So the world has concern over nuclear tests: especially conducted in North Korea or in Iran. When it happens, presidents and prime ministers condemn them with harse words (which the nuclear testers couldn't care less about) and then the world focus on other news as if nothing ever happened the next day.
Perhaps sanctions will be placed, sure, but I am also sure the nuclear testers are well aware of the consequences. No sanctions ever seem to make any nuclear testers give in. Just what *can* be done with them? shoot nuclear weapons at them? that's exactly what we want to avoid. Ok, I guess we will have to do that when it decides to strike their neighbors.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Fraction and beyond
Today I saw an Nestle ad today targeting against Starbucks's instant coffee. The headline says something like "more taste for a fraction of the price of Starbucks".
Hmm, this is an negative ad, why you must say you are better than others? Ok, I have not tasted either products. Instant coffee just can't be better than real thing.
The word "fraction" is here is notable... so "at a fraction" usually mean "smaller". Well there is no indication of how much here. Is the fraction 99/100?
What if it is an improper fraction? Ok, improper fractions probably freak out some 5th graders. I wish all 5th graders can
tell me why they must use common denominators when adding and subtracting but not multiplying or dividing. Kids should be able to tell me why "cross-multiply" works.
Fraction is the elementary school student's term. High school students and beyond call them rational numbers.
Hmm, fractions seem to be able to represent any number. We can be as precise as we can be by tweaking the numerator and denominator.
But no! a little right triangle's hypotenuse simply can't be represented by a fraction! They... they are... irrational.
That freaks out of Pythagoras. OMG, the guy who discovered irrational numbers was killed because of that!
Even the roots are not enough to represent the circumference of a circle! Even more mysterious... they are transcendental. Ok, I know but I can't prove π and e are transcendental. Yes, you can find proofs on the web, if you can understand it that says a lot about your math ability: I am a small fraction of your ability.
Further study requires even more: the complex numbers originating from the square root of -1.
Most students stop here. (but not those who make a living as mathematicians)
Hmm, this is an negative ad, why you must say you are better than others? Ok, I have not tasted either products. Instant coffee just can't be better than real thing.
The word "fraction" is here is notable... so "at a fraction" usually mean "smaller". Well there is no indication of how much here. Is the fraction 99/100?
What if it is an improper fraction? Ok, improper fractions probably freak out some 5th graders. I wish all 5th graders can
tell me why they must use common denominators when adding and subtracting but not multiplying or dividing. Kids should be able to tell me why "cross-multiply" works.
Fraction is the elementary school student's term. High school students and beyond call them rational numbers.
Hmm, fractions seem to be able to represent any number. We can be as precise as we can be by tweaking the numerator and denominator.
But no! a little right triangle's hypotenuse simply can't be represented by a fraction! They... they are... irrational.
That freaks out of Pythagoras. OMG, the guy who discovered irrational numbers was killed because of that!
Even the roots are not enough to represent the circumference of a circle! Even more mysterious... they are transcendental. Ok, I know but I can't prove π and e are transcendental. Yes, you can find proofs on the web, if you can understand it that says a lot about your math ability: I am a small fraction of your ability.
Further study requires even more: the complex numbers originating from the square root of -1.
Most students stop here. (but not those who make a living as mathematicians)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Need another Impeachment?
News says Todd in Tax Trouble*.
Is this guy responsible for all that high taxes around here? and this guy evaded tax himself? This is outrageous. Ok, even if he pays up it is still not enough. The people deserves honest individuals to well spend our hard earned dollars paid in tax.
*Why not use his last name in headline instead? To play will alliteration, I think.
Is this guy responsible for all that high taxes around here? and this guy evaded tax himself? This is outrageous. Ok, even if he pays up it is still not enough. The people deserves honest individuals to well spend our hard earned dollars paid in tax.
*Why not use his last name in headline instead? To play will alliteration, I think.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Greatest Cantopop singers
Greatest singers: 左麟右李
Found a link to samples of their great concert.
I should buy their CDs! Unfortunately I don't have CD player in my (old) car. Listening to these two great singers will make any long trip short and enjoyable.
Modern HongKong kid singers don't even come close to their ability.
Found a link to samples of their great concert.
I should buy their CDs! Unfortunately I don't have CD player in my (old) car. Listening to these two great singers will make any long trip short and enjoyable.
Modern HongKong kid singers don't even come close to their ability.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Pyramid Tea Bag
In the pack of 100 Lipton (regular) Tea Bags I get a free gift of 1 Green Tea Bag. Ooh the shape is different! It is not shaped like regular tea bags...
It... it is a pyramid! It tastes good, although I like red tea with cream more than green tea.
Ok, so pyramid bag is new trend to tea bags to get more flavor. Innovation can still occur for established products.
This type of pyramid has a triangle bottom. Who can tell me the exact name for this shape?
Yes, it is the tetrahedron!
High school geometry students should know this. Ok, wiki provide a ton of formulas for it. I admit I have never seen most of these listed there.
Tetrahedrons don't come up that often in a typical math education, and the formulas probably shouldn't be too hard to derive.
The tetrahedron is part of a family known as the Platonic Solids.
People are stunned by the beauty of these shapes since the beginning of mathematics (I am not exaggerating)
Kepler even associated that with the known planets. He was wrong with this. But his laws are foundation of the world we live in! (This amazing set of 3 laws are often eclipsed by the Newton's laws of motion)
It... it is a pyramid! It tastes good, although I like red tea with cream more than green tea.
Ok, so pyramid bag is new trend to tea bags to get more flavor. Innovation can still occur for established products.
This type of pyramid has a triangle bottom. Who can tell me the exact name for this shape?
Yes, it is the tetrahedron!
High school geometry students should know this. Ok, wiki provide a ton of formulas for it. I admit I have never seen most of these listed there.
Tetrahedrons don't come up that often in a typical math education, and the formulas probably shouldn't be too hard to derive.
The tetrahedron is part of a family known as the Platonic Solids.
People are stunned by the beauty of these shapes since the beginning of mathematics (I am not exaggerating)
The aesthetic beauty and symmetry of the Platonic solids have made them a favorite subject of geometers for thousands of years.
Kepler even associated that with the known planets. He was wrong with this. But his laws are foundation of the world we live in! (This amazing set of 3 laws are often eclipsed by the Newton's laws of motion)
Watch and Phone
Since I got a phone with time telling ability, I almost never wear a watch... It is HARD to find a watch that I like.
99% watches have metal wrist bands, and I have to pay extra to cut it to fit me. It is hard to find a leather wristband watches that look cool.
My phone tends to SLOW down a minute or so every few days. I expect modern electronics can do better that.
Ancient watches (such as the one my grandpa has) have no battery... they run by WINDING... It uses potential energy in the coils.
Your watches and clocks probably says "quartz" on it...
I think this is fairly amazing discovery. Batteries itself is quite an revolutionary invention.
My FAVORITE watch was a shake-and-charge watch. It charges by motion. No batteries! That's environmental friendly... but gosh it broke.
Very ancient people don't have good time telling devices. Yes there was sundial (but what do you use at night?)
Of course, there is the hourglass (but isn't it tiresome to flip it?) Most ancient people use dripping water devices to measure time.
99% watches have metal wrist bands, and I have to pay extra to cut it to fit me. It is hard to find a leather wristband watches that look cool.
My phone tends to SLOW down a minute or so every few days. I expect modern electronics can do better that.
Ancient watches (such as the one my grandpa has) have no battery... they run by WINDING... It uses potential energy in the coils.
Your watches and clocks probably says "quartz" on it...
I think this is fairly amazing discovery. Batteries itself is quite an revolutionary invention.
My FAVORITE watch was a shake-and-charge watch. It charges by motion. No batteries! That's environmental friendly... but gosh it broke.
Very ancient people don't have good time telling devices. Yes there was sundial (but what do you use at night?)
Of course, there is the hourglass (but isn't it tiresome to flip it?) Most ancient people use dripping water devices to measure time.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"Normalcy"
This headline is good news:
Fears of flu rebound as Mexico seeks 'normalcy'.
Although H1N1 is widespread... and everyone is sad for the unfortunate kid who died, H1N1 seems not as deadly as previous pandemics.
So people began to relax a bit as we return to "normalcy". But everyone should continue to wash hands and keep things clean. Avoid the animals if you can.
The term "normalcy" may not be a formal English word, but it has some background in US History. It was the slogan of Warren Harding, the 29th US president.
See here for details. Candidates sometimes invent words to reach out to their audience.
Survey 100 college students. I am not sure if you can find many who can identify Harding as a former president.
For many students, history are learned and forgotten as life return to their normalcy after their education.
However, learning history doesn't mean we need to become a database ready to retrieve odd historical fact and figures.
So Harding was in 1920s students ought to at least know what "abnormalcy" the country was in.
Yes, it was the Great War (World War I).
Unfortunately, the world didn't not have a long period of peace before another great war emerge.
Fears of flu rebound as Mexico seeks 'normalcy'.
Although H1N1 is widespread... and everyone is sad for the unfortunate kid who died, H1N1 seems not as deadly as previous pandemics.
So people began to relax a bit as we return to "normalcy". But everyone should continue to wash hands and keep things clean. Avoid the animals if you can.
The term "normalcy" may not be a formal English word, but it has some background in US History. It was the slogan of Warren Harding, the 29th US president.
See here for details. Candidates sometimes invent words to reach out to their audience.
Survey 100 college students. I am not sure if you can find many who can identify Harding as a former president.
For many students, history are learned and forgotten as life return to their normalcy after their education.
However, learning history doesn't mean we need to become a database ready to retrieve odd historical fact and figures.
So Harding was in 1920s students ought to at least know what "abnormalcy" the country was in.
Yes, it was the Great War (World War I).
Unfortunately, the world didn't not have a long period of peace before another great war emerge.
Friday, May 1, 2009
H1N1 in HK
So the Swine Flu needs to be more accurately named H1N1, and there is now a confirmed case in Hongkong. See this News item.
This H1N1 seems to be spreading in more countries than SARS in 2003. But during SARS it seems like we are totally clueless to such flu... This time factories crank out more Tamiflu. But is Tamiflu the magic solution?
This time it seems like people are more experienced dealing with pandemics and smartly closed schools to clean up as pre-caution... One kid (or grown-up) lost is one lost too many. H1N1 also seems to be not quite as deadly as SARS, I hope it stays that way.
I really hope this will be over soon.
What is least talk about is: what is the origin of this? I heard stories about a really bad sanitial condition at a pig farm in Mexico causing it. Yikes, come on people, clean up!
This H1N1 seems to be spreading in more countries than SARS in 2003. But during SARS it seems like we are totally clueless to such flu... This time factories crank out more Tamiflu. But is Tamiflu the magic solution?
This time it seems like people are more experienced dealing with pandemics and smartly closed schools to clean up as pre-caution... One kid (or grown-up) lost is one lost too many. H1N1 also seems to be not quite as deadly as SARS, I hope it stays that way.
I really hope this will be over soon.
What is least talk about is: what is the origin of this? I heard stories about a really bad sanitial condition at a pig farm in Mexico causing it. Yikes, come on people, clean up!
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