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

  • Thread starter Thread starter Evo
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Random Thoughts
Click For Summary

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.

  • #8,251
fresh_42 said:
Mine is far too small.
Mine is not big enough for a single one of his dinners.
 
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: fresh_42
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #8,252
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Tom.G, BillTre and berkeman
  • #8,253
Yeah, jet ski tow-ins (and rescues) are a game changer for big wave surfing. Crazy!
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: BillTre
  • #8,254
Big thing is now Zuckerberg's " Metaverse". Not sure ywt what it is about.
 
  • #8,255
The recent pronouncement from Zuckerberg brought the Chronicles of Riddick to mind and the hero’s fight against the dark forces of the Underverse.

The Chronicles of Ridzuck and his battle with the Metaverse.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: Astronuc, Borg, WWGD and 1 other person
  • #8,256
Just wish this guy stopped calling me right after going up 5-6 flights of stairs. I was about to block him confusing him with a pervert deep breather.
 
  • #8,257
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: collinsmark
  • #8,258
Last edited:
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: Astronuc
  • #8,259
If you're not too hungry, just have a half a halvah.
 
  • #8,260
WWGD said:
Edit: Not sure why my Latex is not rendering correctly.
Replace "x" by "\times": ##5.977 \times 10^{24} \, \textrm{kg}##
 
  • Informative
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: WWGD and berkeman
  • #8,261
DrGreg said:
Replace "x" by "\times": ##5.977 \times 10^{24} \, \textrm{kg}##
Thanks. I had done that initially but it did not render. Maybe it takes a few seconds?
 
  • #8,262
WWGD said:
Thanks. I had done that initially but it did not render. Maybe it takes a few seconds?
No. It takes a reload of the page.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: WWGD
  • #8,263
fresh_42 said:
No. It takes a reload of the page.
Danke. Don't know how to do it from my Android. Will wait to get on my PC.

If your name was Sean, I would say Danke Sean~ Dankeshoen.
 
  • #8,264
WWGD said:
Danke. Don't know how to do it from my Android. Will wait to get on my PC.

If your name was Sean, I would say Danke Sean~ Dankeshoen.
Ouch!
 
  • #8,265
I've lost my sense of taste (and have some body aches and sniffles - could be the result of sprained neck and just common cold).

*wonders if there are any common "non-COVID" causes to be aware of for taste loss?*
 
  • #8,266
Tom.G said:
And that article does a segue to how the Earth was weighed, and to the invention of those Contour Lines on a map.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211007-how-a-scottish-mountain-weighed-the-planet
The summit of Schiehallion, March 2010:

js1024_DSC_2523.jpg
 
  • #8,267
Do we have a TIR (today I recognized/remembered) thread somewhere?

I remembered that I carry a silver dollar in my wallet with me around.

I recognized that Céline Dion sounds like a construction worker. Is that Québec slang? And why is it far less vulgar if she sings french?
 
  • #8,268
fresh_42 said:
Do we have a TIR (today I recognized/remembered) thread somewhere?

I remembered that I carry a silver dollar in my wallet with me around.

I recognized that Céline Dion sounds like a construction worker. Is that Québec slang? And why is it far less vulgar if she sings french?
Maybe Ctrl+F? I can't play Celine because for miles dogs start howling nonstop.
 
  • #8,269
WWGD said:
Maybe Ctrl+F? I can't play Celine because for miles dogs start howling nonstop.

Yeah, normally I prefer soprano over contralto. But I guess that Callas won't be any better considering the dogs.
 
  • #8,270
fresh_42 said:
Yeah, normally I prefer soprano over contralto. But I guess that Callas won't be any better considering the dogs.
I hear dogs were confined as they were being tested for Covid. They were cleared , after which WHO led the dogs out.
 
  • #8,271
Is there a law of diminishing returns associated with Blu-Ray discs and players vs. DVDs (and players)?

The picture quality is better on Blu-Rays just as the resolution is better on a DVD vs. a VHS tape. Yes, Blu-Rays usually cost more than DVDs (not always), but they are not as widely adopted. And that has a feedback loop into less content being printed on Blu-Rays, which means there is even less reason to buy them vs. DVDs.

But, what's the reason for this? Is it that the marginal improvement in picture quality is not worth the cost?
 
  • #8,272
Also, why do record stores still exist (even if rare), but not VHS tape stores? People still collect records in the age of CDs and digital copies of music. Why one medium and not others?
 
  • #8,273
I believe there are a few blockbusters stores still open. I think they rent vhs tapes, don't they?
 
  • #8,274
kyphysics said:
VHS tape
I had to fire up the VHS because someone wanted to watch an ancient tape of a school play. Took me quite a few minutes to remember how get it working. :redface:
 
  • #8,275
Every new thing introduced to the market goes through a period of being better than everything else and consumers deciding if it’s better enough. The VHS and Betamax wars for dominance bear out how one technology gets adopted over another..
 
  • #8,276
jedishrfu said:
Every new thing introduced to the market goes through a period of being better than everything else and consumers deciding if it’s better enough. The VHS and Betamax wars for dominance bear out how one technology gets adopted over another..
Isn't that what they call the product life cycle?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: jedishrfu
  • #8,277
There's something rather therapeutic about watching people wrecking their bakes...

 
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: Hamiltonian
  • #8,279
jedishrfu said:
@ergospherical Sadly your video playback has been blocked in the US based on copyright grounds.
If you're disappointed to miss The Great British Bake Off, then the TV schedules in the US must be worse than I imagined.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Wow
Likes   Reactions: WWGD, fresh_42 and ergospherical

Similar threads

  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
2K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
10K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • Poll Poll
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K