flynn012

In our last titillating post, we briefly discussed the ways in which different runners pace themselves to arrive at the finish line of a 5 Kilometer race . We choose three mathematicians to compete, each one using his own approach to pacing the his way to the finish line. The award for the fastest and first to arrive at the finish (amid cheers, popping champagne corks, autograph requests and other of the accoutrements accompanying a heroic feat) was a free XXL Tee- Shirt (with the event sponsor's name, Tanks-A-Lot Cesspool Cleaning Service , " We Keep You Running ". Here we go.... ---------------  Since we are Braintenance , we will choose a five kilometer race, in which three mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance. The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes ) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?" ...

Image ( somewhat distracting and annoying ) via Wikipedia Progress, from the starting line to the finish line , can occur in many different ways. Some start the race slowly but speed up toward the end, using reserves of strength; some jog along at a steady, even pace; still others virtually go into orbit at the start and burn out quickly to a vomitous, spleen-gripping, huff-and-puff walk. Since we are Braintenance , we will choose a five kilometer race, in which three mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance. The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes ) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?" Of course, these Ts are only available in one size...XXL. Here's the lineup of our contestants : Racer 1 :  This fellow runs (on average) one kilometer every 18 minutes. Racer 2 :  This fellow starts the race at a rate of one ki...

Image (somewhat distracting and annoying) via Wikipedia Progress, from the starting line to the finish line , can occur in many different ways. Some start the race slowly but speed up toward the end, using reserves of strength; some jog along at a steady, even pace; still others virtually go into orbit at the start and burn out quickly to a vomitous, spleen-gripping, huff-and-puff walk. Since we are Braintenance, we will choose a five kilometer race, in which five mathematicians are competing. Each has a distinct running pattern, strategy or (ulp!) formula for spanning the distance. The question to answer regarding each runner is simply this: "How long will it take him (in minutes ) to reach the finish line to receive his souvenir Tee-shirt?" Here's the lineup of our contestants : Racer 1:  This fellow runs (on average) one kilometer every 18 minutes. Racer 2:  This fellow starts the race at a rate of one kilometer every 12 minutes, but his pace declines by 10% per kilom...

While you look at the above photo with doubt, aren't you just the slightest bit envious? We defragment our computers. We take our automobiles in for servicing after we've driven them for a while. We have blood drawn and go to doctors for all sorts of tests. Why is it that we each tend to put our own state of psychological and emotional health last on our list of life-maintenance priorities? We need to rest, re-set, re-calibrate and refresh our perspective from time to time... and we actually damage our incredibly complex and delicate inner workings by this 'customary' neglect. We burn out. We break down. We make bad decisions and say things that we regret. When we fail to maintain our brains, we do damage to ourselves, to those around us, and possibly (to those of you who are excited by theosophy , Rosicrucianism , collectivism, and the Celestine Prophesy sort of thing) even the Collective Consciousness . It would seem that we do a great deal of unintended harm by no...

Telekinesis  has long been the subject of scientific exploration, experimentation and some fiction, as well. Not as abstract and as difficult to quantify or evidence as  astral projection , ESP,  clairvoyance  and other fancy stuff,  telekinesis  is a phenomenon that could be  the subject of a controlled laboratory trial. The notion of moving objects with the power  of the mind (psycho bioenergetics) is physically measurable. A preferred term for this same phenomenon is psychokinesis. An interesting variation on this theme is mind-controlled or thought-manipulated robotics. There is a great deal of research into this area (like telekinesis, but perhaps with an intervening catalyst or machine) because of its unfathomably vast applicability. We might be getting closer than you'd imagined. If we are absolutely certain that no other forces are at play (such as gravity,  air currents , poltergeists, or an object that has the machinery or mechani...

Image via Wikipedia  - Rene Descartes : philosopher, mathematician, theoretical physicist, and a fellow with an unkempt but nonetheless fascinating hairstyle. Most individuals don't actually understand the distinction between teaching (a third-person exercise) and learning (a first-person exercise).  When a wise philosopher [ most philosophers are assumed to be wise -- this is principally out of respect, I believe, for any person with the wondrous ability to a ) survive without actually having to either earn a living by some sort of work, or b ) with the good fortune to be leisurely whittling away at a substantial familial inheritance while pontificating about whatever happens to be on his or her mind ] said to one of his disciples ( every successful philosopher worth his weight in either hemlock or horse manure must have disciples ): " I will teach you nothing. And you will learn much from me," he was not even stating a clever paradox. There actually is no puzzle o...