Futility Closet
July 9, 2008 7:35 PM Subscribe
It's a blog. A mildly interesting one, but it's just a blog with a lot of random posts. What's the point?
posted by Monochrome at 8:03 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by Monochrome at 8:03 PM on July 9, 2008
The Fibonacci thing doesn't work past 13 miles.
posted by dirigibleman at 8:07 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by dirigibleman at 8:07 PM on July 9, 2008
A mildly interesting one, but it's just a blog with a lot of random posts. What's the point?
I think the point is that to some people, he's found a random collection of things that are of roughly the same interest level as crack is to addicts.
I am one of those people!
posted by flaterik at 8:13 PM on July 9, 2008 [8 favorites]
I think the point is that to some people, he's found a random collection of things that are of roughly the same interest level as crack is to addicts.
I am one of those people!
posted by flaterik at 8:13 PM on July 9, 2008 [8 favorites]
What's the point?
What, there's always gotta be a point?
Well, anyway, perhaps the point is that MeFier utility closet (This guy) was listening to Ted Nugent, yes, Ted Nugent, only 2 hours ago on last.fm.
BUSTED!!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:18 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
What, there's always gotta be a point?
Well, anyway, perhaps the point is that MeFier utility closet (This guy) was listening to Ted Nugent, yes, Ted Nugent, only 2 hours ago on last.fm.
BUSTED!!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:18 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
What a great weblog! Thanks!
posted by yhbc at 8:22 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by yhbc at 8:22 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
it's just a blog with a lot of random posts. What's the point?
Indeed.
Very cool to some, mildly interesting to others, and pretty darn neat to me, thanks!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:35 PM on July 9, 2008 [3 favorites]
Indeed.
Very cool to some, mildly interesting to others, and pretty darn neat to me, thanks!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:35 PM on July 9, 2008 [3 favorites]
Alvy FTW.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:40 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:40 PM on July 9, 2008
Okay could somebody please explain the nontransitive dice to me? Because it is making me feel dizzy and my face is getting hot.
posted by penduluum at 8:43 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by penduluum at 8:43 PM on July 9, 2008
Very cool. Thanks for not making a point. Points are over-rated.
posted by maxwelton at 9:01 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by maxwelton at 9:01 PM on July 9, 2008
I liked the Intelligence test...
posted by progressor at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by progressor at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008
penduluum writes "Okay could somebody please explain the nontransitive dice to me? Because it is making me feel dizzy and my face is getting hot."
There are 27 unique combinations of dice. In 15 of those 27, die A beats die B. In 15, die B beats die C. In 15, die C beats die A.
In every possible roll, at least one of the cases ( A > B, B > C, or C > A) is true; In 18 of the possible rolls, two of these cases are true ( A > B && B > C OR B > C && C > A, etc.)
If you have access to an SQL database, you can run the following script to see this:
create table a_r (id int not null primary key auto_increment, idn int not null default 0);
insert into a_r (idn) values (0);
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --2
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --4
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --8
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --16
update a_r set idn = id -1;
create or replace view dA as select id as a from a_r where id in (2,4,9);
create or replace view dB as select id as b from a_r where id in (1,6,8);
create or replace view dC as select id as c from a_r where id in (3,5,7);
create view roll as
SELECT *, case when a > b then 1 else 0 end as A_beats_B,
case when b > c then 1 else 0 end as B_beats_C, c
ase when c > a then 1 else 0 end as C_beats_A
FROM dA, dB, dC;
create view roll_sum
as select *, A_beats_B + B_beats_C + C_beats_A as sum_beats
from roll;
SELECT * FROM roll_sum;
select sum(A_beats_B) as A_beats_B_sum_over_all_rolls,
sum(B_beats_C) as B_beats_C_sum_over_all_rolls,
sum(C_beats_A) as C_beats_A_sum_over_all_rolls,
count(*) as total_unique_rolls
from roll_sum;
posted by orthogonality at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
There are 27 unique combinations of dice. In 15 of those 27, die A beats die B. In 15, die B beats die C. In 15, die C beats die A.
In every possible roll, at least one of the cases ( A > B, B > C, or C > A) is true; In 18 of the possible rolls, two of these cases are true ( A > B && B > C OR B > C && C > A, etc.)
If you have access to an SQL database, you can run the following script to see this:
create table a_r (id int not null primary key auto_increment, idn int not null default 0);
insert into a_r (idn) values (0);
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --2
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --4
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --8
insert into a_r (idn) select idn from a_r; --16
update a_r set idn = id -1;
create or replace view dA as select id as a from a_r where id in (2,4,9);
create or replace view dB as select id as b from a_r where id in (1,6,8);
create or replace view dC as select id as c from a_r where id in (3,5,7);
create view roll as
SELECT *, case when a > b then 1 else 0 end as A_beats_B,
case when b > c then 1 else 0 end as B_beats_C, c
ase when c > a then 1 else 0 end as C_beats_A
FROM dA, dB, dC;
create view roll_sum
as select *, A_beats_B + B_beats_C + C_beats_A as sum_beats
from roll;
SELECT * FROM roll_sum;
select sum(A_beats_B) as A_beats_B_sum_over_all_rolls,
sum(B_beats_C) as B_beats_C_sum_over_all_rolls,
sum(C_beats_A) as C_beats_A_sum_over_all_rolls,
count(*) as total_unique_rolls
from roll_sum;
posted by orthogonality at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
The Fibonacci thing doesn't work past 13 miles.
Note he said approximately
21 miles is 33.79km
34 miles is 54.717
55 miles is 88.51
89 miles 143.23
etc.
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 610 987
posted by mrzarquon at 9:32 PM on July 9, 2008 [4 favorites]
Note he said approximately
21 miles is 33.79km
34 miles is 54.717
55 miles is 88.51
89 miles 143.23
etc.
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 610 987
posted by mrzarquon at 9:32 PM on July 9, 2008 [4 favorites]
garethspor: the squareroot-both-sides operation is the error; there are two square roots and saying x2 = y2 just means that x = ±y not that x = y.
in fact π - x = x - 3; recall the initial line that x is halfway between three and π.
posted by aubilenon at 9:34 PM on July 9, 2008 [3 favorites]
in fact π - x = x - 3; recall the initial line that x is halfway between three and π.
posted by aubilenon at 9:34 PM on July 9, 2008 [3 favorites]
The trick to that one is that x is halfway between 3 and π, so π–x=x–3. The thing is, though, that x2=(–x)2, and –(x–3)=3–x, so once you get to the line that says (3–x)2=(π–x)2, the "proof" conveniently slips up and takes the negative square root of one side. You can use a similar trick to prove that –1=1, or that any two numbers at all are equal.
posted by wanderingmind at 9:35 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by wanderingmind at 9:35 PM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
Monochrome writes "A mildly interesting one, but it's just a blog with a lot of random posts. What's the point?"
To some it meets the definition of best of the web. I almost posted this last week but I got distracted reading the archives and never got around to it (though I did finish the archives).
It's a pretty cool site that made it into my daily folder.
posted by Mitheral at 9:38 PM on July 9, 2008
To some it meets the definition of best of the web. I almost posted this last week but I got distracted reading the archives and never got around to it (though I did finish the archives).
It's a pretty cool site that made it into my daily folder.
posted by Mitheral at 9:38 PM on July 9, 2008
Huh. I've been reading his blog for a couple years. I'd have thought I got it from MeFi to begin with.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:44 PM on July 9, 2008
posted by five fresh fish at 10:44 PM on July 9, 2008
Mod note: I did see this linked here, in comments somewhere, at one point - and I spent hours and hours on it the first time I visited, and have been going back ever since. It's the sort of site that reaffirms how excellent the internet can be, and a perfect antidote for my recent feelings of revulsion over a lot of the "blog celebrity" BARF scandal du jour we've been inundated with. Love.
posted by taz (staff) at 12:08 AM on July 10, 2008
posted by taz (staff) at 12:08 AM on July 10, 2008
I don't know why, but I'm totally in love with this idea.
posted by flabdablet at 1:18 AM on July 10, 2008
posted by flabdablet at 1:18 AM on July 10, 2008
I don't remember the last time when I lost myself in the archives of a website. This is the best of the web. Brilliant!
posted by ruelle at 3:36 AM on July 10, 2008
posted by ruelle at 3:36 AM on July 10, 2008
flabdablet, I seem to recall a similar scheme that was purported to have been used on the owner of a new Volkswagen Beetle back in the 70's. His friend kept surreptitiously adding gas to the tank, and feigning amazement at the tales of ninety, one hundred, or one hundred ten miles per gallon.
Then the friend started siphoning gas out of the tank.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:22 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Then the friend started siphoning gas out of the tank.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:22 AM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks, everyone.
posted by futility closet at 7:58 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by futility closet at 7:58 AM on July 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
I did see this linked here, in comments somewhere, at one point
There was a metatalk thread about it recently.
posted by inigo2 at 8:27 AM on July 10, 2008
There was a metatalk thread about it recently.
posted by inigo2 at 8:27 AM on July 10, 2008
nice!
posted by not_on_display at 8:42 AM on July 10, 2008
I absolutely love this blog and its one of my daily reads and constant "shares". Glad to see it posted!
Darn why didn't I do it.
posted by olya at 11:04 AM on July 10, 2008
Darn why didn't I do it.
posted by olya at 11:04 AM on July 10, 2008
I really enjoy all of that magic number stuff. I visit quite often.
posted by sgobbare at 12:54 PM on July 10, 2008
posted by sgobbare at 12:54 PM on July 10, 2008
Some of the magic number stuff is amusing, though I think the day that 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 13 + 14 + 15 got posted must have been a slow news day.
n + n+1 + n+2 + n+3 = n+4 + n+5 + n+6
4n + 6 = 3n + 15
n = 9
profit?
posted by flabdablet at 6:47 PM on July 10, 2008
n + n+1 + n+2 + n+3 = n+4 + n+5 + n+6
4n + 6 = 3n + 15
n = 9
profit?
posted by flabdablet at 6:47 PM on July 10, 2008
Well la-dee-da, look who's got himself a grade eight Californian education!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:13 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by five fresh fish at 7:13 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
1 + 2 = 3
4 + 5 + 6 = 7 + 8
9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 13 + 14 + 15
16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 = 21 + 22 + 23 + 24
25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 = 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35
Don't make me use it again! I will if provoked!
posted by flabdablet at 9:19 PM on July 10, 2008
4 + 5 + 6 = 7 + 8
9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 13 + 14 + 15
16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 = 21 + 22 + 23 + 24
25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 = 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35
Don't make me use it again! I will if provoked!
posted by flabdablet at 9:19 PM on July 10, 2008
[cowers, awed by flabdablet's arithmetic prowess!]
posted by five fresh fish at 10:00 PM on July 10, 2008
posted by five fresh fish at 10:00 PM on July 10, 2008
BEFORE: Dammit, yet another mystery post. Can't people be bothered to actually describe the thing they're linking to?
AFTER: I can't imagine any other way this could have been written.
:
:
:
Oh, and I have to do this takes deep breath:
DARTH VADER'S HEAD IS WATCHING YOU FROM HIGH ATOP WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
posted by JHarris at 10:35 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
AFTER: I can't imagine any other way this could have been written.
:
:
:
Oh, and I have to do this takes deep breath:
DARTH VADER'S HEAD IS WATCHING YOU FROM HIGH ATOP WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
posted by JHarris at 10:35 PM on July 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think I just had a triviagasm
posted by lalochezia at 10:57 PM on July 10, 2008
posted by lalochezia at 10:57 PM on July 10, 2008
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posted by boo_radley at 7:59 PM on July 9, 2008 [2 favorites]