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

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    Random Thoughts
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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses various random thoughts and observations, touching on topics such as media programming, personal anecdotes, language use, and mathematical curiosities. The scope includes informal commentary, humor, and reflections on everyday experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration with the quality of documentaries on channels like the History Channel and National Geographic, suggesting a decline in factual programming.
  • There is a humorous anecdote about discovering a polythene bag obstructing a kitchen extractor fan, leading to a discussion about the clarity of installation manuals.
  • Participants share thoughts on the nature of prime numbers, particularly regarding the status of the number 2 and its implications for mathematical proofs.
  • There are reflections on language use and the reactions to grammatical errors made by native speakers, with some participants sharing their personal responses to such situations.
  • One participant humorously suggests that if 2 were not considered prime, it would complicate the understanding of prime factors in even numbers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains multiple competing views, particularly regarding the status of the number 2 as a prime and the quality of media programming. No consensus is reached on these topics.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying degrees of skepticism and humor, with some comments reflecting personal experiences and subjective opinions rather than objective analysis.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in informal discussions about media, language, and mathematics may find this thread engaging.

  • #6,871
fresh_42 said:
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.
 
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  • #6,872
WWGD said:
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.
 
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  • #6,873
WWGD said:
(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
 
  • #6,875
WWGD said:
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.
 
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  • #6,876
fresh_42 said:
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.
 
  • #6,877
WWGD said:
Not sure I get the connection.
Lethargy (stoicism) is one of the symptoms of weed consumption.
 
  • #6,878
fresh_42 said:
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.
 
  • #6,879
Many countries now legalizing consumption of weed. Maybe we will see a raise in the proportion of Stoics. And consumption of chips.
 
  • #6,880
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?
 
  • #6,881
fresh_42 said:
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?
 
  • #6,882
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?
 
  • #6,883
You could use its functional equation: ##f(x+y)=f(x)\cdot f(y)## which together with ##f(0)=1## determines the exponential function.
 
  • #6,884
Or Euler's formula.
 
  • #6,885
Or plot it! If it wasn't then NP=P wouldn't be a problem.
 
  • #6,886
fresh_42 said:
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?
 
  • #6,887
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
 
  • #6,888
etotheipi said:
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?
 
  • #6,889
I think I found the Holy frail: An effective sleep algorithm. Still, effective for only 3 days. Fingers crossed.
 
  • #6,890
etotheipi said:
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?
 
  • #6,891
  • #6,892
WWGD said:
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 ☺️
 
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  • #6,893
Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?
 
  • #6,894
Keith_McClary said:
Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?

Both taste well over rice ;).
 
  • #6,895
Keith_McClary said:
Was it a wolf spider


or funnel web spider


?

Both taste well over rice ;).
 
  • #6,896
WWGD said:
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.
 
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  • #6,897
Strange that it does not seem phone charges faster when not on. Would seem otherwise.
 
  • #6,898
WWGD said:
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.
 
  • #6,899
Breathtaking image released by NASA:

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

504716main_pia13662-full_full.jpg
 
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  • #6,900
fresh_42 said:
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%.
 
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