"The theory of computer science is maths, but the practice is a craft, like carpentry."
"World's cheapest computer gets millions tinkering", Judith Evans, PhysOrg
In other words, you can know all about designing a house, but you have to know a lot about carpentry, electrical work, and more to actually build a house.
The author loses a few maths points; she used "almost infinite". If you are almost to infinity, then that means infinity has an end. But infinity means without end.
The computer is called the Raspberry Pi, and the producers web site is http://www.raspberrypi.org/
A bonus quote from the Raspberry Pi website: "SD cards don't last forever! Always have at least one backup of any data important to you."
Showing posts with label infinity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infinity. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Two snowflakes alike is possible...
…but how probable is it that any one person will see two snowflakes alike.
A snowflake consists of a finite number of molecules in a finite number of fractal hexagons. A finite number times a finite number is still a finite number. Maybe somebody has worked out just how large this number is. Writing this at our cabin with a seemingly infinitely slow interconnection, I don't want to check it.
If we assume that there are a finite number of snowflakes, the next question is what is the probability that they will fall where one individual will see them together. Or have photographed a large number and found two alike.
My guess is that if a person sees a snowflake today in Minnesota, maybe somebody in the Andes saw an identical snowflake over a hundred years ago.
In advertising parlance, the possibilities are endless:)
A snowflake consists of a finite number of molecules in a finite number of fractal hexagons. A finite number times a finite number is still a finite number. Maybe somebody has worked out just how large this number is. Writing this at our cabin with a seemingly infinitely slow interconnection, I don't want to check it.
If we assume that there are a finite number of snowflakes, the next question is what is the probability that they will fall where one individual will see them together. Or have photographed a large number and found two alike.
My guess is that if a person sees a snowflake today in Minnesota, maybe somebody in the Andes saw an identical snowflake over a hundred years ago.
In advertising parlance, the possibilities are endless:)
Monday, February 02, 2009
Wouldn't you think the Washington Post would know infinitely better?
Especially the Science editor!
In an article about the Hubble Space Telescope, they write "but there are an almost infinite number of other possibilities." ("What Do You Want to See", 2009-02-02)
This is as bad as the advertiser who touts that a product has an endless number of uses.
Any scientist should know that you can never reach "almost infinity". Take any really, really large number, double it. You still are not close to infinity. Square it, you still are not close to infinity. Raise it to a power of itself. You still are not close to infinity.
Now bad or incorrect word usage, that is almost endless!
In an article about the Hubble Space Telescope, they write "but there are an almost infinite number of other possibilities." ("What Do You Want to See", 2009-02-02)
This is as bad as the advertiser who touts that a product has an endless number of uses.
Any scientist should know that you can never reach "almost infinity". Take any really, really large number, double it. You still are not close to infinity. Square it, you still are not close to infinity. Raise it to a power of itself. You still are not close to infinity.
Now bad or incorrect word usage, that is almost endless!
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