What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

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The discussion revolves around frustrations with current documentary programming, particularly criticizing the History Channel's focus on sensational topics like time travel conspiracies instead of real historical content. Participants express disappointment over National Geographic's sale to Fox, fearing a decline in quality programming. The conversation shifts to lighter topics, including humorous anecdotes about everyday life, such as a malfunctioning kitchen fan discovered to be blocked by installation instructions. There are also discussions about the challenges of understanding various dialects in Belgium, the complexities of language, and personal experiences with weather and housing in California. Members share their thoughts on food, including a peculiar dish of zucchini pancakes served with strawberry yogurt, and delve into mathematical concepts related to sandwich cutting and the properties of numbers. The thread captures a blend of serious commentary and lighthearted banter, reflecting a diverse range of interests and perspectives among participants.
  • #3,151
WWGD said:
I agree that this is good advice , just that it is necessary, but not sufficient.

I thought about that terminology, but honestly one could nitpick whether it really is strictly necessary. Biology is messy like that.

Coming at it from a different direction: Following that advice is sufficient for a major health improvement if you are able bodied and not in great shape currently.
 
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  • #3,152
StoneTemplePython said:
I thought about that terminology, but honestly one could nitpick whether it really is strictly necessary. Biology is messy like that.

Coming at it from a different direction: Following that advice is sufficient for a major health improvement if you are able bodied and not in great shape currently.
Ok, for more precision, it correlates positively with many aspects/traits of good health.
 
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  • #3,153
Psinter said:
The number of socks that go inside the washing machine should be the same number that comes out. I've been carefully watching them and it has all been a success. My hypothesis is that as long as I keep a close eye on them, they will not be lost. So far so good. 5 pairs in, 5 pairs out.
This will not persist. You are incorrect in your belief that the number out should equal the number in. It is in fact a law of nature that eventually, the washing machine WILL eat at least one sock.
 
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  • #3,154
WWGD said:
I mean, your experiences in being able to control weight, etc. They have worked for you, but this may just be a coincidence and may not generalize, i.e., there may be large numbers of people who may also work out and skip meals when they are hungry and yet not be able to lose weight.
Well, it can be said that results will vary, but, no, it isn't a coincidence that when I eat less and exercise more I lose weight: qualitatively, these results will happen for essentially everyone. Conservation of matter/energy (and basic logic) demands it and research shows it. It doesn't mean everyone can be equally skinny, it just means everyone can be skinnier.

The media has been blasting lately that this simple mantra isn't true but they either purposely or due to not being very bright misrepresent the studies. Dieting sucks, so it sells newspapers to tell people they don't have to do it.

Here's a study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4227972/
It compares dieting, exercise and dieting+exercise in a meta-analysis. It involved 3500 people in 24 studies and if I'm reading the stats right (in particular, table 2) it says more than 95% lost weight by whatever method they were assigned.

Important caveat: while eating less or exercising more will cause weight loss, the eating less part is the bigger factor and if you choose only to start exercising and don't pay attention to your calorie intake, your body will demand more food and you will eat more and not lose as much weight. So it is important to pay more attention to the eating than the exercise, lest you accidentally undermine your own fitness regimen.
 
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  • #3,155
phinds said:
This will not persist. You are incorrect in your belief that the number out should equal the number in. It is in fact a law of nature that eventually, the washing machine WILL eat at least one sock.
Agreed: Washing machines do not follow Conservation of Mass, but rather a different law called Entropy of Socks.
 
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  • #3,156
Anyone have some favorite quasi-legal sayings?

Mine are:

'Without prejudice', which means something of the sort that we agree to disagree.
 
  • #3,157
Probable reaction from Americans when I visited the US and spoke English.

travel-memes-speaking-another-language.jpg


Ah. It is good to laugh at oneself from time to time. I wonder how they really perceived my speaking.

Source (I don't identify with most of those pictures except for 31. That was accurate. When is time to go back home.)
 

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  • #3,158
Today is my first day in my first job as a django programmer.:smile:
This is a small newly founded company that is going to provide AIaaS(AI as a Service), so at the same time, I'm going to learn some serious machine learning too.
 
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  • #3,159
ShayanJ said:
Today is my first day in my first job as a django programmer.:smile:
This is a small newly founded company that is going to provide AIaaS(AI as a Service), so at the same time, I'm going to learn some serious machine learning too.
Congratulations! :smile:
 
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  • #3,160
For someone who professes a Socratic attitude of knowing that I know next to nothing, I find posting here highly intimidating. Perhaps time to adjust that attitude.
 
  • #3,161
There is nothing hip about a fracture.
 
  • #3,162
WWGD said:
There is nothing hip about a fracture.
Sorry to hear. Which bone?
 
  • #3,163
fresh_42 said:
Sorry to here. Which bone?

Nothing, sorry, just hearing about someone having a hip fracture.
 
  • #3,164
WWGD said:
There is nothing hip about a fracture.
It could be humerus, though.
 
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  • #3,165
WWGD said:
There is nothing hip about a fracture.
Took me a whole day to get that one.
Thanks to Huey Louis though It's " Hip to be Square " !

I tried to get a personalized license plate to that effect

hip2b2.jpg


but Arkansas DMV can't handle superscript.

old jim
 

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  • #3,166
jim hardy said:
Took me a whole day to get that one.
Thanks to Huey Louis though It's " Hip to be Square " !

I tried to get a personalized license plate to that effect

View attachment 219009

but Arkansas DMV can't handle superscript.

old jim
How about 2B^2 ? Maybe at some point , license plates will have Tex editors.;)
 
  • #3,167
WWGD said:
How about 2B^2 ? Maybe at some point , license plates will have Tex editors.;)
^ is on their list of disallowed characters...
I just ordered this from a sign place. I can put it on the front...

hip2b2two.jpg


Meantime i sent Arkansas DMV an inquiry and instructions how to insert superscript, ALT253 , Try it but you have to use the numeric keypad not the numbers at top of keyboard...
222 ²² < done with hold down ALT and enter 253

see http://www.theasciicode.com.ar/

old jim
 

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  • #3,168
I already miss my post number 3141, an approximation to 1000## \pi##, the best one. I must wait until post 31415 to have the best approximation to 10000 ## \pi##
 
  • #3,169
jim hardy said:
Took me a whole day to get that one.
Thanks to Huey Louis though It's " Hip to be Square " !

WWGD has had two posts recently about being hip and both times I could hear Huey Lewis and the News playing for a minute in the back of my mind before I got the actual reference. I was trying to find a way to parlay this into "it's hip to be obtuse"... but I don't think my bad math pun skills are up for the task.
 
  • #3,170
StoneTemplePython said:
WWGD has had two posts recently about being hip and both times I could hear Huey Lewis and the News playing for a minute in the back of my mind before I got the actual reference. I was trying to find a way to parlay this into "it's hip to be obtuse"... but I don't think my bad math pun skills are up for the task.
I am hip to that... ( Let's see how long we can keep it going ).
 
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  • #3,171
Good old times when we did the same on chat every weekend :wink:

19554788_10155065086786821_3045077497112296481_n.jpg
 

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  • #3,172
Trying to keep this year, the resolutions I started last year but abandoned. One is drinking enough water. Still, the recommendations are unconditional: something like 10 glasses/day , but no accounting for other factors; whether you live in the Arctic or a desert, or whether you stay home all day watching TV or you work 15 hours non-stop at an oil rig, whether you weigh 110 pounds or 350. Though hard to keep, as water is rarely available in public places, outside of one's home ( other than restaurants or other eating places).
 
  • #3,173
WWGD said:
Trying to keep this year, the resolutions I started last year but abandoned.
Found my 2016 to-do-list today. What shall I say? Still up to date! :biggrin:
 
  • #3,174
fresh_42 said:
Found my 2016 to-do-list today. What shall I say? Still up to date! :biggrin:
REsolve: Not losing your to-do list ? ;).
 
  • #3,175
fresh_42 said:
Found my 2016 to-do-list today. What shall I say? Still up to date! :biggrin:
Impressive. Mine's grown...
 
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  • #3,176
I dropped my sandwich today. It landed butter side up. :oldconfused:
 
  • #3,177
fresh_42 said:
I dropped my sandwich today. It landed butter side up. :oldconfused:

main-qimg-fa215104abbaabe0b77f68cb40b0d469.png
 

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  • #3,178
fresh_42 said:
I dropped my sandwich today. It landed butter side up. :oldconfused:
Oh dear. That must mean you're in a parallel universe to the rest of us!
 
  • #3,180
Huh. An update for microcode. Must be due to the Meltdown thingy.
 

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