty as it sounds, unless you are a gourmet chef and/or can cook Indian-style dishes. I tried vegetarianism, but it was too hard to feel full after eating and I ended up grazing all day long as a result. Besides, if you eat out, options seem limited to eating salads, maybe falafel.

 

[Silicon Waffle]

People can make things that look exactly like hot dogs or sea foods from tofu.

 

[WWGD]

_look

People can make things that look exactly like hot dogs or sea foods from tofu.

_ look like_ is the operating expression. Show me _taste like_ and that can be found when you eat out. I tried all sorts of vegetarian dishes and very few measured up. Specially those vege-sausages. Yikes.

 

[Silicon Waffle]

Yes I agree it is not real ones . People may just be curious only not really interested or fall for them.
The point of vegetarianism I think isn't about being full but being enough. If you are still young and energetic, don't be a vegetarian. I also think it is about food orientation, and it's not stupid at all for a vegetarian to only love vegies instead of meat. I just can't hang loose a piece of meat in front of him in the hope that he will come and swallow it.
I lost my camera and still can't get it back from the cops.

 

[Astronuc]

But it will likely be as un-tasty as it sounds, unless you are a gourmet chef and/or can cook Indian-style dishes. I tried vegetarianism, but it was too hard to feel full after eating and I ended up grazing all day long as a result. Besides, if you eat out, options seem limited to eating salads, maybe falafel.

Yet "Scientists at Beyond Meat concocted a plant-protein-based performance burger that delivers the juicy flavor and texture of the real thing with none of the dietary and environmental downsides." Apparently the have the right ingredients and right process to produce a plant based set of proteins that tastes like beef.
http://www.outsideonline.com/1928211/top-secret-food-will-change-way-you-eat

It is claimed, apparently by the manufacturer, that the plant-based protein has: “More protein than beef. More omegas than salmon. More calcium than milk. More antioxidants than blueberries. Plus muscle-recovery aids. It’s the ultimate performance burger.”

For those who wish to try it - http://beyondmeat.com/products/view/the-beast-burger

 

[Ibix]

...and fewer ethical issues. Not sure about the environmental impact, but it seems plausible that it could be better on that front too.

I'd like to eat an artificial burger one day, just because to be able to do so is such an awesome thing.

 

[WWGD]

The creepy thing is that , when I clicked on "Store Locator" it recommended a store nearby , giving the precise distance, so the page does track down your location. Still, thanks, I will check it out.

 

[mfb]

The creepy thing is that , when I clicked on "Store Locator" it recommended a store nearby , giving the precise distance, so the page does track down your location. Still, thanks, I will check it out.

Doesn't work here, but I guess this is not the fault of the website. After all, the nearest store is at least one intercontinental flight away...

 

[WWGD]

Doesn't work here, but I guess this is not the fault of the website. After all, the nearest store is at least one intercontinental flight away...

Maybe if you were vegetarian you wouldn't be so lazy and you could run here and back to get your beastburgers :). ( This coming from a devoted carnivore ).

 

[Astronuc]

an example of honor:

'Restored Honor': A World War II Pilot's Long Road Home
http://news.yahoo.com/restored-honor-world-war-ii-pilots-long-road-161503139--abc-news-topstories.html

The story would be appropriate for Memorial Day.

 

[OmCheeto]

an example of honor:

'Restored Honor': A World War II Pilot's Long Road Home
http://news.yahoo.com/restored-honor-world-war-ii-pilots-long-road-161503139--abc-news-topstories.html

The story would be appropriate for Memorial Day.

Neat story.
As many know, my mother served in the German Luftwaffe during the war, and her job was to shine spotlights on the enemy planes that flew over. (Sorry about that John!)
My father was in the American Air Force, but was just a couple of years too young to have seen action. (Phew!)
Then they met, and had 7 kids.

Hence, me, and my slightly choormen akscent.

Vas hast du gemacht mit der vash lappen, du faula misgebort! (What have you done with the wash-rag, you lazy miscarriage!)

ps. I was about 20 years old, before I discovered a wash-rag was not called a vash-lappen. True story.

 

[Astronuc]

An example of cognitive dissonance -

"I'll tell you what, my two grown sons are proud members of the Sons of (the) Confederacy. They display the Confederate flag with pride, the same flag that flies at our state capitol ... That flag doesn't mean slavery, it means heritage.""I wish the history books would get it right," she added. "The [U.S. Civil] War was over state's rights, not slavery."

I know many people across the south, and they are good folks. I can't fathom how this person can separate slavery and the inhuman treatment of African-Americans (e.g., Jim Crow laws, etc) from the so-called 'heritage'.

The quote from Disbelief, defiance in South Carolina town once home to shooting suspect
http://news.yahoo.com/disbelief-defiance-south-carolina-town-once-home-shooting-004557864.html

I have often visited Columbia, SC as part of my work, and I saw the Confederate flag flying on the state house grounds. I could not understand why some folks couldn't see the meaning behind that flag, and I still can't.

 

[mfb]

Maybe if you were vegetarian you wouldn't be so lazy and you could run here and back to get your beastburgers :). ( This coming from a devoted carnivore ).

You mean something like swim across the atlantic? Unfortunately those suggestions disappeared in favor of flights.

 

[OmCheeto]

An example of cognitive dissonance - I know many people across the south, and they are good folks. I can't fathom how this person can separate slavery and the inhuman treatment of African-Americans (e.g., Jim Crow laws, etc) from the so-called 'heritage'.

The quote from Disbelief, defiance in South Carolina town once home to shooting suspect
http://news.yahoo.com/disbelief-defiance-south-carolina-town-once-home-shooting-004557864.html

I have often visited Columbia, SC as part of my work, and I saw the Confederate flag flying on the state house grounds. I could not understand why some folks couldn't see the meaning behind that flag, and I still can't.

The language, which spewed from my fingers, yesterday, when I saw such comments, precludes me from sharing them here...

Ok. I'll try and clean them up. It was regarding a comment that we should sign a petition to remove the "flag" from government places:

When I see the flag, I see it as a symbol, that the owner is an ***hole. When I hear that a state is flying a version of the flag, I assume that most of the people there are ***holes, and I should stay away. hmmm... I will not sign the petition.

ps. Today, I learned, that Limpets have developed the hardest, non-human, material in the world:

The world's new strongest natural material: Limpet teeth

pps. I was researching the new "pyramid" shaped mountain on Ceres, and wasn't sure if a Limpet was a snail, or a freak-half-clam-whatever...

 

[Astronuc]

SC Gov Calls for Removal of Confederate Flag
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/watch-yahoo-global-news-anchor-katie-courics-122182725721.html

Great speech by Gov. Haley.

 

[Tobias Funke]

Matt Binder put it well:

props to GOP pollsters & their hard work this past weekend for the abrupt change of heart of every republican on the confederate flag now

But keeping with the theme of the thread, I did learn about Hobey Baker today, so that's something.

 

[Enigman]

TIL: Thomas Jefferson 'constructed' a book in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus excluding all mentions of supernatural and miracles. The book is called The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth as it is formally titled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible