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

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The discussion revolves around frustrations with current documentary programming, particularly criticizing the History Channel's focus on sensational topics like time travel conspiracies instead of real historical content. Participants express disappointment over National Geographic's sale to Fox, fearing a decline in quality programming. The conversation shifts to lighter topics, including humorous anecdotes about everyday life, such as a malfunctioning kitchen fan discovered to be blocked by installation instructions. There are also discussions about the challenges of understanding various dialects in Belgium, the complexities of language, and personal experiences with weather and housing in California. Members share their thoughts on food, including a peculiar dish of zucchini pancakes served with strawberry yogurt, and delve into mathematical concepts related to sandwich cutting and the properties of numbers. The thread captures a blend of serious commentary and lighthearted banter, reflecting a diverse range of interests and perspectives among participants.
  • #10,981
ProfuselyQuarky said:
well yes but no where in those range of requirements negates the ability to take your snake out for a walk . we used to handle all kinds snakes back when I did field work. the herpetologists were amongst the most casual of the snake handlers . you have to get to know your snake before you take it outside, of course

and some species are more friendly and mellow than others
That's great, I'm not a herpetologist so you know what they need.
 
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  • #10,982
ProfuselyQuarky said:
well yes but no where in those range of requirements negates the ability to take your snake out for a walk . we used to handle all kinds snakes back when I did field work. the herpetologists were amongst the most casual of the snake handlers . you have to get to know your snake before you take it outside, of course

and some species are more friendly and mellow than others
Apologies, it's random thoughts.
 
  • #10,983
pinball1970 said:
That's great, I'm not a herpetologist so you know what they need.
haha I'm not either! but animal biologists are amongst the coolest people I've had the pleasure to hang out with. don't even get me started with the bug people
 
  • #10,984
ProfuselyQuarky said:
well yes but no where in those range of requirements negates the ability to take your snake out for a walk . we used to handle all kinds snakes back when I did field work. the herpetologists were amongst the most casual of the snake handlers . you have to get to know your snake before you take it outside, of course

and some species are more friendly and mellow than others
If you charm them with your special flute.
 
  • #10,985
If you charm them with your special magic flute?
 
  • #10,986


yes the video title has a typo
 
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  • #10,987
Tom.G said:
If you charm them with your special magic flute?
With their special magic flute ;).
 
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  • #10,988
Cars feel like one of the dumbest things you can spend a lot of money on.
a.) They depreciate over time and require constant maintenance. The more expensive the car, the costlier the repairs/maintenance often are.
b.) Very often (not always), more expensive cars are also larger and get worse gas mileage on them.
c.) The PRIMARY functionality of the car - getting you from Place A to Place B - is mostly the same across models. There are speed limits, so having a Ferrari won't matter that much in terms of getting you somewhere faster. The reliability of cars on a basic level is also quite good, so your Honda Civic will reliably get you to work just the same as a BMW that costs 2-3x.

Yes, aesthetics and special features can be significantly better if you go from a $25K car to a $50K+ one. But, for that extra $25K+, is it worth the opportunity cost of investing that money for a return elsewhere (like stock market index fund)? To me, no.

I'm willing to spend money on food and even higher costing/higher quality food outside the home, on the other hand, b/c I think:
a.) it saves me time (there is opportunity costs associated with cooking/planning/buying ingredients/washing dishes)
b.) higher quality foods (I'm guilty of eating lots of fast food too, but I do try to balance that out with healthy higher quality meals too) lead to better health. Better health = less medical expenses and possibly even more work productivity (and life enjoyment "energy").

I consider good food a worthwhile cost to pay up for, but not cars.

My two cents.
 
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  • #10,989
Now imagine your selfconfidence was in shambles and having more of material goodies would compensate for that.

I don't know.. is that too mean ? :oldbiggrin:
 
  • #10,990
kyphysics said:
Cars feel like one of the dumbest things you can spend a lot of money on.
You can't rest or read while driving.

That's my two cents o0)
 
  • #10,991
kyphysics said:
Cars feel like one of the dumbest things you can spend a lot of money on.
I guess that you haven't bought a boat before. :wink:
 
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  • #10,992
kyphysics said:
But, for that extra $25K+, is it worth the opportunity cost of investing that money for a return elsewhere (like stock market index fund)?
what if I invest my money, get 50k back, then decide to buy a bmw then lol
 
  • #10,993
ProfuselyQuarky said:
what if I invest my money, get 50k back, then decide to buy a bmw then lol
That would be very expensive for maintenance. The turn signal fluid alone which is chronically empty is unreasonably expensive.
s-l1600.jpg
 
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  • #10,994
all I know is that I've never felt more like an "adult" than when I replaced all four tires in one shot...and that hurt
 
  • #10,995
ProfuselyQuarky said:
all I know is that I've never felt more like an "adult" than when I replaced all four tires in one shot...and that hurt
..., particularly the landfill/disposal fees for the used carcasses.
 
  • #10,996
fresh_42 said:
That would be very expensive for maintenance. The turn signal fluid alone which is chronically empty is unreasonably expensive.
View attachment 332384
Still cheaper than yesteryear when you had to fill it at the pump:
fetch?id=1899079&d=1623765345.jpg
 
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  • #10,997
Ok, heavy accent. ' Where clause', not ' Bear Claws'. When I'm hungry, ' Workshop' becomes ' Pork Chop', ' Where Clause' becomes ' Bear Claws'.
 
  • #10,998
this campus has an affinity for people carrying their MacBooks tucked in the back of their pants I'm genuinely confused
 
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  • #10,999
ProfuselyQuarky said:
this campus has an affinity for people carrying their MacBooks tucked in the back of their pants I'm genuinely confused
Pictures please.
 
  • #11,000
BillTre said:
Pictures please.
IMG_3480.jpeg
 
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  • #11,001
He needs a bigger pocket!
 
  • #11,002
ProfuselyQuarky said:
this campus has an affinity for people carrying their MacBooks tucked in the back of their pants I'm genuinely confused
So Siri can hear them more clearly?
 
  • #11,003
What’s worst is that this isn’t the first I’ve seen
 
  • #11,004
ProfuselyQuarky said:
I'm sure it's just a preventive measure against an unexpected mason cleavage (if you don't know what that is, don't ask)
 
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  • #11,005
I hope they remember where it is before sitting. Maybe we can challenge the guy in the pic to fit the entire podium just to his right in his pants.
 
  • #11,006
here's to hoping he's a member of pf so he can explain himself . a mentor perhaps
 
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  • #11,007
ProfuselyQuarky said:
here's to hoping he's a member of pf so he can explain himself . a mentor perhaps
He's likely pretty profusely quirky.
 
  • #11,008
ProfuselyQuarky said:
here's to hoping he's a member of pf so he can explain himself . a mentor perhaps
But, yes, it'd be interesting to be in a coffee shop and see someone logged on to PF.
 
  • #11,009
Quantum mechanics is the branch of physics where mathematical solutions have been given names.
 
  • #11,010
I thought it was just a strange dream until I read again , here in PF, on people wanting to use human milk to make jewelry.
 

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