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

[Ibix]

Thank you. I am not sure I understood your reply well. Say I have names in the order A,C,B and their corresponding last names in the order D , F,E. (Meaning full names are A+D, C+F, B+E) Can I sort , while keeping the match between names and last names, so that we end up with names column in the order A,B,C and last names in the order D,F,E ? ,i.e., the match between names and last names is preserved? Sorry if I misunderstood you.

Yes. So:

Smith	John
Jones	John
Smith	Jane

can be sorted to get

Jones	John
Smith	Jane
Smith	John

So we've sorted on surname, and used first name to break any ties, if that makes sense. What you can't do in one go is sort the columns independently (breaking the links between first name and surname). So you can't get this:

Jones	Jane
Smith	John
Smith	John

Or, at least, I don't know a way to do it except the obvious select each column one at a time and sort it on its own.

 

[WWGD]

Yes. So:

Smith	John
Jones	John
Smith	Jane

can be sorted to get

Jones	John
Smith	Jane
Smith	John

So we've sorted on surname, and used first name to break and ties, if that makes sense. What you can't do in one go is sort the columns independently (breaking the links between first name and surname). So you can't get this:

Jones	Jane
Smith	John
Smith	John

Or, at least, I don't know a way to do it except the obvious select each column one at a time and sort it on its own.

Excellent, Thank you. After a major screw up in which I shifted down a cell containing cell phones and the last digit of the phone number was shifted by 1 , as part of a pattern, I thought it would be a good idea to ask:

I had a phone number , say 407963225 in cell E41 , but was actual part of row 42, so needed to be moved down to E42. So I selected the cell , moved it down by one row and ended up with phone number 407963226=407963225+1 ; Excel somehow thought in shifting the cell down I was extending a pattern. Happened a few times. Took me a few hours to repair. Point is recent carelssness cost me a good amount of time, so I thought I'd be extra careful. Thanks again, Ibix.

 

[WWGD]

Excellent, Thank you. After a major screw up in which I shifted down a cell containing cell phones and the last digit of the phone number was shifted by 1 , as part of a pattern, I thought it would be a good idea to ask:

I had a phone number , say 407963225 in cell E41 , but was actual part of row 42, so needed to be moved down to E42. So I selected the cell , moved it down by one row and ended up with phone number 407963226=407963225+1 ; Excel somehow thought in shifting the cell down I was extending a pattern. Happened a few times. Took me a few hours to repair. Point is recent carelssness cost me a good amount of time, so I thought I'd be extra careful. Thanks again, Ibix.

I remember once meeting someone interning in a company on Excel. As in 'So and So, the Excel Intern'. Seemed strange, but now I can see how/why that can be.

 

[Ibix]

After a major screw up in which I shifted down a cell containing cell phones and the last digit of the phone number was shifted by 1 , as part of a pattern, I thought it would be a good idea to ask

Ugh. I really hate Excel for doing exactly this kind of smart-but-not-smart-enough kind of thing. But I still have to use it for far too much stuff because I've no better general purpose tool available...

 

[etotheipi]

 

[WWGD]

I finally realized this guy meant Coup D'etat and not Crudite. Conversation started making sense.

 

[WWGD]

View attachment 281766​

Wonder how my former history prof ended up in your museum.

 

[WWGD]

Keep hearing everyone saying older music was better. I suspect it has to see with the fact that bad songs from long ago did not survive, so those who did make it seem better. Survivorship bias. Edit: Just like those who say : Look at how well-adapted all animals are. No, you're seeing those who are well-adapted , so that they made it. Same for songs.

I mean, I am nowhere near being a hip guy, going to the latest clubs, but I don't remember hearing any music from 90s and on, being piped in in any public place. All 60s-90s.

 

[WWGD]

Ok, a special on pickles, so I bought them and will try them on my sandwich. And at the German place, they're advertising The Best of the Wurst. Getting the specials is a way of randomizing the food I eat, which is supposedly a good, healthy thing to do; to rotate nutrients.

 

[WWGD]

Ok, a special on pickles, so I bought them and will try them on my sandwich. And at the German place, they're advertising The Best of the Wurst. Getting the specials is a way of randomizing the food I eat, which is supposedly a good, healthy thing to do; to rotate nutrients.

What part are you skeptical about, Keith? You know I take some license with my entries here ;).

 

[Keith_McClary]

What part are you skeptical about, Keith?

Here, the specials tend to be less healthy and nutritious.

 

[WWGD]

Here, the specials tend to be less healthy and nutritious.

Could be. I select the ones that are reasonably healthy, not just any one. But valid point. They may not be the best, but hardly the Wurst ;).

 

[etotheipi]

Physics exams are so rude, it's always "calculate this" or "show that" and never "please calculate this" or "please show that". From now on I refuse to do a question if it does not ask nicely.

 

[WWGD]

Physics exams are so rude, it's always "calculate this" or "show that" and never "please calculate this" or "please show that". From now on I refuse to do a question if it does not ask nicely.

Even worse: they talk about quantum mechanics. Ever seen a quantum car? What do these mechanics repair?

 

[WWGD]

Always thought it would be interesting if one of these late night interview shows decided to interview random everyday people, instead of celebrities. Like Joe the plumber.

 

[DrGreg]

Even worse: they talk about quantum mechanics. Ever seen a quantum car? What do these mechanics repair?

I always feel uncertain about my quantum mechanic's estimates.

 

[WWGD]

I always feel uncertain about my quantum mechanic's estimates.

Just don't let your cat hang out in your shop . You will never know if it's dead or alive ( pushing it to its limits; probably way beyond).

 

[WWGD]

I did not accept the invitation of the Stoic Philosophy group to join them. They didn't seem to care much; " That's Life", but cared more than the Nihilists.

 

[DrGreg]

I intend to join the Procrastination Society one day.

 

[fresh_42]

I intend to join the Procrastination Society one day.

I thought about it. But I think I will do it on Monday.

 

[WWGD]

I thought about it. But I think I will do it on Monday.

Careful: if the secretary ( nor anyone ) else is there, it may not ring.

 

[WWGD]

Careful: if the secretary ( nor anyone ) else is there, it may not ring.

(Recycling) The ASPCA * Quantum group cannot tell if its cat died or not. They lost the keys to the room where the cat lives. Edit: The representative for the Godel chair called his cat "My Dog" and his dog " My Cat" . Therefore he claims " My cat is My Dog and My Dog is my cat".

*Society for protection of animals.

 

[fresh_42]

(Recycling) The ASPCA * Quantum group cannot tell if its cat died or not. They lost the keys to the room where the cat lives. Edit: The representative for the Godel chair called his cat "My Dog" and his dog " My Cat" . Therefore he claims " My cat is My Dog and My Dog is my cat".

*Society for protection of animals.

It is with a probability of 90% still alive:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/math-challenge-august-2020.991944/#post-6374281

 

[WWGD]

It is with a probability of 90% still alive:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/math-challenge-august-2020.991944/#post-6374281

Can't reply. I used up the 3 things I know about philosophy .

 

[fresh_42]

Can't reply. I used up the 3 things I know about philosophy .

The story of the stoics has to be rewritten anyway. I just checked the origin of hemp. They found 5,500 years old traces in Germany, so the ancient Greeks definitely had it, since it originated from the steppes in Central Asia. That explains the entire school.

 

[WWGD]

The story of the stoics has to be rewritten anyway. I just checked the origin of hemp. They found 5,500 years old traces in Germany, so the ancient Greeks definitely had it, since it originated from the steppes in Central Asia. That explains the entire school.

Not sure I get the connection.

 

[fresh_42]

Not sure I get the connection.

Lethargy (stoicism) is one of the symptoms of weed consumption.

 

[WWGD]

Lethargy (stoicism) is one of the symptoms of weed consumption.

Ah. How about cravings for Cheetos and other snacks, a supposed side effect as well? I am a practicioner of that school. I just gave myself cravings just by posting this. Will go get (Stoic) chips and will be back.

 

[WWGD]

Many countries now legalizing consumption of weed. Maybe we will see a raise in the proportion of Stoics. And consumption of chips.

 

[fresh_42]

They sold a Dollar from 1794 today. For $840.000. However, a dollar in 1794 is worth only $24.08 today. Now was this the greatest investment of all time or evidence in a case of fraud?

 

[WWGD]

They sold a Dollar from 1794 today. For $840.000. However, a dollar in 1794 is worth only $24.08 today. Now was this the greatest investment of all time or evidence in a case of fraud?

Maybe it was a rare coin/bill?

 

[WWGD]

I keep , some how, getting questions about closure of operations. So I was asked again if polynomials are closed under operations. Yes, for finite case. I use Taylor series of $e^x$ to show lack of closure under limits. But then they ask me how to prove $e^x$ is not a polynomial. We'll, it equals its own derivative and there is no extension under which it takes the value 0. Is there another good argument?

 

[fresh_42]

You could use its functional equation: $f(x+y)=f(x)\cdot f(y)$ which together with $f(0)=1$ determines the exponential function.

 

[fresh_42]

Or Euler's formula.

 

[fresh_42]

Or plot it! If it wasn't then NP=P wouldn't be a problem.

 

[WWGD]

You could use its functional equation: $f(x+y)=f(x)\cdot f(y)$ which together with $f(0)=1$ determines the exponential function uniquely.

Yes, this may show it's not a polynomial, but is this straightforward? In the complexes, we can use it's periodicity. I don't see, is it significantly easier than the other arguments?

 

[etotheipi]

omg help there's an absolute f*cking unit of a spider on my ceiling and I don't know what to do, it's really creeping me out

 

[WWGD]

omg help there's an absolute f*cking unit of a spider on my ceiling and I don't know what to do, it's really creeping me out

Broom time?

 

[WWGD]

I think I found the Holy frail: An effective sleep algorithm. Still, effective for only 3 days. Fingers crossed.

 

[WWGD]

omg help there's an absolute f*cking unit of a spider on my ceiling and I don't know what to do, it's really creeping me out

So what ultimately happened with it?

 

[dlgoff]

The coolest place I've ever been is where my daughter took me several years ago:
Wings Over the Rockies

 

[etotheipi]

So what ultimately happened with it?

I called my mum and she drove all the way up to college to throw it out the window. Sike! I'm actually, like really, unbelievably brave and after a pretty long stare-off I captured the little miscreant all by myself

 

[Keith_McClary]

Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?

 

[WWGD]

Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?

Both taste well over rice ;).

 

[WWGD]

Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?

Both taste well over rice ;).

 

[bagasme]

Talking about Eurosceptics, is Brexit finally through? It seems to have taken endlessly to be implemented.

I'm neither eurosceptic, just eurorealist (euro-reformist), but UK left the EU since February 1 last year.

 

[WWGD]

Strange that it does not seem phone charges faster when not on. Would seem otherwise.

 

[fresh_42]

Strange that it does not seem phone charges faster when not on. Would seem otherwise.

I bet they do. The question is probably which device is necessary to measure the difference, or easier, how much energy is needed to simply be on.

 

[fresh_42]

Breathtaking image released by NASA:

A penguin colony in the sand dunes at Mars's Northpole!

 

[WWGD]

I bet they do. The question is probably which device is necessary to measure the difference, or easier, how much energy is needed to simply be on.

Maybe not that much energy needed. I often start with my phone at x%. If I go out and not use it at all for an hour or so, it will often remain at x%.