Breaking news! Astrologists recovered Pluto's diary, (buried inside the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where NASA recently landed a probe called Philea). Pluto apparently tossed his diary at the comet as it streaked past about 8 years ago. Here are some excerpts from his diary:
Beginnings:
A small book landed on me from a nearby asteroid whizzing by. I think I shall record my life out here! It's dark, very dark, but I do not need much light. Besides, the Sun is so big, and intimidating. Maybe one day I will introduce myself, but for now I am content.
1st century:
Life has been going along quite well, although I do not get invited to many parties. Other planets are so much bigger than I am, I do not seem to fit in. However, I have found plenty of asteroids who seem to enjoy my company. Some even land on me and do some ice skating. It is quite fun.
2nd century:
There is a big commotion near the sun. Some very small humanoids on Earth are starting to notice us! They have even given some of us names. The Sun, Earth, and Moon were the first to receive attention. They are eating all the cake too, by the way.
2nd century - note:
The Sun has been promoted! It has now reached Star class. And that's not all. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have all gained Planet status, and the moon has gained Moon (orbiting around a Planet) status. Alas, some of us out here are still yet to be promoted. :( We threw a small party out here, myself, Uranus, and Neptune, along with our moons. We were all sort of blue.
1781
Uranus has finally been promoted! While I am happy for it, I am still sad that Neptune and myself have not been awarded this honor. We have grown quite close however, and she and I have played scrabble and minefield (using the asteroids) every time we pass each others way. Uranus is now officially invited to all the Planet parties, and no longer hangs out with us.
1801
Poor Neptune! Ceres was just promoted as a planet, and she is so torn up over it. I took her out dancing, and we danced the night away to forget our troubles. I told her she was such a beautiful planet, that she would be noticed and become a Planet very soon.
1846
She is now a Planet! Neptune has been classified as the 13th Planet of the solar system. She is so happy she is glowing. And though she has been invited to the Planet parties, she still plays scrabble with me on occasion.
1851
Neptune is now the 8th Planet. It seems you have to fulfill a certain size requirement to be a Planet, and Ceres is now re-classified as an Asteroid. I feel sorry for Ceres, but happy for Neptune
1890
*Sigh* Only Neptune still hangs out with me. All the other Planets, even Ceres, are going to these Planet parties, and having fun and playing games. I'm all alone out here in the furthest orbit. It's so very lonely.
1920
Will I ever be noticed?
1930
They saw me! I'm a Planet now! Yayyyyyyy!!!! I'm so happy!! They have named me Pluto, a suggestion by a young 11 year old Earthlander who lived in Oxford, England at the time. I love my new name!
1950
These parties are fun! And they have cake! Oh, I love cake!
2006
Wha? *sniff* *sob* I don't understand... Why would they demote me? I haven't done anything wrong... I've been a good Planet, I really have. Maybe they will still hang out with me. And I wanted to ask Neptune out on a formal date. What will she think?
.........
And that's all there is. Pluto must have thrown his diary at one of the passing asteroids and NASA picked it up 8 years later.
Sheepdog: poor Pluto! well, I still think he's a planet! :D
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
How to explain computers to your average 1775 farmer
The year is 1775. Things on US Soil were going crazy, what with redcoats and indians all around. Thomas Paine published common sense. But your daily history lesson aside, suppose you brought a computer, or (heaven forbid) a cell phone to this era. First you wouldn't have power, and second, no internet (gasp), but most importantly, people would probably think your a witch or sorcerer. How do you explain in their terms what a computer is and what it does?
I've taken a stab at this, for purely non-nonsensical reasons (I actually plan to time travel there and make my first million, but shhhh).
Okay, the inside of a computer is full of strange words like processor, memory, graphics card, or hard drive. What does it all mean, and why is it important?
Imagine you are a rural farmer on the outskirts of town. You need supplies, as well as templates and public records to manage your crops. There is a main road from your house into town. Each Sunday, you send an order for plant seed, apples for your horses, oranges for your goats, and carrots for your rabbits. This order is sent via courier, a small man on a small horse. He travels into town, and returns with the apples. Then he travels into town again, and returns with the oranges. You ask him why this is taking so long. He replies, "I only have one horse, and can only carry such a large load at a time." This makes sense to you, but you can't wait 3 days for your supplies. So you hire two more couriers, each on top of two more horses. Now, it only takes you two days, one day for the apples, oranges and carrots, and a second day for the plant seed.
The next week, you decide you want it all on one day. You hire a fourth courier and horse. But the path is too narrow for all 4 horses to safely travel on the same day. Frustrated, you build a 2 lane road from your farm into town. Now, all 4 horses can travel on the same day. :) Hooray!
A year passes. Your farming business has grown. You are now again waiting 3 days for delivery because you need 6 horses worth of carrots, 3 horses worth of oranges, and 2 horses worth of apples, and 1 horse of plant seed. You pay to widen the road some more, and hire another 6 couriers and horses to transport the food.
This scenario represents what is happening with your computer. Processing speed is like the number of horses and couriers sent to retrieve and deliver packets. The road represents the amount of memory (RAM), or how many horses you can have on the road at once. If you have two many deliveries (or programs) running at once, the road will get too full.
An average iphone for example, may have:
512 mb of ram (imagine a road full of 512 horses),
1000 mh processor (imagine 1000 horses, where 512 are on the road at once, and the other 500 are being loaded up and getting ready for the trip, there would always be horses on the road!)
Starting to make sense?
Okay, now what about the graphics card, or hard drive?
Well, think of the hard drive like the size of warehouse in town used to store the fruit, carrots and plant seed for the farmer. The graphics card is like a smaller road headed to the local library where the farmer may be ordering books. The graphics card is still used to carry packets, but only video packets (or way back in the day, books). Most iphones or computers only need a few horses and a small road because they are not trying to run multiple videos or photo's at one time. However, a scholar (who loves books) or a graphic design artist may need a large road and lots of horses!
Back to our iphone example:
256mb graphics card: (256 horses, just used to transfer books from the library)
8000mb hard drive (warehouse that can hold 8000 crates of fruit, veggies, and plant seed).
Hope this helps anyone looking to travel back in time to 1775!
An extra note for fun:
What about dual core, and quad core?
A lot of computers and phones are dual core, or quad core nowadays. This only refers to the processor (number of horses). A dual core phone means you have twice the number of horses. A quad core means you have 4 times the number of horses.
iphone 4s:
1000mh dual core = (2000 horses)
iphone 6:
1200mh quad core = (4800 horses)
Get it? Good!
Enjoy!
Woof!
I've taken a stab at this, for purely non-nonsensical reasons (I actually plan to time travel there and make my first million, but shhhh).
Okay, the inside of a computer is full of strange words like processor, memory, graphics card, or hard drive. What does it all mean, and why is it important?
Imagine you are a rural farmer on the outskirts of town. You need supplies, as well as templates and public records to manage your crops. There is a main road from your house into town. Each Sunday, you send an order for plant seed, apples for your horses, oranges for your goats, and carrots for your rabbits. This order is sent via courier, a small man on a small horse. He travels into town, and returns with the apples. Then he travels into town again, and returns with the oranges. You ask him why this is taking so long. He replies, "I only have one horse, and can only carry such a large load at a time." This makes sense to you, but you can't wait 3 days for your supplies. So you hire two more couriers, each on top of two more horses. Now, it only takes you two days, one day for the apples, oranges and carrots, and a second day for the plant seed.
The next week, you decide you want it all on one day. You hire a fourth courier and horse. But the path is too narrow for all 4 horses to safely travel on the same day. Frustrated, you build a 2 lane road from your farm into town. Now, all 4 horses can travel on the same day. :) Hooray!
A year passes. Your farming business has grown. You are now again waiting 3 days for delivery because you need 6 horses worth of carrots, 3 horses worth of oranges, and 2 horses worth of apples, and 1 horse of plant seed. You pay to widen the road some more, and hire another 6 couriers and horses to transport the food.
This scenario represents what is happening with your computer. Processing speed is like the number of horses and couriers sent to retrieve and deliver packets. The road represents the amount of memory (RAM), or how many horses you can have on the road at once. If you have two many deliveries (or programs) running at once, the road will get too full.
An average iphone for example, may have:
512 mb of ram (imagine a road full of 512 horses),
1000 mh processor (imagine 1000 horses, where 512 are on the road at once, and the other 500 are being loaded up and getting ready for the trip, there would always be horses on the road!)
Starting to make sense?
Okay, now what about the graphics card, or hard drive?
Well, think of the hard drive like the size of warehouse in town used to store the fruit, carrots and plant seed for the farmer. The graphics card is like a smaller road headed to the local library where the farmer may be ordering books. The graphics card is still used to carry packets, but only video packets (or way back in the day, books). Most iphones or computers only need a few horses and a small road because they are not trying to run multiple videos or photo's at one time. However, a scholar (who loves books) or a graphic design artist may need a large road and lots of horses!
Back to our iphone example:
256mb graphics card: (256 horses, just used to transfer books from the library)
8000mb hard drive (warehouse that can hold 8000 crates of fruit, veggies, and plant seed).
Hope this helps anyone looking to travel back in time to 1775!
An extra note for fun:
What about dual core, and quad core?
A lot of computers and phones are dual core, or quad core nowadays. This only refers to the processor (number of horses). A dual core phone means you have twice the number of horses. A quad core means you have 4 times the number of horses.
iphone 4s:
1000mh dual core = (2000 horses)
iphone 6:
1200mh quad core = (4800 horses)
Get it? Good!
Enjoy!
Woof!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
4 Dimensional spacetime
So... the title isn't quite accurate. I had meant to post a lengthy discussion on the definition of 4 dimensional objects both in 3 dimensional space, and in mathematical theory (which are totally different by the way, as much of the time math and particle physics doesn't always see eye to eye) but instead, I leave you all with a verse:
Jeremiah 29:10-13 KJV
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and fine me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:10-13 NIV
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
This verse is a great comfort in all times, good and bad, to remind us that God is always there, and that He has a plan for us, and has been planning it since the beginning. As we come up on Easter this year, it is a good reminder that when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He was thinking of us. He knew God had a plan for each and every one of us. Sometimes we tend to see things in the short term, and forget that God has everything mapped out for us, even if we don't always see it.
Happy Easter Everyone!
Jeremiah 29:10-13 KJV
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and fine me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:10-13 NIV
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
This verse is a great comfort in all times, good and bad, to remind us that God is always there, and that He has a plan for us, and has been planning it since the beginning. As we come up on Easter this year, it is a good reminder that when Jesus gave His life on the cross, He was thinking of us. He knew God had a plan for each and every one of us. Sometimes we tend to see things in the short term, and forget that God has everything mapped out for us, even if we don't always see it.
Happy Easter Everyone!
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