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criticizing the History Channel's focus on sensational topics like time travel conspiracies instead of real historical content.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.
  • #2,161
Evo said:
Maybe this is normal. When you go out, like to the grocery store, do you constantly have people come up to you and ask you for nutritional advice, like which is healthier, olive oil or coconut oil, OLIVE OIL! Coconut oil is the unhealthiest vegetable oil there is, it is the highest in saturated fats, even my health insurance included a warning about it in their monthly newsletter, well maybe palm oil is worse.

But I digress, I don't know why I look like a health expert, but I am constantly approached by people in the store asking for advice. Or they just want to tell me about something they saw that I might be interested in. Today I was looking at some echevaria they had on sale and some nice lady came over to me to let me know that she bought a boston fern there a couple of days ago for $5 and there were 2 left if I would like one. And she just kept talking and talking and finally I said "thank you" and she said "oh, goodbye".

Every time I go out people keep coming up to me wanting to talk. I just find this weird. Is this normal? Do you constantly have complete strangers come up to you in public places and strike up a conversation?

Maybe I am being stalked by the government? o0)

Possibly you have an "open" disposition, i.e. you look easy to talk to. It doesn't not happen to me that much, though I imagine people more frequently approach females than males.

We have coconut oil in the kitchen but it is not used very often. I think a jar lasts us a year or two. The one in the bathroom however, is used daily by me as a hair product. It is the secret to my beauteous locks. (Well, not anymore I guess)

-Dave K
 
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  • #2,162
WWGD said:
Make sure the first name of the person talking to you is not something like "Zelda", or at least does not have the prefix " Madame", or not wearing a handkerchief wrapped around their head. I don't remember hearing about "Zelda the engineer/economist, etc. " It is always Zelda's readings, etc.

Hmmm..
A 'Psychic' once said to me: " December 23rd is a significant date for you" ,
and told me i'd be in court twice in the next year but not as a defendant.

Dec 23 was the date of my divorce a few years earlier
and i was indeed called to court twice in the next year as a witness ..
When i got the second summons i thought back to that psychic and said "Sometimes I just have to wonder..."

No basis for it in Physics though, beyond coincidence.

old jim
 
  • #2,163
jim hardy said:
Hmmm..
A 'Psychic' once said to me: " December 23rd is a significant date for you" ,
and told me i'd be in court twice in the next year but not as a defendant.

Dec 23 was the date of my divorce a few years earlier
and i was indeed called to court twice in the next year as a witness ..
When i got the second summons i thought back to that psychic and said "Sometimes I just have to wonder..."

No basis for it in Physics though, beyond coincidence.

old jim
Give me 10+ consecutive correct guesses like that, and I may start believing.
 
  • #2,164
BTW, I used to be able to guess small things about people correctly. Thinks like " This guy will ask me what the time is" , or, " This person likes the rock group Beastie Boys", minor things of this sort, but never the important things, like winning lottery numbers. What a waste.
 
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  • #2,165
WWGD said:
Give me 10+ consecutive correct guesses like that, and I may start believing.
That's pretty much how i felt. Were that psychic somebody i knew i'd have tried to gather some more data points.

WWGD said:
BTW, I used to be able to guess small things about people correctly. Thinks like " This guy will ask me what the time is" , or, " This person likes the rock group Beastie Boys", minor things of this sort, but never the important things, like winning lottery numbers. What a waste.

You might enjoy Carl Jung's book "Synchronicity". Be aware though it's anathema to established science.

Music of the Spheres?
I once wrote a Basic computer program that took Florida's wining lottery numbers (Before Powerball, when they were only 49 to pick from)
made them into a list of 49 bit binary numbers
printed out their values as binary, octal, hexadecimal and decimal looking for a pattern in non-decimal number base (radix?).

Was trying to figure out how to convert them to base(radix?) e and base pi , even bought a math textbook on 'Irrational Numbers"
but found that math over my head.
If i ever do learn it i'll try base Planck's Constant, too.
 
  • #2,166
jim hardy said:
That's pretty much how i felt. Were that psychic somebody i knew i'd have tried to gather some more data points.
You might enjoy Carl Jung's book "Synchronicity". Be aware though it's anathema to established science.

Music of the Spheres?
I once wrote a Basic computer program that took Florida's wining lottery numbers (Before Powerball, when they were only 49 to pick from)
made them into a list of 49 bit binary numbers
printed out their values as binary, octal, hexadecimal and decimal looking for a pattern in non-decimal number base (radix?).

Was trying to figure out how to convert them to base(radix?) e and base pi , even bought a math textbook on 'Irrational Numbers"
but found that math over my head.
If i ever do learn it i'll try base Planck's Constant, too.
Yes, I try to keep a distinction between that which has not been tested and what has been debunked.
 
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  • #2,167
My OCD keeps bothering me, and I want to give a like to anyone who has none yet: I cannot stand the division by 0 next to their avatar: Total Posts/Likes=a/0 .
 
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  • #2,168
My wife, who I've known since I was 10, although we lost touch for 15 years in between, was told by a psychic (before we re-met) that she would marry somebody "from her past."

Sounds pretty amazing, but she met the psychic when she was a journalist and doing a news story on psychics in some town in Florida . She visited at least a dozen psychics while doing the story. Surely one of them was bound to tell her something that would come true!
 
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  • #2,169
dkotschessaa said:
My wife, who I've known since I was 10, although we lost touch for 15 years in between, was told by a psychic (before we re-met) that she would marry somebody "from her past."

Sounds pretty amazing, but she met the psychic when she was a journalist and doing a news story on psychics in some town in Florida . She visited at least a dozen psychics while doing the story. Surely one of them was bound to tell her something that would come true!
And often confirmation bias comes into play when you want to believe: you only remember the things you were told that became true.
 
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  • #2,170
WWGD said:
And often confirmation bias comes into play when you want to believe: you only remember the things you were told that became true.
I know what you mean. Someone told me something that was completely wrong but I forget what it was.
 
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  • #2,171
Lol... :thumbup:
Borg said:
Someone told me something that was completely wrong but I forget what it was.
 
  • #2,172
Borg said:
I know what you mean. Someone told me something that was completely wrong but I forget what it was.

To my recollection, I've never been wrong about anything.
 
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  • #2,173
I learn so much on this forum that I found an analogous forum (in terms of format, and the software it's run on etc.) for history, thinking I'd learn something there. But everyone here has me so spoiled... There is a basic level of quantitative literacy and rigor here, and people tend to cite sources, at least if asked if not otherwise. Over there? Not sure how long I can take it.
 
  • #2,174
dkotschessaa said:
To my recollection, I've never been wrong about anything.
I predict that someday you will be wrong but, you won't remember this prediction.
 
  • #2,175
Meant to reply to something Borg said, but I don't remember what it was.
 
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  • #2,176
I can confirm that but then, I'm biased.
 
  • #2,177
dkotschessaa said:
I learn so much on this forum that I found an analogous forum (in terms of format, and the software it's run on etc.) for history, thinking I'd learn something there. But everyone here has me so spoiled... There is a basic level of quantitative literacy and rigor here, and people tend to cite sources, at least if asked if not otherwise. Over there? Not sure how long I can take it.
Science spoils you with its experimentally-based certainty.
Ultimately, if someone wants to deny relativity (or evolution or whatever) they have to cope with multiple fields of technology that only work if their denialism is wrong.

There's no real analogue for experiment outside of science. I can deny the Holocaust or whatever, and as long as I can come up with some kind of conspiracy theory that might make that semi-plausible the only thing you can really do is try to shout me down.
 
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  • #2,178
dkotschessaa said:
To my recollection, I've never been wrong about anything.
Don't you talk to your wife anymore?
 
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  • #2,179
fresh_42 said:
Don't you talk to your wife anymore?

I don't recall.
 
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  • #2,180
Now I know what I made these lights for.

IMG_7006.jpg


IMG_7011.jpg


IMG_7019.jpg


IMG_7020.jpg
 
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  • #2,181
Borek said:
Now I know what I made these lights for.
If it should happen that you will post these pictures on a UFO side, let me know and give me the link: some popcorn, a cool drink and UFOs - perfect!
 
  • #2,183
I found out today that someone stole my car's license plate renewal sticker. I just got through filing a police report of the theft, I'll have to call the DMV tomorrow and see if they will mail me another when I get the permanent police report. I do not want to have to go down to the DMV animal house.
 
  • #2,184
They still fall for it at the ASPCA:
ASPCA Guy (in sidewalk, while I am rushing to get somewhere, trying to ignore them): Sir, we have an adoption campaign. Would you like to adopt?
Me: Yes, sir, I would like to have a dog.
ASPCA Guy ( excited) : Really? Sure, what type?
Me: Relish and Mustard.
Maybe that will lead them to not stop me anymore on the sidewalks. Feeding a dog takes a bit of change, which, of course, they will not provide you with.
 
  • #2,185
WWGD said:
They still fall for it at the ASPCA:
ASPCA Guy (in sidewalk, while I am rushing to get somewhere, trying to ignore them): Sir, we have an adoption campaign. Would you like to adopt?
Me: Yes, sir, I would like to have a dog.
ASPCA Guy ( excited) : Really? Sure, what type?
Me: Relish and Mustard.
Maybe that will lead them to not stop me anymore on the sidewalks. Feeding a dog takes a bit of change, which, of course, they will not provide you with.
Manhattan?
 
  • #2,186
fresh_42 said:
Manhattan?
I was in Queens at this point, but they have them there(here) too.
 
  • #2,187
WWGD said:
I was in Queens at this point, but they have them there(here) too.
Just thought ... delicious dogs > china > china-town > Manhattan ...
 
  • #2,188
fresh_42 said:
Just thought ... delicious dogs > china > china-town > Manhattan ...
Yikes, Taboo alert: I prefer not to think about it; this is my personal version of " Don't Ask Don't Tell": I don't ask what is in the food, you do not tell me. I don't get sick, I eat it again.
 
  • #2,189
This latest "Raw Food" trend does not agree with me. I need some protein to fill full. And raw vegetables, while tasty , get me gassed up. Back to the cooked stuff for me, including cooked vegetables -- and meat, or at least some protein.
 
  • #2,190
WWGD said:
This latest "Raw Food" trend does not agree with me.
This is my taboo alert. I tested your advice of celery and peanut butter. It was a nightmare ...
On the other side, I really like raw food. O.k. not quite, rather almost raw food. However, I usually call it medium rare.
 

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