OT: Math and Science
Dimensionality is usually thought of mathematically, extending the metaphor of the number line into areas or volumes or complexities above volume. The number line represents a number, say c, where using linear distance we can map by analogy for a graphic visualization of a number. Well, we who are used to Euclid internalize distance and associate an intrinsic quality of a number, or a measure of the magnitude of the line segment or vector, which indeed a property of each member of the set real numbers becomes, namely distance, when we assign distance as an intrinsic quality for the set of real numbers. Any object oriented programmer will be quite familiar with what I am talking about. It doesn't have to be that way, of course, as we see classes defined in object oriented programming as being able to be deprived of intrinsic qualities. That is, we can remove as an intrinsic property from the class of real numbers the item 'distance', or perhaps substitute or fortify with the additional property of 'arc length'. The question had been asked of the terminology for dimensions greater than 'cubed', as in c, c-squared, c-cubed, etcetera. Simply it would be c^4 becomes c-quadricubed, c^5 corresponds to penticubed, c^6 corresponds to hexicubed, septa, octal, nonal, deci. We can then say than c, past the three dimensions we use as a graphic analogy and have assigned as intrinsic properties to our classes of real numbers in real space, back and forth, would be over and above c-cubed as c-plexicubed. An alternate form then becomes c-plexicubed to the nth, or c-plexicubed[n]. This seems to be the simplest and easiest way to go about the terminology. hth Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: What is a homemaker worth?
Robert Seeberger wrote: (Overall, 13% of the nation's households include a stay-at-home spouse.) That's an amazing figure. I wonder what the figure was in 1953 or even 1963. I think www.census.gov might have the stabistics, if you're wondering. More than likely, the figure was double or triple or maybe even quadruple that 13% figure -- women just didn't get out and work that much forty or fifty years ago. My brother Paul was born in 1963, to a single income household! My dad was in graduate school at the time. Hey list, didja think you were all better off without me? I know I spread a blanket of pornographic thoughts around here, uh, c'est la vie. Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
How's my man Dave B?
Still alive, I presume. When's the new book to be released? Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
NBC and DB
Hi All! Has David Brin ever appeared on network teevee? From a fawning, adoring, communist fan of his, it's merely a gentle reminder that, yes indeedy appearing at Joanie's in Palo Alto for booksignings isn't quite enough to gently remind. Otherwise, with all congeniality, live long and prosper. Mark [jai crones!] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Maths, Very Interesting!
Subject: OT: Tiangco's lecture on statistics From: A HREF=mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] /A (Mark Constantino) Date: 2/23/03 10:09 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I offered once that a statistical sampling of votes over a normal distribution of voters could predict or accurately determine the winner in a democratic election. The polls you might see on a news network such as CNN with Robin Meade are always stated as to an accuracy of within +/- 3% or the like. What does this mean? It occurs to me that this is still mumbo jumbo to most of the average reading populace, so I'll try to get as in-depth as I can without confusing cuppa Joe student. First we should define several terms used in mathematics in the field of statistics. My engineering background requires that I take one or two classes in engineering statistics, which is a mathematician's way of trying to get as in-depth as the math department can without confusing cuppa Joe engineering student. That is, I learn the algorithm without really paying too much attention to the theory, but now that I need to explain why the above statement on CNN on behalf of Robin Meade, as she breathes out the words with as much confidence as I have popping my eyes out at the headlights on her classy well-maintained Jaguar, should be taken with 100% confidence in CNN's data analysis department. I quote from an excellent website from which I distil this lecture: A HREF=http://www.bized.ac.uk/timeweb/crunching/crunch_process_expl.htm; http://www.bized.ac.uk/timeweb/crunching/crunch_process_expl.htm/A Central tendency: any measure of the central tendency is an average. In practice, three different types of average exist: The 'mode' is the most frequently occurring value in a set of data. The 'median' is the middle value in a set of data, when the data is arranged in ascending order. The 'mean' is the measure of central tendency that takes into account all of the values in a set of data. There are different versions of the mean, but the most commonly used is the 'arithmetic' mean which is calculated by summing the values in a dataset and dividing the result by the number of values that the dataset contains. The arithmetic mean is the most frequently used measure of central tendency. It is the most easily understood 'average' and is relatively simple to calculate. It is a very useful statistic to compare countries, time periods and so on. It is perhaps at its weakest when there are within the dataset a few outliers at one end of the range of data. The effect of this will be to 'pull' the mean towards them, thus making the mean unrepresentative of the dataset as a whole. The formula used to calculate the mean is: X-bar = [sigma X(i)] / n where X-bar = the mean of the observations X(i) = the sum of the observations N = the number of observations sigma = the sum of The mean average is often used to help interpret data if it is grouped. This use of the so-called 'weighted average' is illustrated elsewhere. The formula for calculating an index is: Index = value / base value x 100 Notice that all indices are constructed using a base year. This is the starting point for any index, because it provides the foundation for comparing what is happening now, with what happened in the base year. This base will change from time to time and part of the task in the worksheet on indices will require you to carry out the re-basing of an index. The 'dispersion' of a set of values is also the spread of the data. One measure of dispersion is the 'range' - simply the difference between the highest and lowest values in the dataset - but this only takes account of the two extremes of the dataset. Sometimes the highest and lowest figures are stated, alternatively the difference between the two is quoted. Another measure of dispersion is the 'quartile range' which is half the range of the middle 50% of values. The quartile range is unaffected by extremes in values in the dataset and is useful when values are 'skewed'. However, as suggested above, the quartile range does not take account of all values in a dataset. The Mean Absolute Deviation: When looking at how items within a dataset differ from the mean of that dataset, some observations will be below and some above the arithmetic mean. These differences must sum to zero. The mean absolute deviation takes account of these difference by ignoring the sign. It measures the absolute deviation from the mean over all the observations. Finally, the Standard Deviation. This measure of dispersion avoids the disadvantages associated with the two earlier measures in that it takes account of all the values in the dataset. The negative and positive differences from the mean are taken account of by squaring the differences. The size of the standard deviation relative to the mean tells us how dispersed the items in the population are from the average for the sample. The variance measures the average
Thruster technology
Hi folks! Some science talk with a bit of fiction comes to mind. Today's shubble uses two auxiliary chemical fuel rockets in addition to the thrusters on the main bus to get orbital velocity. The same effect could be duplicated with less mass and volume if only we develop materials that can withstand superheat and superpressure. That is, using a nuclear reaction for heat only to make a very large delta tee, we can shoot out something as simple as superheated water vapor out (a) jet tube(s) on the main bus and thereby reach orbital velocity. The problem is in materials science; though I suspect, as Minette suggested, some mineral crystals would work. Then, instead of a gradual descent trajectory designed to use the atmosphere as a braking medium, you could merely thrust to a near stop from orbit with a huge burn and thrust, drop into the atmosphere at a steep angle, and use air pressure to limit descending velocity. No need then for heat absorbent/dispersant tiles except for emergencies. Nearer to the ground, you release your parachutes and voila. On the ground and safe. VTOL. Cheap. Materials science. Cool stuff. Big stuff. Reachable stuff. Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Merry Christmas!
:-) Go figure! Unless I go out today to meet some family, I won't be seeing any of them this holiday. Me so sad. Perhaps next year I'll have some people to cuddle up with So, by Golly! Our individual piles of beans don't mean anything, do they? For what it's worth, Universal love and peace, Come yuletide season for y'all, Kick off your shoes and relax, all that matters is your family and YOURSELVES! Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
OT: tech question
Jai! I've been working with rather large files lately, and I've been sending them around be e-mail. Can anybody tell me or show me the way how to more conveniently handle these things? Any help would be appreciated. Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FW: Request to mailing list Brin-l rejected
Jeroen writes: you will have to remove Arnett from his position. Methinky-thinks thou doth protest too much, Jeroen. At least as a Cassius to Arnett's Caesar, plots upon plots circling in your mind, it shows on your face and prompts us to say, 'ware Arnett! For Cassius was a man who thought too much upon't; that being the rights of Caesar. Our 'Roon treads well niney-nigh on that path. Mark Tiddley [winks] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Animation
I'm looking to do some animated shorts for some of my character sketches, which y'all may or may not have read about rightchyere on this list and in other newsgroups. If any of y'all have some animation experience you might want to comment on this type of scene. I've created some morphs for the super-heroeene who is all woman, all beautiful, and all powerful. An Angel or Deva or Secret Agent Fatale', if you will. They're all young, all comic-bookish in that the femme side of themselves have been exaggerated, just as in the latest depictions of thigh-booted women with perky nubiles you get to see in the$2.95 mags. Adolescent male fantasy, perhaps. But as in several lines of comic book stories, we see the characters age, some with grace some with out. Anyway, I've described the appearance of groups or teams of these figures as a sort of teleportation in, float or flash, pop/pfoof! type of thing with the appropriate sound effects of popcorn popping with a standard deviation of frequency for all of them at once over a short period of time [seconds]. They've all been young, twentyish, quick and sharp movements. Well, if the Angelics age, what would they sound like? How would they make their appearance, leave their signature, as opposed to the newest and youngest? Rolling booms? Windy blasts and a darkening of clouds? Who knows, I'm taking suggestions. The appearance of Darryl Hannah in _Blade Runner_, rolling and flipping down a dark corridor comes to mind; something akin to that, mebbe with wings, mebbe from above, sidereal, or appearing from below. Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
OT: Plan to freeze United Nations
A sci-fi scenario, obviously: My fellow countrymen, lend me your attentions -- A hollowing out of the actual power of the United Nations might actually be achieved by crowds of hecklers whizzing piano wire above their heads when UN delegates and workers walk into the building. As far as I know, since I removed Epifanio De Los Santos Ave type Manila People's Revolutions as a viable method of coup de state [exigency for a coup really should be just about nil], this is a somewhat hypocritical policy. However, where is the UN building located? As an expression of American will, a crowd of hecklers around the UN building, and impossible traffic conditions in the mile radius around the building violates no rule against peaceable assembly, in the United States [it is not an attempted coup against the lawful government of any government body pertaining to the United States]. The UN may only request that the City of New York break up the crowd, at the discretion of New York City authorities. In that case, the City of New York has leverage over the United Nations apparently; a condition as a citizen of a member nation I logically cannot possibly condone or accept. Move the goddamned building, CP [Captain Presidente] Mister Koffi Annan and delegates. A concerned citizen of America, Mark Constantino ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Vectors with scalar of zero
I dunno why I have to say this, but Alberto and his nek'd behind might complain: There are an infinite number of vectors with a scalar of zero on a two dimensional plane, though there are only two vectors with a scalar of zero on a one dimensional line. So, to make the vector-cardinality proof valid [soc.history.what-if, non-linear equations], I have to add that counting all vectors with scalars of zero as one vector with a start at the origin, the vector-cardinality proof that differentiable functions have cardinality less than or equal to the cardinality of the set of complex numbers. Wtf do I have to mention the details? Even these statements might have holes in them regarding my proof. Mark ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
