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

[Keith_McClary]

Kind of strange calculator in my phone. It prrsents all partial results when multiplying as I enter the numbers. Example: 120x130 will first show a 120, as 120x1, then will show 1560 as 120x13, then finally the full result 15600.

Those microchips are always showing off.

 

[Tom.G]

View attachment 286770
Um... no thanks.

The link turns out to take you to an LP called Leprosy by a band called Death (Amazon's top choice for death leprosy, I gather) and a lot of textbooks about leprosy and its history.

I think your device is ill.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=palemoon&q=leprosy&ia=web

 

[Ibix]

I think your device is ill.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=palemoon&q=leprosy&ia=web

Adding or removing the "t=palemoon" parameter (which seems to identify your browser - I'm in Firefox) makes the difference. That's... interesting.

 

[WWGD]

What are the t,q, ia and palemoon about? Search parameters?

 

[Ibix]

They're HTTP GET parameters - essentially variables and values that are passed to the search engine that generates the page. The ? signifies the beginning of parameters and the & delimits them.

The q parameter here is obviously the search term. The t parameter is apparently the originating browser (I didn't know of the Palemoon browser, but now I do, and I know that Tom.G uses it, which is why you should be a little careful posting URLs because they can leak information - nothing serious in this case, but still). I can't immediately guess what the ia parameter is.

 

[WWGD]

They're HTTP GET parameters - essentially variables and values that are passed to the search engine that generates the page. The ? signifies the beginning of parameters and the & delimits them.

The q parameter here is obviously the search term. The t parameter is apparently the originating browser (I didn't know of the Palemoon browser, but now I do, and I know that Tom.G uses it, which is why you should be a little careful posting URLs because they can leak information - nothing serious in this case, but still). I can't immediately guess what the ia parameter is.

Thanks. Were the parameters entered by Tom or generated by Palemoon engine ?

 

[Ibix]

Thanks. Were the parameters entered by Tom or generated by Palemoon engine ?

They come from the HTML/Javascript in the previous page. It's one way of passing parameters from things like text boxes, and the Javascript apparently added a browser string and whatever the ia parameter is.

It's useful because you can go straight to the DuckDuckGo results page by entering the URL https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatever (or generating that string in some application), but it means URLs get very lengthy. There are other ways of doing things if you want to avoid that.

 

[fresh_42]

The q parameter here is obviously the search term. The t parameter is apparently the originating browser (I didn't know of the Palemoon browser, but now I do, and I know that Tom.G uses it, which is why you should be a little careful posting URLs because they can leak information - nothing serious in this case, but still). I can't immediately guess what the ia parameter is.

I first recognized it when I linked amazon books.

Before edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Linear-Algebraic-Groups-Graduate-Mathematics/dp/0387901086/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=linear+algebraic+groups&qid=1627562832&sr=8-1

After edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Linear-Algebraic-Groups-Graduate-Mathematics/dp/0387901086/

Same page.

 

[WWGD]

I have heard of people who have bought old , unused planes or buses, removed everything in the inside and turned it into their houses. Seems a bus with its windows would be difficult to secure. I can see someone having their homes robbed but not stolen.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I have heard of people who have bought old , unused planes or buses, removed everything in the inside and turned it into their houses. Seems a bus with its windows would be difficult to secure. I can see someone having their homes robbed but not stolen.

Probably all their other possessions are also repurposed items.

 

[WWGD]

Probably all their other possessions are also repurposed items.

Could be. Some claimed to be able to live on $5,000 / year ( after paying for the plane/bus).

 

[Klystron]

I have heard of people who have bought old , unused planes or buses, removed everything in the inside and turned it into their houses. Seems a bus with its windows would be difficult to secure. I can see someone having their homes robbed but not stolen.

Being unused sounds new to me.

Tom Wolfe wrote a journal/novel called "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" about writer Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters crossing the US and living in a repurposed school bus styled "Further". I saw the bus at a party in La Honda as a kid and met Neil Cassidy, the bus driver with the 4 lb. sledge hammer. He was planning on driving the bus north to Oregon and installing it on Kesey's ranch to live in as his home.

 

[WWGD]

Being unused sounds new to me.

Tom Wolfe wrote a journal/novel called "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" about writer Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters crossing the US and living in a repurposed school bus styled "Further". I saw the bus at a party in La Honda as a kid and met Neil Cassidy, the bus driver with the 4 lb. sledge hammer. He was planning on driving the bus north to Oregon and installing it on Kesey's ranch to live in as his home.

My bad, should be used planes/buses.

 

[WWGD]

I first recognized it when I linked amazon books.

Before edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Linear-Algebraic-Groups-Graduate-Mathematics/dp/0387901086/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=linear+algebraic+groups&qid=1627562832&sr=8-1

After edit:
https://www.amazon.com/Linear-Algebraic-Groups-Graduate-Mathematics/dp/0387901086/

Same page.

I have heard google taylors its searches/search results individually, depending on previous searches it has stored. Can this be gleamed from the search string (or otherwise)?

 

[WWGD]

Wow, just said hi to someone I had not seen in around 2 years, a casual acquaintance and got the coldest reply. Oh, yes, [name], remember we talked about x? Mhuh. Wow, what's the deal with the delta variant? Think we'll need another jab? Mhuh. Guess that's a bye bye, so long farewell.

 

[Klystron]

Wow, just said hi to someone I had not seen in around 2 years, a casual acquaintance and got the coldest reply. Oh, yes, [name], remember we talked about x? Mhuh. Wow, what's the deal with the delta variant? Think we'll need another jab? Mhuh. Guess that's a bye bye, so long farewell.

Were you wearing a mask?

 

[WWGD]

Being unused sounds new to me.

Tom Wolfe wrote a journal/novel called "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" about writer Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters crossing the US and living in a repurposed school bus styled "Further". I saw the bus at a party in La Honda as a kid and met Neil Cassidy, the bus driver with the 4 lb. sledge hammer. He was planning on driving the bus north to Oregon and installing it on Kesey's ranch to live in as his home.

And I guess they ended up in the " Cuckoo's Nest"?

 

[Tom.G]

Adding or removing the "t=palemoon" parameter (which seems to identify your browser - I'm in Firefox) makes the difference. That's... interesting.

The browser used was "mypal" which is a fork of a later version of Firefox than I normally use... normally use except when it doesn't recognize the 'New-and-Improved' features on some web pages.

The only reason I switched to 'mypal' for that search was easy access to duckduckgo.com, which was the pre-installed default search engine.

I generally sanitize any URLs I post and that one was deemed safe. By contrast the URL generated by Google is 313 characters long, which I strip down to 41 characters as shown here.
https://www.google.com/search?&q=leprosy

I have heard google taylors its searches/search results individually, depending on previous searches it has stored. Can this be gleamed from the search string (or otherwise)?

Yup. When I clear my Google cookies I got more inclusive responses. Most noticeable was search results showing up from Google Scholar. (scholar.google.com)

Apparently there are some things we mere mortals are not supposed to notice/worry about.

Try this experiment:
on www.Google.com, search for the word: Apparently
then switch to scholar.google.com and search

Cheers,
Tom

 

[WWGD]

Seems

Were you wearing a mask?

No, and neither was he. Nor anyone else around. But, hey, no one's died of being snubbed

 

[Ibix]

But, hey, no one's died of being snubbed

But the consequences can be pretty devastating nonetheless.

 

[WWGD]

Seems

The browser used was "mypal" which is a fork of a later version of Firefox than I normally use... normally use except when it doesn't recognize the 'New-and-Improved' features on some web pages.

The only reason I switched to 'mypal' for that search was easy access to duckduckgo.com, which was the pre-installed default search engine.

I generally sanitize any URLs I post and that one was deemed safe. By contrast the URL generated by Google is 313 characters long, which I strip down to 41 characters as shown here.
https://www.google.com/search?&q=leprosyYup. When I clear my Google cookies I got more inclusive responses. Most noticeable was search results showing up from Google Scholar. (scholar.google.com)

Apparently there are some things we mere mortals are not supposed to notice/worry about.

Try this experiment:
on www.Google.com, search for the word: Apparently
then switch to scholar.google.com and search

Cheers,
Tom

Thanks. I got the proof without even requiring the search. Google was offering suggestions of articles relating to music I heard on you tube today. I guess I can paraphrase : if you can't tell what the product is, you _ are_ the product.
Seems incredibly naive when I hear people say " I like Google, it's free", not realizing the price they pay.

 

[WWGD]

The browser used was "mypal" which is a fork of a later version of Firefox than I normally use... normally use except when it doesn't recognize the 'New-and-Improved' features on some web pages.

The only reason I switched to 'mypal' for that search was easy access to duckduckgo.com, which was the pre-installed default search engine.

I generally sanitize any URLs I post and that one was deemed safe. By contrast the URL generated by Google is 313 characters long, which I strip down to 41 characters as shown here.
https://www.google.com/search?&q=leprosyYup. When I clear my Google cookies I got more inclusive responses. Most noticeable was search results showing up from Google Scholar. (scholar.google.com)

Apparently there are some things we mere mortals are not supposed to notice/worry about.Try this experiment:
on www.Google.com, search for the word: Apparently
then switch to scholar.google.com and search

Cheers,
Tom

Google shares some blame, I believe, for today's political radicalization by keeping people in a bubble because of the way searches are tailored. It ends up reinforcing previous views and not allowing other views/ideas that may contradict it. I too, use Duckduckgo.

 

[WWGD]

But the consequences can be pretty devastating nonetheless.

Thanks, I am not a hip guy ; heard of black adder but not familiar with it. I guess I am just an ordinary guy , but don't go painting in the louvre on Sunday. Just realize the strange line in the song: " I come from London town " and then" Sunday I go painting in the louvre". ( Queen's " Lazying on a Sunday afternoon"). If I remember the lyrics correctly.

 

[WWGD]

Google shares some blame, I believe, for today's political radicalization by keeping people in a bubble because of the way searches are tailored. It ends up reinforcing previous views and not allowing other views/ideas that may contradict it. I too, use Duckduckgo.

I've heard this is part of why China censors the internet. It wants to prevent individual citizens from each going through its own rabbit hole/little world. It tries to synchronize and " uniformize" the content Chinese citizens are exposed to so that they do not end up being in their own respective bubbles, creating social division.

 

[WWGD]

Almost fell for it. A refund from (supposedly) Norton, asking to give them remote access (through a team viewer-like software) and then ultimately asking to access my bank account. How about just writing me a check? Well, they supposedly don't write checks any more since Covid. How naive of me.

 

[WWGD]

The browser used was "mypal" which is a fork of a later version of Firefox than I normally use... normally use except when it doesn't recognize the 'New-and-Improved' features on some web pages.

The only reason I switched to 'mypal' for that search was easy access to duckduckgo.com, which was the pre-installed default search engine.

I generally sanitize any URLs I post and that one was deemed safe. By contrast the URL generated by Google is 313 characters long, which I strip down to 41 characters as shown here.
https://www.google.com/search?&q=leprosyYup. When I clear my Google cookies I got more inclusive responses. Most noticeable was search results showing up from Google Scholar. (scholar.google.com)

Apparently there are some things we mere mortals are not supposed to notice/worry about.

Try this experiment:
on www.Google.com, search for the word: Apparently
then switch to scholar.google.com and search

Cheers,
Tom

Wow, here's the string output for the google of "Apparently", after removing the prefix

/search?q=Apparently&sxsrf=ALeKk02CoE9mGfr7tGG0AFVh_smvN2tSAg%3A1627669926409&source=hp&ei=pkUEYeXnFavp_QaFy7LYAg&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYQRTtpYVSuZtkC-XdEqZUJfa87svlUKq&oq=Apparently&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyCwguEIAEELEDEJMCMggILhCABBCxAzILCAAQgAQQsQMQgwEyBQgAEIAEMggIABCABBCxAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgUIABCRAjoICC4QsQMQgwE6CwguEIAEEMcBEKMCOggIABCxAxCDAToOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQowI6CAgAEIAEEMkDOgUIABCSAzoOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQrwE6CwgAELEDEIMBEMkDUKQiWNZSYPN2aABwAHgAgAG6A4gBghCSAQkwLjcuMS4xLjGYAQCgAQE&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwjl0pb-tovyAhWrdN8KHYWlDCsQ4dUDCAk&uact=5

Here's the string for a DuckDuckgo search:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Apparently&t=newext&atb=v258-1&ia=definition

How would one sanitize the google string?

 

[fresh_42]

How would one sanitize the google string?

https://www.google.com/search?q=apparently

 

[WWGD]

In case anyone is interested, here are the search strings for a google search , before and after clearing my search history:

Before:
/search?q=Apparently&sxsrf=ALeKk02CoE9mGfr7tGG0AFVh_smvN2tSAg%3A1627669926409&source=hp&ei=pkUEYeXnFavp_QaFy7LYAg&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYQRTtpYVSuZtkC-XdEqZUJfa87svlUKq&oq=Apparently&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyCwguEIAEELEDEJMCMggILhCABBCxAzILCAAQgAQQsQMQgwEyBQgAEIAEMggIABCABBCxAzIICAAQgAQQsQMyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgUIABCRAjoICC4QsQMQgwE6CwguEIAEEMcBEKMCOggIABCxAxCDAToOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQowI6CAgAEIAEEMkDOgUIABCSAzoOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQrwE6CwgAELEDEIMBEMkDUKQiWNZSYPN2aABwAHgAgAG6A4gBghCSAQkwLjcuMS4xLjGYAQCgAQE&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwjl0pb-tovyAhWrdN8KHYWlDCsQ4dUDCAk&uact=5
After:
/search?q=Apparently&sxsrf=ALeKk029xtkY2TCauztbIBAnELyQR6698g%3A1627671305023&source=hp&ei=CEsEYfiqO6S6gge1o7OIAQ&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYQRZGZnkYnCMoQyJOQYbDeB6_GWgL42N&oq=Apparently&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBAgjECcyBQgAEJECMgUIABCRAjIFCAAQkQIyCAguEIAEELEDMgsIABCABBCxAxCDATIFCAAQgAQyCAgAEIAEELEDMggIABCABBCxAzIFCAAQgAQ6BwgjEOoCECc6DggAEOoCELQCENkCEOUCOggILhCxAxCDAToLCC4QgAQQxwEQowI6CAgAELEDEIMBOgoILhDHARCjAhBDOgQIABBDOgcIABCxAxBDOg0ILhCxAxDHARCjAhBDOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARCjAjoECC4QQzoHCC4QsQMQQzoKCC4QxwEQrwEQQzoRCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQxwEQrwE6CAgAELEDEJECUN0QWN8lYJI3aAFwAHgAgAGgAogB-w2SAQUxLjUuNJgBAKABAbABCg&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwj4zsaPvIvyAhUkneAKHbXRDBEQ4dUDCAk&uact=5

 

[WWGD]

https://www.google.com/search?q=apparently

Is there a general method? Is this dhtml ( Dynamic Html)?

 

[fresh_42]

Is there a general method? Is this dhtml ( Dynamic Html)?

The question mark is the delimiter. Everything right of it is extra information. We had to keep the search item in your example, of course, so the right hand side couldn't be deleted entirely.

There are two major events where I "sanitize the addresses". I love that verb! If I capture image addresses to repost them and on amazon. The image addresses are usually a lot shorter if taken from the original website instead of from a google search result. And amazon is a problem in itself. I never know when they switch me to "German" without being asked, of course. It was easier when I was young: ".com" was English, ".de" was German. Those designer idiots nowadays think that they must think for me, and often automatically re-direct me if they analyzed my IP. I call this the BGS (Bill Gates syndrome). What might be convenient for morons, is a pita to me. I think the more we use computers, the dumber we become. AI? We don't need AI. Those machines already make decisions for us! Back to amazon. The amazon URL keeps an entire little search history in it. One has to cut it at the question mark since the article number as part of an identifier is the last entry on the left of it.

 

[WWGD]

Argh, you don't _project data_ to higher dimensions, last I checked. You may map it to higher dimensions then project down.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have spent most of my life in pursuit of intellectual challenges. About ten years ago when my 25-year marriage ended, I decided to take on the greatest intellectual challenge any man has ever faced - to understand women. If I'm so damn smart, I reasoned, I should be able to figure out women.

Truth is, I have learned more about women in the last ten years than in all of the years before combined. And there is no doubt that learning can be fun!

The internet is an amazing tool. I estimate that I have talked with about 6000 women online. I couldn't meet that many women if I spent the rest of my life in bars.

And there are how-to videos for EVERYTHING. LOL!

 

[WWGD]

I have spent most of my life in pursuit of intellectual challenges. About ten years ago when my 25-year marriage ended, I decided to take on the greatest intellectual challenge any man has ever faced - to understand women. If I'm so damn smart, I reasoned, I should be able to figure out women.

Truth is, I have learned more about women in the last ten years than in all of the years before combined. And there is no doubt that learning can be fun!

The internet is an amazing tool. I estimate that I have talked with about 6000 women online. I couldn't meet that many women if I spent the rest of my life in bars.

If you were married, you would be living behind bars ;).

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If you were married, you would be living behind bars ;).

No no, I never cheated. This was all after my marriage ended. ;)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

One night something hit me like a truck: As it turns out, my outgoing and humorous nature is perceived by women as flirting, even if I wasn't flirting. I didn't realize this until I had a date get furious one night because I was, in her words, flirting with our waitress right in front of her. I really wasn't flirting. I was just joking around like I do with everyone. But my date saw that as flirting... DING DING DING DING!

At that moment I realized that all I have to do to pickup women, is do what I normally do anyway. LOL! I then learned to amplify my sense of humor and Voilà. Most women open right up if you can make them laugh.

Also, romance is a dying art. Some women really appreciate old-school hopeless romantics. Most of my dates are 20-30 years younger than me. My current gf is 29.

 

[WWGD]

No no, I never cheated. This was all after my marriage ended. ;)

I remember this weird guy from one of these sleazy talk shows stating he had cheated on his girlfriend, not on his wife. With a straight face.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I remember this weird guy from one of these sleazy talk shows stating he had cheated on his girlfriend, not on his wife. With a straight face.

I tried casual dating - where you can ethically and morally date more than one person. And while I'm not looking to get married again, I don't like seeing more than one person at a time. I'm not a player. But I have extremely high standards. They have to be very beautiful and smart! I might talk with 300 women online after passing on ten times as many; meet half a dozen for coffee and perhaps a second date with a couple of them. But the point is to find that special connection - the seemingly inexplicable chemistry that makes the relationship special. That is not easy to find. With a little luck it might last a few years or more. But at my age I can't expect to keep them.

As one young lady told me, she is dating men my age while she is waiting for men her age to grow up. LOL!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Oh yes, oddly enough, I learned a key concept from the show, The West Wing. A woman is explaining how guys who are not proverbial hunks or knockouts get beautiful women: Smart and funny. Many women are attracted to men who are smart and funny.

I remember thinking, "I can do smart and funny!" This just helped to reinforce what I had already been learning. It's true! Unflinching confidence, smart, and funny. That was the ticket along with losing 60 pounds and adding a bunch of muscle. Gotta take great care of yourself too!

 

[WWGD]

Oh yes, oddly enough, I learned a key concept from the show, The West Wing. A woman is explaining how guys who are not proverbial hunks or knockouts get beautiful women: Smart and funny. Many women are attracted to men who are smart and funny.

I remember thinking, "I can do smart and funny!" This just helped to reinforce what I had already been learning. It's true! Unflinching confidence, smart, and funny. That was the ticket along with losing 60 pounds and adding a bunch of muscle. Gotta take great care of yourself too!

I have become used to being on my own. I had trouble with it initially but have come to even enjoy it.

 

[WWGD]

I guess a major difference is that in today's connected world so that there are a lot of fun, productive alternatives to marriage or relationships.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I guess a major difference is that in today's connected world so that there are a lot of fun, productive alternatives to marriage or relationships.

I would definitely say it differently. The power of the internet makes if far easier to find what you want. It is brutal because it also means you have to be willing to endure far more rejection. But it is just a number's game. The person you hope to meet is out there. You just have to find her. And you have to be willing to put in the work. That said, people are definitely looking for alternatives to marriage. I sure was! No way was I getting married again. But I still want to have someone special in my life.

I have become used to being on my own. I had trouble with it initially but have come to even enjoy it.

You are a student?

 

[WWGD]

I would definitely say it differently. The power of the internet makes if far easier to find what you want. It is brutal because it also means you have to be willing to endure far more rejection. But it is just a number's game. The person you hope to meet is out there. You just have to find her. And you have to be willing to put in the work. That said, people are definitely looking for alternatives to marriage. I sure was! No way was I getting married again. But I still want to have someone special in my life. You are a student?

No, not a student at this point. I miss the lighthearted undergraduate life, but not a student.
And I was referring more to being on one's own aided by an internet-based community as an alternative.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

No, not a student at this point. I miss the lighthearted undergraduate life, but not a student.
And I was referring more to being on one's own aided by an internet-based community as an alternative.

I was just curious about your age. I was engaged twice and married for 30 years before the divorce was final. So we are talking about two very different worlds. But it is true that people of all ages are looking for alternatives to marriage. However, unless you want to spend your life alone, you just have to put yourself out there. Be persistent and patient.

 

[ergospherical]

lol freaking thameslink man, “sorry guys we can’t go anywhere because the driver got lost on the way here”

(and in any case how hard can it be, just press the ‘go’ button, no? )

 

[ergospherical]

haha this announcer dude gives zero f*cks, through the intercom, “woah there’s a train coming in, not sure which one it is but it should have a driver on board”

 

[WWGD]

haha this announcer dude gives zero f*cks, through the intercom, “woah there’s a train coming in, not sure which one it is but it should have a driver on board”

I remember a sign at the movies, at the markee: " Check online for features". Like they can't be bothered to list the movies that were playing. Attitude of " Wanna know? You check it out".

 

[WWGD]

Kind of strange how sometimes I get something that looks like an older format of PF

 

[Ibix]

PHP issues apparently - should now be fixed. See my thread in Feedback.

 

[ergospherical]

My eyes used to be quite blue, but as I got older they faded a little. But whenever I cry a lot, they become very bright turquoise again for a half hour or so. Are there any biology nerds here who can explain that?

 

[Astronuc]

Pearson CEO predicts demise of physical textbooks as digital service launches
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pear...bscription-textbook-app-launch-192710982.html

I admit that I buy e-textbooks, since I use some information from the books in reports. I prefer the hardcopy textbooks. I can't see renting a book by the month. I prefer to own it outright, so that I can refer back later.