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
The Fibonacci thing doesn't work past 13 miles. posted by dirigibleman at 8:07 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
I liked the Intelligence test... posted by progressor at 9:30 PM on July 9, 2008
penduluumwrites"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]
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]
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]
Monochromewrites"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
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
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 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
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
Solving probability problems with SQL statements. Yes. posted by DU at 4:35 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.
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posted by boo_radley at 7:59 PM on July 9, 2008 [2 favorites]