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

[zoobyshoe]

I was pulled over by the cops last night right after pulling out of the parking lot of a donut shop. They asked me all kinds of questions about where I was going and where I'd been, was it normal for me to be out that time of night (12:30AM), such that, I started to wonder if I was a suspect in some nearby crime that had just taken place, or something.

Apparently, I got all the questions right, because he let me on my way, saying only, "Get the light over your rear license plate fixed as soon as possible, OK?"

And, yeah, I just now replaced the burnt out bulb. The 1972 VW Beetle gives you no indication whatever when that particular lamp isn't working. That's a law enforcement function, I guess.

 

[jim hardy]

The 1972 VW Beetle gives you no indication whatever when that particular lamp isn't working. That's a law enforcement function, I guess.

An excuse to question you.

1972 Beetle ? Wow i envy that.
An old car might make you fit some sort of "profile" though.

One midnight about twenty years ago while driving (a then thirty year old Ford i'd given him) back to Tampa, son got pulled over in downtown Clewiston, Florida. In mid 90's Clewiston was an archetypal southern speed trap.
Two elderly policemen gave him a good looking over - old beat up car, spiked hair, tie-dye shirt, boom box and headphones... the first officer asked him "What kinda music you listening to on that there sound machine?"
Son told them "Actually it's an old radio show " , ejected and handed over the tape.
The old policeman put it under his flashlight, did a double take, turned to his partner and said "This kid has Will Rogers' Mother's Day show" .
Son said "Yeah, i have a collection of Will Rogers. He's great. A cousin in Claremore sent them."
The second officer said " Son, just understand that from a distance your looks sure fit a profile. But we remember Will Rogers."
They asked where he was headed and both wished him a good trip.

So we're all kinda like books in that others can't judge us by our covers.

old jim

 

[zoobyshoe]

An old car might make you fit some sort of "profile" though.

I've been driving the old Beetle for over two years, and this is the first time I've ever been pulled over in it for any reason. Also, no one on the Beetle forum has ever said anything to the effect it seems to attract the cops.

It could be that light has been out longer than I ever realized, and they have already seen me driving around with my plates not illuminated a few times before. Last night business was slow enough for them that they finally decided to stop me for it. Something like that.

Something I just remembered: even though they asked a lot of questions, they never asked to see anything except my driver's license: no registration, no proof of insurance. That being the case, it wasn't really that serious of an interrogation.

 

[dkotschessaa]

One year old today.. 9 months adjusted age.

Holy!

 

[Evo]

One year old today.. 9 months adjusted age.

Holy!

View attachment 112811

Awww, just adorable!

 

[Evo]

And more cuteness https://www.yahoo.com/news/east-coast-blizzard-got-down-165732124.html

 

[dkotschessaa]

Speaking of cute, am I the only one that finds this thread adorable?

 

[WWGD]

Visited new subway station for the first time. Escalators with extreme slope, some 45 deg. But weird stuff is that , in asking many employees what the actual slope was and what the maximal slope could be for an escalator is that employees seemed to get upset at me when I asked them questions they did not know the answers to. I had seen a similar response when I asked them what happened to the cars after they stopped at the last station: is there a loop for them to get back into the system? Maybe Dale Carnegie was right after all: people feel uncomfortable when you ask them a question they cannot answer.

 

[fresh_42]

Visited new subway station for the first time. Escalators with extreme slope, some 45 deg. But weird stuff is that , in asking many employees what the actual slope was and what the maximal slope could be for an escalator is that employees seemed to get upset at me when I asked them questions they did not know the answers to. I had seen a similar response when I asked them what happened to the cars after they stopped at the last station: is there a loop for them to get back into the system? Maybe Dale Carnegie was right after all: people feel uncomfortable when you ask them a question they cannot answer.

What was your argument again to support $NP=P$ ?

 

[WWGD]

What was your argument again to support $NP=P$ ?

??

 

[zoobyshoe]

I was just thinking that I'd never seen a Newton's Cradle made of apples. It seems like someone would have though of this. Then I googled.

And, as the man said, "There is nothing new under the sun".

 

[Ibix]

What was your argument again to support $NP=P$ ?

Trivial, if $N=1$.

 

[WWGD]

Trivial, if $N=1$.

Don't be absurd, you are forgetting the case P=0! :).

 

[fresh_42]

Trivial, if $N=1$.

Don't be absurd, you are forgetting the case $P=0$! :).

As a friend of idempotence, I like to think of $N=P$.

 

[Psinter]

Have you ever had so much money that your credit cards' available balances are on the thousands?

This funny character once wanted to create a PayPal account so he could buy online. He told me to help him so I go and help him create an account. Then I tell him: "Give me a credit card, to add it to the PayPal account. I'll guide you so you can do it in the future if needed."

He goes and opens his wallet and takes out a credit card. He tells me: "This one has $100,000 USD on it. Is this enough?" I look at him all serious and tell him: "Are you kidding me? We need a smaller one?" So he then pulls out this other credit card and tells me: "Ok. This other one has $75,000 USD available." I look at him all serious again and tell him: "Less. We need a smaller one." So finally, he takes out this third credit card and says that it had $20,000 USD or $25,000. I can't really remember that last one. But I look at him and proceed to explain: "If the account is to get compromised, you will want the loses to be as minimal as possible. That's why you don't want to link such credit cards to the account."

So I ask him if he has a credit card with $300 USD or $500 USD balance on it, to which he replies: "I don't have anything so small!"

 

[jim hardy]

Have you ever had so much money that your credit cards' available balances are on the thousands?

Rich Man Blues -
"
My Rolls is broke down..
My martini is warm
all my ex's are in town

Not a problem in my league...

 

[Psinter]

I should make a list of probably silly (or maybe not) questions to think about. Sometimes stupid questions, sometimes silly, but good questions.

If an ice cube falls on the floor, does the floor gets cold, or does the ice cube gets hot?

 

[fresh_42]

If an ice cube falls on the floor, does the floor gets cold, or does the ice cube gets hot?

At my university the following story has been told:
Undergraduate physics exam. First question as the student entered the room:
Why is the flower pot at the window warm on the side that faces into the room and cold on the side towards the window, although the sun shines and should make it warmer on the window side?

 

[Psinter]

Why is the flower pot at the window warm on the side that faces into the room and cold on the side towards the window, although the sun shines and should make it warmer on the window side?

Psh. Easy. I know the answer, but you tell me first before I tell you. I want to make sure you know.
-Someone who doesn't know the answer

 

[zoobyshoe]

At my university the following story has been told:
Undergraduate physics exam. First question as the student entered the room:
Why is the flower pot at the window warm on the side that faces into the room and cold on the side towards the window, although the sun shines and should make it warmer on the window side?

Probably has to do with the fact evaporation causes lowering of temperature. For example: getting out of the pool on a hot sunny day makes you colder than you'd be if you stayed in the water, because the sun makes the moisture evaporate.

 

[Ibix]

Have you ever had so much money that your credit cards' available balances are on the thousands?

I had a card with a limit in the thousands when I was an undergrad. I got it to pay one particular thing that was less faff to do by credit card, and I used it for that one thing every couple of months and paid off the balance in full every time. They just kept upping the limit. I didn't get it into tens of thousands, but certainly more than my tiny annual income.

I could live within my means, so meh. But it always felt like ever larger worms being dangled in front of me in the hope that I wouldn't notice the hook this time.

 

[collinsmark]

At my university the following story has been told:
Undergraduate physics exam. First question as the student entered the room:
Why is the flower pot at the window warm on the side that faces into the room and cold on the side towards the window, although the sun shines and should make it warmer on the window side?

Assuming the window is closed and it's cold outside (outdoors) and warm inside the room, and the flower pot is not in direct sunlight, and ignoring any evaporation, than it's just a matter of thermal flux, particularly concerning infrared (IR) radiation.

If it's cold outside and warm inside then there will be a net flow of radiation from inside to outside, even with a closed, clear window. This assumes that the window is transparent at IR wavelengths. And this can be the case even if the sun is out (although it's less likely to hold up if the flower pot is in direct sunlight.) There is more thermal radiation leaving the window (inside to outside), per unit area, than entering the window (outside to inside). There is a net thermal flux directed outside the window. The side of the flower pot near the window reduces its temperature until an equilibrium is reached.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Assuming the window is closed and it's cold outside (outdoors) and warm inside the room, and the flower pot is not in direct sunlight, and ignoring any evaporation, than it's just a matter of thermal flux, particularly concerning infrared (IR) radiation.

In my house right now, anything on the window sill is cold on the outside simply because there is cold air flowing downwards over the window. That is because even with double-glazing the window conducts more heat than the walls and it is cold outside (around freezing), and cold air is more dense so flows downwards. Our central heating radiators are under the window, which one might hope would counter the cold flow, but in practice this seems to create a circulation with a layer of cold air falling next to the window and a layer of warm air rising a little further into the room.

 

[fresh_42]

No, the window was o.k. and no air circulation or evaporation took place. It has been simply a lesson in not taking anything for granted, esp. not to make hidden assumptions. The professor simply turned the flower pot before the student entered the room.

Another, now funny story was:
Professor: How do the fuses work?
Student: I don't know, my mother always told me not to open the box.
It had been reported that he got away with this answer.

I'm wondering, if there are more such stories about exams in experimental physics than other exams.

 

[Psinter]

But it always felt like ever larger worms being dangled in front of me in the hope that I wouldn't notice the hook this time.

What do you mean by that?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
You know what's funny? At my country, there is this supposed 'way of thinking' that those who study are by obligation monetarily successful while those who don't are destined to misery and it is okay to walk over them because 'they deserve it' (that's general society, I don't think that way).

But that guy, was an old man who never did anything more than high school. What I did notice was that as soon as he became monetarily successful everyone wanted to be his friend. So much that he constantly changes phone numbers.

A peer of mine who was in real misery, but then got the greens while still studying, confirmed too. I was talking with him about this phenomena of friends arriving when you got money and he said that it is very true. He went through something similar. That as soon as you begin making money, everyone wants to be your friend and you phone gets flooded with calls from everyone been all friendly with you. But while you are trying to get out of your poor status, nobody likes you. They even step over you and try to keep you in your misery or try to make you even more miserable. He tells me.

So my observations tell me there must be a relation between having money and people been all friendly with you.

 

[Psinter]

It has been simply a lesson in not taking anything for granted, esp. not to make hidden assumptions.

I assume the professor was making assumptions that the students would make hidden assumptions...

I'm just assuming.

 

[fresh_42]

I assume the professor was making assumptions that the students would make hidden assumptions...

I'm just assuming.

The difference is: he tested his assumption right away!

 

[Ibix]

What do you mean by that?

They made no money directly from me because I was paying my balance in full and incurring no interest. I only got the card to save on mucking around with cheques and envelopes and stamps. So they did the only thing they could do - offer me the ability to make ever larger purchases (and spend the next few years paying them interest).

 

[Psinter]

They made no money directly from me because I was paying my balance in full and incurring no interest. I only got the card to save on mucking around with cheques and envelopes and stamps. So they did the only thing they could do - offer me the ability to make ever larger purchases (and spend the next few years paying them interest).

Hmmmmmm. I never thought of it, but it makes sense. To use such a dirty trick. Only a bank would it occur to do that.

 

[Ibix]

Hmmmmmm. I never thought of it, but it makes sense. To use such a dirty trick. Only a bank would it occur to do that.

Well, to be fair, I got their services for free by exploiting their hope that I would fall for their bait.

 

[Psinter]

Well, to be fair, I got their services for free by exploiting their hope that I would fall for their bait.

Meh. I suppose. I sometimes find credit cards to be a shady deal.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Another silly question to think about. Similar to the ice falling on the floor:

If you are taking a bath and the soap bar falls on the floor, does the soap bar gets dirty, or does the floor gets clean?

 

[Borg]

You know that saying "If you see something, say something"? I was going to contact the HOA where I live to report a moped parked between two parking spots in front of my home yesterday to have it removed. But I thought it was strange that someone would be so cavelier about their property. So, I called the police first to see if it was stolen - it was. Somebody is going to get their bike back today without a bunch of towing fees added on.

 

[zoobyshoe]

My contribution to your reading entertainment is that I got "detained" by the cops again last night.

I was sitting in the vicinity of a Starbucks which is in a little mall when a cruiser pulled up and stopped. The cop got out and asked me how I was (?) and I said fine. Then he said they'd gotten a call about a guy wearing a tan jacket (which I was) who had been running around the little mall there, raging at people and acting threatening. He handcuffed me and started going through my pockets, and asking me all kind a questions.

Then these two people came over and said to the cop, "That's not the guy. He's over there at the other end of the parking lot. He's got a brown sweater."

He uncuffed me, and said to his partner, "Let's go check over where they pointed." I said, "You're looking for a brown sweater, not a tan jacket." He says, "Well, people don't always know what they saw."

I suppose that's true, but if you assume right off they don't know what they saw you could prolly detain just about anyone of any description, I'd say.

 

[Borg]

My contribution to your reading entertainment is that I got "detained" by the cops again last night.

Again?

What's up with your police force when they immeadiately handcuff you for no valid reason?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Again?

What's up with your police force when they immeadiately handcuff you for no valid reason?

I'm assuming they did it because the person complained about might have been violent? I have no idea if it was legal or not.

 

[Borg]

I'm assuming they did it because the person complained about might have been violent? I have no idea if it was legal or not.

Seems a bit excessive if you're cooperating with them. Glad that they let you go quickly when the other person showed up.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Seems a bit excessive if you're cooperating with them. Glad that they let you go quickly when the other person showed up.

Yeah. I actually suspect they picked me because I looked easy to detain and close enough to "brown sweater," so they could waste time shaking me down hoping the real crazy would go home and they wouldn't have to confront an authentic danger. In fact, I think that's what happened, because I saw them leave a mere ten minutes later with no one in the back. Like, the real perp had seen their flashing lights and taken a powder.

 

[jim hardy]

Put yourself in their shoes. Guy in a tan jacket, loitering in vicinity of reported guy in a tan jacket acting violent?
Good thing you were co-operative.
They doubtless sized you up as an okay guy during the search, which from your description was not without grounds.
Good thing you were polite else you mighta wound up like that Harvard Professor Gates who was dumb enough to smart off to the officers responding to a 911 call about him breaking into a house at midnight. I'd expect better from an educated and presumably intelligent man.
That was no time to get huffy, time instead to defuse the situation with some humor and thank them for keeping an eye on his house.

old jim

 

[jim hardy]

Yeah. I actually suspect they picked me because I looked easy to detain and close enough to "brown sweater," so they could waste time shaking me down hoping the real crazy would go home and they wouldn't have to confront an authentic danger.

Why do you presume the worst ?

 

[dkotschessaa]

You know that saying "If you see something, say something"? I was going to contact the HOA where I live to report a moped parked between two parking spots in front of my home yesterday to have it removed. But I thought it was strange that someone would be so cavelier about their property. So, I called the police first to see if it was stolen - it was. Somebody is going to get their bike back today without a bunch of towing fees added on.

Nice!

 

[dkotschessaa]

My contribution to your reading entertainment is that I got "detained" by the cops again last night.

I was sitting in the vicinity of a Starbucks which is in a little mall when a cruiser pulled up and stopped. The cop got out and asked me how I was (?) and I said fine. Then he said they'd gotten a call about a guy wearing a tan jacket (which I was) who had been running around the little mall there, raging at people and acting threatening. He handcuffed me and started going through my pockets, and asking me all kind a questions.

Then these two people came over and said to the cop, "That's not the guy. He's over there at the other end of the parking lot. He's got a brown sweater."

He uncuffed me, and said to his partner, "Let's go check over where they pointed." I said, "You're looking for a brown sweater, not a tan jacket." He says, "Well, people don't always know what they saw."

I suppose that's true, but if you assume right off they don't know what they saw you could prolly detain just about anyone of any description, I'd say.

OMG. Twice in as many weeks almost?

It's *almost* funny, at least given my admittedly filtered-through-the-internet perception of you as, well, mostly harmless...

-Dave K

 

[dkotschessaa]

Little Dylan completed his eye surgery (correction for strabismus) yesterday and doesn't even care. He's playing and crawling around like normal.

If it was me, I'd be on the couch watching movies all day, asking for food to be brought to me, and crying about my poor bleeding eyes.

My baby makes me feel like such a damn baby sometimes.

-Dave K

 

[zoobyshoe]

Why do you presume the worst ?

Because they spent so little time looking for the other guy after they released me. There's about ten businesses in that mall, most of them restaurants that were open (it was about 7:30 PM). Ten minutes isn't enough time for a canvass and drive search of the streets you can get to from the other side of the parking lot where he was last seen.

Also, when he said "people don't always know what they saw," he was admitting that the description had actually been "brown sweater," all along and he had modified it in talking to me to justify detaining me. Otherwise he would have said, "They told 911 'tan jacket'. They've changed their story."

And, it stands to reason, cops don't actually like dealing with volatile people. "Crazy guy yelling at random people in a mall," is obviously a situation that could escalate to them having to draw their weapons. Better to make a show of detaining a compliant looking person in the hope the crazy guy sees the cops and takes off.

OMG. Twice in as many weeks almost?

It's *almost* funny, at least given my admittedly filtered-through-the-internet perception of you as, well, mostly harmless...

To be fair, the first time was justified: my license plate illumination bulb was, in fact, burned out. What got me was all the peripheral questions they ask before they got to the point.

I'm pretty sure no one mistakes me for some kind of bad-ass. People mostly tell me I look like a math teacher, though some say English teacher.

 

[WWGD]

One of the phrases you read here often, without apparent irony is " smell gas, act fast", together with a phone number ( which is not 1-800-FART, BTW) . Yes, it is about gas leaks.

 

[WWGD]

A straight couple I am friends with, sent me a nice Valentine's day card ( actually left it by my door; we both live in the same building). I don't know what to make of it, nor how to reciprocate.

 

[fresh_42]

A straight couple I am friends with, sent me a nice Valentine's day card ( actually left it by my door; we both live in the same building). I don't know what to make of it, nor how to reciprocate.

The fact you emphasized "straight" makes me ask: how open minded are you?

 

[WWGD]

The fact you emphasized "straight" makes me ask: how open minded are you?

No, I mean, I just wanted to leave out the possibility that they are hitting on me -- they don't look nor come off as swingers..

 

[Evo]

A straight couple I am friends with, sent me a nice Valentine's day card ( actually left it by my door; we both live in the same building). I don't know what to make of it, nor how to reciprocate.

What did it say?

 

[jim hardy]

I don't know what to make of it, nor how to reciprocate.

hmmmmm... Strike up the grill and invite them over for burgers?

 

[zoobyshoe]

And this other PBS show I'm really starting to like is Endeavor. What's interesting is that young detective Morse always seems to slowly, methodically put together a scenario that turns out to be all wrong but which he's firmly convinced is the true explanation. He runs with it for a while until, all of a sudden, it falls apart, and he's completely embarrassed. Once that happens, the true chain of events suddenly pops into his head, and this time, he's always right.

It's different. Most detective fiction doesn't involve the protagonist falling flat on his face.