Random Thoughts

[webny99]

I think Chris is the only one who figured it out.

Allow me to explain:

5! = 120

Well, this is embarrassing because I had no idea an exclamation mark had a meaning in mathematics, or if I ever learned it, I'd completely forgotten. 

[CtrlAltDel]

I think Chris is the only one who figured it out.

Allow me to explain:

5! = 120

Well, this is embarrassing because I had no idea an exclamation mark had a meaning in mathematics, or if I ever learned it, I'd completely forgotten. 

Yeah, it means to multiply it by all the smaller positive whole numbers. So,
5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120.

[Rothman]

Can't believe Facebook math memes have infected the forum.

[kphoger]

Can't believe Facebook math memes have infected the forum.

Better?

[CtrlAltDel]

If we're doing math jokes, how about these Pythagorean triples:

advanced: 1, i, 0

I wonder if you could make that work geometrically by considering the i side to be rotated 90 degrees so that it lines up with the 1 side.

Not a joke, but a fun fact: If a + bi is a Gaussian integer with a and b not equal to each other or to 0, then the absolute values of the real and imaginary parts of (a + bi)² form the shorter two sides of a Pythagorean triple. For example, (4 + 5i)² = − 9 + 40i, and 9² + 40² = 1,681 = 41².

[vdeane]

I think Chris is the only one who figured it out.

Allow me to explain:

5! = 120

Well, this is embarrassing because I had no idea an exclamation mark had a meaning in mathematics, or if I ever learned it, I'd completely forgotten. 

I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it even though I do recall factorials.  The lack of punctuation on "it's 120" should have been a clue.

[webny99]

I think Chris is the only one who figured it out.

Allow me to explain:

5! = 120

Well, this is embarrassing because I had no idea an exclamation mark had a meaning in mathematics, or if I ever learned it, I'd completely forgotten. 

I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it even though I do recall factorials.  The lack of punctuation on "it's 120" should have been a clue.

Do you remember approximately what grade you learned about factorials? I'm thinking it must have been sometime in grades 3-6 and either it was a lesson we missed or it was covered so briefly that it never settled in my brain.

[kkt]

We covered factorials in 7th or 8th, and then again in 9th and 11th.  Many applications in counting combinations of things and probability.

[Big John]

Fractions are taught from grades 3-6.  Factorials are more introduced in high school.

[kphoger]

I just showed my 15-year-old son and my wife, separately, and neither one of them had even heard of factorials.  So obviously they didn't get the meme.

[dlsterner]

Once you take courses in statistics and probability (likely college level), you will become very acquainted with factorials.  Such as computing how many possible 5-card poker hands can be drawn from a standard deck of cards.

For those who care:     52! / (52-5)!   (about 312 million)     (hopefully I remembered that right - it was a long time ago!)

My first exposure to factorials was probably high school.

[mgk920]

Fractions are taught from grades 3-6.  Factorials are more introduced in high school.

European school kids (as well as those in many other parts of the world) are not subjected to fractions until at least high school algebra classes (that's one of the many beauties of the SI/Metric measuring system).  The USA also eliminated one of the few other remaining other reasons to teach fractions in grade school when the NYSE went to dollars and cents per share market pricing in the (late 1980s?).

Mike

[D-Dey65]

I know of an old traffic signal box on North Main Street/Howell Avenue (Hernando CR 445) in Brooksville, Florida that has been a frequent target of neo-Nazi graffiti for a good 25+ years. I'll bet those fucking assholes are going to try it again in reaction to the current war between Israel and Hamas.

[ZLoth]

The USA also eliminated one of the few other remaining other reasons to teach fractions in grade school when the NYSE went to dollars and cents per share market pricing in the (late 1980s?).

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/why-nyse-switch-fractions-to-decimals/

[1995hoo]

I remember my second-grade teacher being absolutely adamant that fractions were to be written vertically at all times and that it was unacceptable to write them in a diagonal format under any circumstances (notwithstanding that typewriters had diagonal fractions). I wonder how she'd react to today's widespread custom of typing them horizontally using a slash.

I do understand why, from an educational standpoint, vertical fractions probably make it easier for students to visualize equations properly.

[J N Winkler]

I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it even though I do recall factorials.  The lack of punctuation on "it's 120" should have been a clue.

That doesn't help as much as it might seem on first glance, because there are contexts such as titles, short items on bullet-point lists, etc. where the period is omitted as sentence-final punctuation but question and exclamation marks are still used.

This meme is just full of misdirection, starting with unblocked fist associated with one expression and blocked fist with the other even though the two are mathematically equal.  IMV, it's a totally reasonable response to feel that it doesn't play fair.

[kphoger]

I remember my second-grade teacher being absolutely adamant that fractions were to be written vertically at all times and that it was unacceptable to write them in a diagonal format under any circumstances (notwithstanding that typewriters had diagonal fractions). I wonder how she'd react to today's widespread custom of typing them horizontally using a slash.

I'd be more interested to know her reaction to the UK's treatment of fractions on highway signs:

[kirbykart]

This morning I gagged on my own snot so badly it made me puke.

[kphoger]

'Fun Size' candy bars just aren't as fun as the regular ones.

[Big John]

'Fun Size' candy bars just aren't as fun as the regular ones.

They're funning with you.

[D-Dey65]

I've been in Florida for over 24 years, and for some reason I only realized in recent months how seldom I hear the music of Zebra on any local album-oriented rock radio stations.

I tried to think of other similar bands I don't hear about that often in Florida as opposed to Long Island and other segments of the New York Tri-State Area, but I still don't remember any.

In the alternative scene, one band I don't hear too much of in the south is Lush. In fact, I swear the only time anyone else in the Tampa Bay Metro Area hears this band is when I play their tunes on my PC, my car stereo, or some personal music device.

Zebra had a few classic hair-metal near-prog hits, especially "Who's Behind the Door".

But Lush... I had 2 of their CDs/EPs back in the day. Shoegaze in its prime.

Here's "Sweetness and Light":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YarHCFGFYg

And here's a video for "Out of Control" during their brief reunion several years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD4O20ePnXo

[bm7]

I've been in Florida for over 24 years, and for some reason I only realized in recent months how seldom I hear the music of Zebra on any local album-oriented rock radio stations.

You have not only multiple rock radio stations, but multiple album-oriented rock stations? Where I live you either get the classic rock station, or the station that plays half classic, half modern rock. Such variety!

[Hunty2022]

I have tons of AARoads tabs open on my iPhone, most of which have under construction posts...


List of threads that have possible future posts on my iPhone, if you're interested:

Clinching every county a long distance route is in, but not clinching the route
Fictional Municipality/County Changes
Lowest-numbered route you haven't been on
Place names that should be spelt differently according to pronounciation
Random Thoughts (not this post)
Ranking the counties in your state
US County Photo Challenge

[formulanone]

'Fun Size' candy bars just aren't as fun as the regular ones.

I guess they're fun if you like to destroy tiny packaging multiple times for same amount of food.

[kkt]

'Fun Size' candy bars just aren't as fun as the regular ones.

I guess they're fun if you like to destroy tiny packaging multiple times for same amount of food.

They're fun compared to dropping a $2 candy bar in the bag of every trick or treater you get on halloween.