The answer is not necessary mathematically correct.
According to the Mathematician, the engineer will never reach his destination.
True, but then again, he doesn't really have to.
His destination is not the absolute position of the target, because 2 matters can never exist in the same absolution position.
All he needs to is to get near enough for him to start a conversation.
Not get inside her pants literally!
So the difference between an Engineer and a Mathematician?
One seeks for absolute answer, the other seeks for an answer that is close enough to solve the problem.
The question deals with the infinite amount of half life in a life cycle of a decaying nucleus.
Many scientists study the nucleus of radiating materials and half lives are used to estimate the lifespan of the nucleus before the radiation becomes negligible.. The half live chart is a graph which bend towards infinity when charted along the time axis.
Today is 30th July 2005.
Time is 9:46am
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
How many halves are there in a whole?
Today, I feel like sharing a joke.
A mathematician and an engineer was having a drink in a pub.
Together they saw a pretty young thing and was discussing how they should approach her.
The engineer suggested that he should just start walking towards the lady half the distance between them and then pause for a while, then walk half of the remaining distance, then pause for another few seconds. And this goes on, every half, a few moments of pause. This is so that he won't scare away the target by walking straight up directly.
The mathematician thought for a while and then rebutted the engineer.
"This way, you will never reach her! You will always have half the distance between the target and yourself, no matter how many half distances you travel towards her!" He replied.
Is the Mathematician correct in his statement?
Will the Engineer ever reach his desired destination?
A Philosophical Problem.
And a funny answer that defines the differences between a Mathematician and an Engineer.
Answers to be blogged tomorrow.
Today is 28th July 2005
Time is 4.17pm
An engineer is waiting for the engine to fail before he can commence his engineering work
A mathematician and an engineer was having a drink in a pub.
Together they saw a pretty young thing and was discussing how they should approach her.
The engineer suggested that he should just start walking towards the lady half the distance between them and then pause for a while, then walk half of the remaining distance, then pause for another few seconds. And this goes on, every half, a few moments of pause. This is so that he won't scare away the target by walking straight up directly.
The mathematician thought for a while and then rebutted the engineer.
"This way, you will never reach her! You will always have half the distance between the target and yourself, no matter how many half distances you travel towards her!" He replied.
Is the Mathematician correct in his statement?
Will the Engineer ever reach his desired destination?
A Philosophical Problem.
And a funny answer that defines the differences between a Mathematician and an Engineer.
Answers to be blogged tomorrow.
Today is 28th July 2005
Time is 4.17pm
An engineer is waiting for the engine to fail before he can commence his engineering work
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Increase your word power
Let's enrich our word power!!
I was discussing with my wife about the English vocabulary and exams etc.
We talked about how we dealt with having to learn English and passing its exams.
It appears there's no formula for learning English but to hear and see it more often.
Words itself doesn't really make sense on its own without being used in a context of a sentence.
Very often, English tests required the candidate to explain words that are used in a passage.
He is an "ardent" blogger whom has spent more time in front of his PC than actually doing any serious work.
So, my method would be to replace the "word" with something else which could make sense when being used in the same context. All the hints are trailing behind the "word", trying to make the reader understand more.
Rephrase it
If he is always " " about blogging, he can never get any serious work done.
He can be " " when blogging is concerned, but is he " " about his real occupation?
If he is such an " " blogger, who is doing the real work for him?
Is there anyone more " " than him when it comes to blogging?
The WORD today is ARDENT.
It means Passionate/Enthusiastic.
Through a good friend, I have enriched my word power today.
Today is 26th July 2005
Time is 10.30pm
Very soon, I am going to subscribe to Reader's Digest.
Investing in my word bank.
Increase my word power.
I was discussing with my wife about the English vocabulary and exams etc.
We talked about how we dealt with having to learn English and passing its exams.
It appears there's no formula for learning English but to hear and see it more often.
Words itself doesn't really make sense on its own without being used in a context of a sentence.
Very often, English tests required the candidate to explain words that are used in a passage.
He is an "ardent" blogger whom has spent more time in front of his PC than actually doing any serious work.
So, my method would be to replace the "word" with something else which could make sense when being used in the same context. All the hints are trailing behind the "word", trying to make the reader understand more.
Rephrase it
If he is always " " about blogging, he can never get any serious work done.
He can be " " when blogging is concerned, but is he " " about his real occupation?
If he is such an " " blogger, who is doing the real work for him?
Is there anyone more " " than him when it comes to blogging?
The WORD today is ARDENT.
It means Passionate/Enthusiastic.
Through a good friend, I have enriched my word power today.
Today is 26th July 2005
Time is 10.30pm
Very soon, I am going to subscribe to Reader's Digest.
Investing in my word bank.
Increase my word power.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Joy of Success
A success, no matter how small it is, brings sweetness to the person behind it.
A task set out to do and completed before expected end time.
A job well done exceeding what was requested.
Today, I succeeded in creating an online bulletin board.
This same task, last week, seemed impossible because I had neither the experience nor knowledge building up the board.
Even though I was in Malaysia most of the time in the last week, I kept thinking of how I can achieve this impossible task.
But today, just today, at 10-11am, I was reminded of this task again by a colleague.
Thanks to him, I fearfully clicked the downlink link which allowed me to download the software required.
Funny thing was, the fear of not knowing and not having experience of setting up the bulletin board, disappeared immediately when I started to work on it.
4 hours later, in the same day, the board was ready to be accessed by users.
"Once started, it's as good as 50% completed"
A famous Chinese saying. How true.... How true....
Well, no problems will be solved if the solution never starts.
And I am glad I am able to get success from this task which I thought I didn't have the capacity to take it on, and yet, I managed to conquer it.
Today is 25th July 2005
Time is 11.42pm
Doing the maths, working on the task 4 hours straight after 11am is only 4pm max.....
[ lunch hour included ].
A task set out to do and completed before expected end time.
A job well done exceeding what was requested.
Today, I succeeded in creating an online bulletin board.
This same task, last week, seemed impossible because I had neither the experience nor knowledge building up the board.
Even though I was in Malaysia most of the time in the last week, I kept thinking of how I can achieve this impossible task.
But today, just today, at 10-11am, I was reminded of this task again by a colleague.
Thanks to him, I fearfully clicked the downlink link which allowed me to download the software required.
Funny thing was, the fear of not knowing and not having experience of setting up the bulletin board, disappeared immediately when I started to work on it.
4 hours later, in the same day, the board was ready to be accessed by users.
"Once started, it's as good as 50% completed"
A famous Chinese saying. How true.... How true....
Well, no problems will be solved if the solution never starts.
And I am glad I am able to get success from this task which I thought I didn't have the capacity to take it on, and yet, I managed to conquer it.
Today is 25th July 2005
Time is 11.42pm
Doing the maths, working on the task 4 hours straight after 11am is only 4pm max.....
[ lunch hour included ].
Sunday, July 24, 2005
A series of possibilities!
A year back, there was this local movie in town.
It poked fun at the local punters, making every effort, of the local punter to get rich, looked silly.
There was this famous statement made by a punter, played by an actor whom is also a variety show host.
He said," Chances of winning the lottery is 50-50."
When questioned why, he replied, "You either strike or you don't strike".
The statement rested at the back of my mind registered as a comical joke.
I chanced upon a book recently in town.
101 Philosophy Problems
Author : Martin Cohen
It's a book which gives actual cases of real life philosophical paradoxes.
Is there life on Mars?
A question of statistics perhaps from the evidence of the data collected in countless space expeditions.
Finding sources of water or traces of moisture near its atmosphere will mean higher percentage of find extra-terrestial lifeforms before even reaching the planet.
If through telescope and high tech equipment, we can tell that the surface temperature of the planet is constantly 15000 degrees celsius, we can safely confirm that it is for 99.999% sure that no lifeforms can exist there without being scorched to death immediately when placed in that environment.
This question is actually in relation to statistics and probabilities.
Guessing from past samples collected to predict the upcoming cycle(s).
But did you know that in the absence of information, the answer to that very question is actually 50-50? And it applies for all questions that requires the answer to be logic.
Logic, used in the context here does not mean, making sense.
It actually means "0" or "1" or, "true" or "false", and "yes" and "no".
And though we have smart brains telling us, no living thing can exist in temperatures of 15000 degree celsius, but have we, humans, actually seen all the living things of this universe already?
By disproving ideas which are unknown to us, are we proving facts which can only exist in our domain [in this case, our own planet ]?
But then again, Mars is not on our planet, is it?
Think.
Ponder over the first question again
"Is there life on Mars?"
Today is 24th July 2005
Time is 11:32pm
It's a Sunday
My work week starts on Monday.
In my weekdays, I try ways and means to disprove faults reported by customers and use statistics and probability to re-ensure customers that they are just a small statiscally anomaly which only happens when equipment, freshly out of their retail boxes, fail for no reason.
And they keep nodding upon hearing my "statistical anomaly" pitch.
You dig?
It poked fun at the local punters, making every effort, of the local punter to get rich, looked silly.
There was this famous statement made by a punter, played by an actor whom is also a variety show host.
He said," Chances of winning the lottery is 50-50."
When questioned why, he replied, "You either strike or you don't strike".
The statement rested at the back of my mind registered as a comical joke.
I chanced upon a book recently in town.
101 Philosophy Problems
Author : Martin Cohen
It's a book which gives actual cases of real life philosophical paradoxes.
Is there life on Mars?
A question of statistics perhaps from the evidence of the data collected in countless space expeditions.
Finding sources of water or traces of moisture near its atmosphere will mean higher percentage of find extra-terrestial lifeforms before even reaching the planet.
If through telescope and high tech equipment, we can tell that the surface temperature of the planet is constantly 15000 degrees celsius, we can safely confirm that it is for 99.999% sure that no lifeforms can exist there without being scorched to death immediately when placed in that environment.
This question is actually in relation to statistics and probabilities.
Guessing from past samples collected to predict the upcoming cycle(s).
But did you know that in the absence of information, the answer to that very question is actually 50-50? And it applies for all questions that requires the answer to be logic.
Logic, used in the context here does not mean, making sense.
It actually means "0" or "1" or, "true" or "false", and "yes" and "no".
And though we have smart brains telling us, no living thing can exist in temperatures of 15000 degree celsius, but have we, humans, actually seen all the living things of this universe already?
By disproving ideas which are unknown to us, are we proving facts which can only exist in our domain [in this case, our own planet ]?
But then again, Mars is not on our planet, is it?
Think.
Ponder over the first question again
"Is there life on Mars?"
Today is 24th July 2005
Time is 11:32pm
It's a Sunday
My work week starts on Monday.
In my weekdays, I try ways and means to disprove faults reported by customers and use statistics and probability to re-ensure customers that they are just a small statiscally anomaly which only happens when equipment, freshly out of their retail boxes, fail for no reason.
And they keep nodding upon hearing my "statistical anomaly" pitch.
You dig?
Saturday, July 23, 2005
A Saturday Afternoon [Part II]
Have you ever encountered being caught in a jam and every turn leads to another jam?
It's worse when you are in a cab. An entrapment, you cannot, in the good nature as another fellow human being, alight and pay the metered fare and expect the cab driver to blame it on the jam, where he/she has to continue to crawl in the jam until the taxi is out of the jam area.
And you cannot blame the cab driver for you were the one whom gave the specific route to take to reach your destination.
So I blame the nation.
Why?
Because the JAM was caused by another rehearsal for N'day Celebrations, which incidentally, has to be done in the city.
Clever.
For a group of 50-80 govt officials and One Very Important Person's smooth traffic flow on the Nation's birthday, the rest of the country have to bear stupid jams on routes, which traffic from the affected areas, were directed onto.
Even More Brilliant.
For fear of not doing everything right first time, the party organisers AKA "Green men in huge trucks" rehearse every weekend for 2 months leading to the big day, so that they wouldn't screw up.
Bet they didn't realise the rest of the nation was going through traffic hell just to endure the stupid rehearsals.
I also Brilliant.
So Taxi Companies are raising their fares, booking charges , waiting time charges.
Bet you didn't realise the waiting time charges. Perhaps even never noticed it.
Well, maybe now you might just wanna find out how fast it clicks while stationary.
Not so Brilliant Public.
Despite knowing that periods like these, the city area will be clogged with traffic, the general public still travels downtown.
Makes anyone wonder if the govt is nominated by the public, whom are making all the smart choices?
Are we just a mob, like a school of dumb fishes?
Or are there really smart individuals within the school of fish that is doing the directing?
I am STUPID
Which gives me the final conclusion of what I wanna blog today.
I was the dumb ass whom went into town in a taxi entrapped in the jams knowing fully that the rehearsal dates and I still chosed to dive into the "pool full of poo"**.
Today is
23rd July 2005
Time is 10.30pm
** Poolful of Poo : Sounds nice enough for me to use.
Meaning "in deep shite"
It's worse when you are in a cab. An entrapment, you cannot, in the good nature as another fellow human being, alight and pay the metered fare and expect the cab driver to blame it on the jam, where he/she has to continue to crawl in the jam until the taxi is out of the jam area.
And you cannot blame the cab driver for you were the one whom gave the specific route to take to reach your destination.
So I blame the nation.
Why?
Because the JAM was caused by another rehearsal for N'day Celebrations, which incidentally, has to be done in the city.
Clever.
For a group of 50-80 govt officials and One Very Important Person's smooth traffic flow on the Nation's birthday, the rest of the country have to bear stupid jams on routes, which traffic from the affected areas, were directed onto.
Even More Brilliant.
For fear of not doing everything right first time, the party organisers AKA "Green men in huge trucks" rehearse every weekend for 2 months leading to the big day, so that they wouldn't screw up.
Bet they didn't realise the rest of the nation was going through traffic hell just to endure the stupid rehearsals.
I also Brilliant.
So Taxi Companies are raising their fares, booking charges , waiting time charges.
Bet you didn't realise the waiting time charges. Perhaps even never noticed it.
Well, maybe now you might just wanna find out how fast it clicks while stationary.
Not so Brilliant Public.
Despite knowing that periods like these, the city area will be clogged with traffic, the general public still travels downtown.
Makes anyone wonder if the govt is nominated by the public, whom are making all the smart choices?
Are we just a mob, like a school of dumb fishes?
Or are there really smart individuals within the school of fish that is doing the directing?
I am STUPID
Which gives me the final conclusion of what I wanna blog today.
I was the dumb ass whom went into town in a taxi entrapped in the jams knowing fully that the rehearsal dates and I still chosed to dive into the "pool full of poo"**.
Today is
23rd July 2005
Time is 10.30pm
** Poolful of Poo : Sounds nice enough for me to use.
Meaning "in deep shite"
A Saturday Afternoon [Part 1]
Raining where my room is located.
Seated in my favourite blue secretary chair, I began typing.
Knowing that I have to leave the house in just less than an hour's time, I continued to work on this log.
Spending near 30 years on the same island, an especially small island, 40 km x 30 km area, it's not a wonder when one runs out of places to go. The town area has already my footprints all over it.
However, when the weekend arrives, each and every local, at least 80% of those whom still possess mobility, flock down to the City area.
Just like me, they too had spend most of their life on the island.
And just like me, they too plan where they want to go over the weekend.
Because they do not want to stay at home watching crummy saturday matinees.
And exactly like me, they find themselves visiting the places which they had imprinted their soles just weeks ago.
Retail therapy, or so it seems.
There are more people walking along the street than actually walking into retail shops.
And once the need for food is satisfied, most locals will just pop into the nearby cinema/multiplex to catch a blockbuster.
And because of that, the reason why the movie industry is booming in the island, is because it actually gives the local viewers a change.
They bring the viewers away for 2 hours. Away to another place which the viewers had not been before. Another place which is interesting. Somewhere else where you do not have to walk past the footprints you had just made 2 weeks ago.
The Hollywood effect.
A psychological trip to somewhere else.
2 hours.
9 dollars.
Saturday
12.25pm noon.
23 July 2005.
I am going to walk past my footprints today in town.
Seated in my favourite blue secretary chair, I began typing.
Knowing that I have to leave the house in just less than an hour's time, I continued to work on this log.
Spending near 30 years on the same island, an especially small island, 40 km x 30 km area, it's not a wonder when one runs out of places to go. The town area has already my footprints all over it.
However, when the weekend arrives, each and every local, at least 80% of those whom still possess mobility, flock down to the City area.
Just like me, they too had spend most of their life on the island.
And just like me, they too plan where they want to go over the weekend.
Because they do not want to stay at home watching crummy saturday matinees.
And exactly like me, they find themselves visiting the places which they had imprinted their soles just weeks ago.
Retail therapy, or so it seems.
There are more people walking along the street than actually walking into retail shops.
And once the need for food is satisfied, most locals will just pop into the nearby cinema/multiplex to catch a blockbuster.
And because of that, the reason why the movie industry is booming in the island, is because it actually gives the local viewers a change.
They bring the viewers away for 2 hours. Away to another place which the viewers had not been before. Another place which is interesting. Somewhere else where you do not have to walk past the footprints you had just made 2 weeks ago.
The Hollywood effect.
A psychological trip to somewhere else.
2 hours.
9 dollars.
Saturday
12.25pm noon.
23 July 2005.
I am going to walk past my footprints today in town.
"Fallen" After Peanuts
I try not to talk about peanuts or golden tap now. However, these are things which shape the history of the land where I am from. The saga from late June to mid July of 2005. A period of time when a peanut means $600,000. Having 2 of such nuts will make anyone a millionaire.
A period when no official person will dare splurge on expensive toiletware.
But I am not going to talk about how well some person is paid.
Just 3 days ago, on 20th July 2005, a piece of news flashed across the TV in the hotel room of Johor Bahru, where I was spending the night there.
The news flash on a Singapore channel apparently showed a small little tent, bearing the words "POLICE" on it. It was believed that someone had "fallen"from their unit on the 11th floor in the block of flat in the eastern part of the island.
It was not until 10mins later, after news of peanuts saga and after the local health minister said his piece of blah, that the newscaster began to report the news on the "fallen".
It was a child. Only 4 years of age. The babysitter, its grandmother, whom had left her sleeping alone to go for her weekly market trip. It was later reported in the local papers that it wasn't the babysitter's first time leaving the child alone. Upon typing the last sentence, I wanna say that it's not my intention to have the blame shifted to the babysitter, regardless of whom it might be.
Just that it gave me a reflection of myself 2 years back.
"No grilles at the windows!".
That was what I told my wife.
And the same was told to my contractor.
I'd just prepared enough money for my first flat and it needed some renovations before we could move in.
I felt that I wanted the house to be the way we liked it and myself having lived in a room with grilles for about 20 odd years, I wanted a window with a clear view.
All windows with clear views.
Back to present day.
The piece of sad news brings the harsh reality that it might just be my children whom might be curious about the view beyond the window. Curious enough to wanna stand on a chair to see how the coffee shop looks like from the 18th floor.
No one can prevent children from probing and asking about everything.
The least I can do is to provide an environment that is safe for my children.
So that they can continue to frustrate me with their questions and deplete my brain cells everyday.
23rd July 2005
1.50am.
My prayers for the parents of the unfortunate child.
Only they themselves know what they are going through right now.
A period when no official person will dare splurge on expensive toiletware.
But I am not going to talk about how well some person is paid.
Just 3 days ago, on 20th July 2005, a piece of news flashed across the TV in the hotel room of Johor Bahru, where I was spending the night there.
The news flash on a Singapore channel apparently showed a small little tent, bearing the words "POLICE" on it. It was believed that someone had "fallen"from their unit on the 11th floor in the block of flat in the eastern part of the island.
It was not until 10mins later, after news of peanuts saga and after the local health minister said his piece of blah, that the newscaster began to report the news on the "fallen".
It was a child. Only 4 years of age. The babysitter, its grandmother, whom had left her sleeping alone to go for her weekly market trip. It was later reported in the local papers that it wasn't the babysitter's first time leaving the child alone. Upon typing the last sentence, I wanna say that it's not my intention to have the blame shifted to the babysitter, regardless of whom it might be.
Just that it gave me a reflection of myself 2 years back.
"No grilles at the windows!".
That was what I told my wife.
And the same was told to my contractor.
I'd just prepared enough money for my first flat and it needed some renovations before we could move in.
I felt that I wanted the house to be the way we liked it and myself having lived in a room with grilles for about 20 odd years, I wanted a window with a clear view.
All windows with clear views.
Back to present day.
The piece of sad news brings the harsh reality that it might just be my children whom might be curious about the view beyond the window. Curious enough to wanna stand on a chair to see how the coffee shop looks like from the 18th floor.
No one can prevent children from probing and asking about everything.
The least I can do is to provide an environment that is safe for my children.
So that they can continue to frustrate me with their questions and deplete my brain cells everyday.
23rd July 2005
1.50am.
My prayers for the parents of the unfortunate child.
Only they themselves know what they are going through right now.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Bedroom Companions
A little more update just to test the blog. [ and perhaps your patience as well ]
I am a man whom interests and career lies solely in the IT industry.
Before 2003, my bed was always cold, thus cultivating my habitual late sleeping.
Because a cold and lonely bed is never welcoming, I put off sleeping until my eyelids drop the bomb on me.
[ Besides, I spend too much time on the computer procrastinating ]
After 2003 December, a very beautiful and charming lady will await at my bed every night, beckoning me to sleep before the witching hour.
Since 2004 December, my bed has since warmed by 2 ladies, welcoming me into their arms every night.
Well, that's family for you unmarried men or married folks whom have decided not to have any kids yet....
I am a man whom interests and career lies solely in the IT industry.
Before 2003, my bed was always cold, thus cultivating my habitual late sleeping.
Because a cold and lonely bed is never welcoming, I put off sleeping until my eyelids drop the bomb on me.
[ Besides, I spend too much time on the computer procrastinating ]
After 2003 December, a very beautiful and charming lady will await at my bed every night, beckoning me to sleep before the witching hour.
Since 2004 December, my bed has since warmed by 2 ladies, welcoming me into their arms every night.
Well, that's family for you unmarried men or married folks whom have decided not to have any kids yet....
The 2nd lady of my life.
Today is
22nd July 2005
Time is
3.25pm
About 8500-9000 days ago.
It was a Friday, 25th day of the month of June in the year 1976.
There had been another happy and sad news.
An unplanned fusion of cells 10 months prior to that day is due to be released from its tiny watery prison.
The bearer of the watery prison and her stakeholder are elated.
Happy that she no longer have the bear the burden since it began 10 months ago,
and yet unknown of their bigger burden in the 20 years to come.
He is excited, to see the first of his progeny. The first descendant of a new generation whom will bear the family name.
While the fully developed foetus attempts to wriggle out of its watery prison....His fate has already been sealed even before he sees the smiling faces of his creators.
Doomed for eternity on a rock.
That will be 29 yrs and 20 odd days ago.
If I was able to think and write on the first day I was borned, you might have been reading my life since then.
But since its only at such an age that I am able to speak with eloquence and write with a flair, you, my reader, have the privileges of reading parcels of my life whenever I have the time to include it in this blogspot.
Today is 22nd July 2005, 11:17 am +8:00 GMT
There had been another happy and sad news.
An unplanned fusion of cells 10 months prior to that day is due to be released from its tiny watery prison.
The bearer of the watery prison and her stakeholder are elated.
Happy that she no longer have the bear the burden since it began 10 months ago,
and yet unknown of their bigger burden in the 20 years to come.
He is excited, to see the first of his progeny. The first descendant of a new generation whom will bear the family name.
While the fully developed foetus attempts to wriggle out of its watery prison....His fate has already been sealed even before he sees the smiling faces of his creators.
Doomed for eternity on a rock.
That will be 29 yrs and 20 odd days ago.
If I was able to think and write on the first day I was borned, you might have been reading my life since then.
But since its only at such an age that I am able to speak with eloquence and write with a flair, you, my reader, have the privileges of reading parcels of my life whenever I have the time to include it in this blogspot.
Today is 22nd July 2005, 11:17 am +8:00 GMT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)