Humor Random Comments Thread

[RANT]
So I'm working away on my Calc assignment, and I get to a question about the Richter scale. I start working on it, eventually getting a properly simplified expression that I can use to calculate relative intensities with regards to relative Richter scale values (ie mag 5 to mag 8 is 10^3 intensity increase).

Strangely enough, everything I do appears wrong when crosschecked against the method shown on the USGS website (where I would hope they would be able to calculate these things correctly) I double check again, and confirm that intensity/amplitude should grow with base 10, but energy grows with base 31. No mention is ever found to using base e.

I post about the issue in our sort of class forum, and a few minutes later I get a response. The person, (TA or student, I don't really know) then tells me that the assignment is incorrect, but to use the incorrect values anyways, because "The purpose is not to actually use the Richter scale but to see if you can solve log/ln equations."

Over my dead body! :facts:

This is what drives me nuts about a lot of students Ive met in pure math programs. I don't have any issue with devoting time to abstract mathematics, so long as practical applications are at least considered, even just a little bit! Some pure math types almost seem offended by the implication that their work should at least be relatable to reality somehow.
[/RANT]

End rant

I feel much better for having gotten that off of my chest :)
 
"May I ask what your name is?"
I don't know, how about you look at the doorbell you just rang. Or look at the address of the freaking packet you're just delievering? No, maybe I'm just in this appartment because I murdered the guy and am now opening the door to receive a package. Which totally prevents me from answering with his name.

Seriously, since when do package delievers ask names? It isn't a bomb either so he didn't want to know if he got the right target...:shifty:
 
I saw Leonard Nimoy in Mission:Impossible, long before I saw Star Trek in syndication. (neither of my parents were Trekkers)

I didn't pick up on Star Trek until I saw the animated series, :in best old man voice: in my day, we called them cartoons. I think that the animated "tribbles" episode is funnier than the live action one, they don't multiply so much (sort of), but they grow bigger (like take up Kirk's chair bigger).
 
So, Star Trek: TAS is worth a watch?
I only seen an episode with time travelling Spock making Bones complain about blue-skin alien physiology for a change.
 
Izack said:
But on the flip side, I just found out Leonard Nimoy played William Bell in Fringe. Why.
Click to expand...

I don't know what has me more upset at the moment; The fact that the final season of Fringe is available on Netflix but I haven't had time to watch it, or the fact that my girlfriend has already watched the entire season and didn't even bother to tell me until 2 days ago when I happened to mention it being out there for *us* to watch sometime... :@
 
BruceJohnJennerLawso said:
[RANT]
So I'm working away on my Calc assignment, and I get to a question about the Richter scale. I start working on it, eventually getting a properly simplified expression that I can use to calculate relative intensities with regards to relative Richter scale values (ie mag 5 to mag 8 is 10^3 intensity increase).

Strangely enough, everything I do appears wrong when crosschecked against the method shown on the USGS website (where I would hope they would be able to calculate these things correctly) I double check again, and confirm that intensity/amplitude should grow with base 10, but energy grows with base 31. No mention is ever found to using base e.

I post about the issue in our sort of class forum, and a few minutes later I get a response. The person, (TA or student, I don't really know) then tells me that the assignment is incorrect, but to use the incorrect values anyways, because "The purpose is not to actually use the Richter scale but to see if you can solve log/ln equations."

Over my dead body! :facts:

This is what drives me nuts about a lot of students Ive met in pure math programs. I don't have any issue with devoting time to abstract mathematics, so long as practical applications are at least considered, even just a little bit! Some pure math types almost seem offended by the implication that their work should at least be relatable to reality somehow.
[/RANT]

End rant

I feel much better for having gotten that off of my chest :)
Click to expand...
Well, there's one VERY good reason that you couldn't get the figures to line up: The Richter scale isn't used anymore. Not sure what they use, but you'll notice that they'll report it as "a magnitude 5.7 earthquake". It's a much more complex system, based off of total energy release, which is determined by length of the fault rupture, amplitude of the seismic waves, etc.

Geology class was fun. :P
 
MaverickSawyer said:
Well, there's one VERY good reason that you couldn't get the figures to line up: The Richter scale isn't used anymore. Not sure what they use, but you'll notice that they'll report it as "a magnitude 5.7 earthquake". It's a much more complex system, based off of total energy release, which is determined by length of the fault rupture, amplitude of the seismic waves, etc.

Geology class was fun. :P
Click to expand...

So base 31, right? I'm surprised that the system would be abandoned though, does that mean that all of the old figures were converted forward to base 31? Not doing so would create a situation with multiple unit scales being used for the same thing, usually a recipe for disaster... :facepalm:
 
MaverickSawyer said:
no idea.
Click to expand...

The old Richter scale was simply unable to handle all types of earthquake. The newer Moment Magnitude Scale can also handle weak, distant or can describe the rigidity of the underground well enough to make Earthquakes comparable.
 
:blink:

nAl9fx6.gif
 
Artlav said:
So, Star Trek: TAS is worth a watch?
I only seen an episode with time travelling Spock making Bones complain about blue-skin alien physiology for a change.
Click to expand...

There are some pretty funny/campy episodes such as Piece of the Action and Trouble with Tribbles. And some that are pretty serious such as Plato's Stepchildren, Let That be your Last Battlefield, and maybe City on the Edge of Forever.

Star Trek TOS had some pretty landmark moments that had never been done before (such as Kirk kissing Uhura) that were more social commentary that anything else at the time. A few episodes with very little touchup would still be relevant, or maybe could be refilmed shot-for-shot and make excellent television even today. I think "The Ultimate Computer" might be particularly interesting, given our use of drones, and a potential future of them operating autonomously.

I've seen them all, but if I dug around I could probably come up with a really good top 10 list of the best, but my list wouldn't look the same as someone else's.

If you can overlook the jellybean buttons on the consoles and concentrate on the stories, they're definitely worth checking out. If nothing else, to see what all the fuss is/was about.
 
So, Star Trek: TAS is worth a watch?
Click to expand...

It depends on what you like... If you like campy 60ies to 70ies SF with all its trappings, handwavium (though notably no technobabble, that was introduced in TNG) and optimistic humanist ideals that seem a bit displaced in the current general disillusionment, it's certainly worth it. If you're into TV history, also. If you're just looking for good television, you might get a bit disapointed most of the time, which is mostly due to conventions just being very much different back then (for example, there isn't such a strong focus on character arcs or consistency as there is today, and of course the action is taking place at a snails pace compared to what we're used to today).


And now for something completely different:

Troleybuses and Trams in Sarajevo got their power cut yesterday. Beause they didn't pay their elictricity bills, of course. It gets even more ridiculous when considering that both public transport and electricity company in Sarajevo are state firms and not privately owned.

Also, the public transport company sacked a few drivers lately, because they sold inofficial tickets, putting the fair into their own pocket. It took a while for the scam to come to light, since the fake tickets were rather difficult to tell appart from the real ones. Indeed, they were exactly the same, since they were printed in the same printshop... they just weren't registered. The best thing about the whole story, the print shop is owned by the public transport company... :facepalm:

Oh yeah, and my Goat Farm got an offer for agricultural support money from the funds allocated for that purpose by the state. If we hand a fifth of it back to the guy handing them out, of course.

Bosnia sets new standards for absurdity when it comes to corruption. At times it reaches so high levels I'm afraid it might bend space time and open a dimensional portal to some absurdly corrupt parallel universe, from where monsters emerge and eat the whole country. Maybe it would be for the best.
 
Last edited:
Wow. And I thought that the impending government shutdown and BART strike were a bad combo!
 
. . . this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCLSmv-rTmQ"]North American T-6 Texan (aka Harvard) - YouTube[/ame]
 
Very nice demo of the "Pilot-maker". I saw the GEICO Skytypers a couple of years ago with their 6 SNJ-2's. Not as fast or sexy as a P-51, but still can put out a lot of noise and smoke (and honestly, ain't that why we go to airshows?).
 
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