Chebucto Regional Softball Club

@jencmars

Probably a male because of the big eyes and lack of stinger/ovipositor I think...

There is so much wasp diversity I wonder what this one does, they almost always do something suprising!

@lienrag

Well in that sense you can't make a ruler for ANY number.

It's as good as any other mark you might make on the ruler done this way IMO.

@jwcph

But this is about a billion not a million or half a million or something.

Being a billionaire isn't "upward mobility" it's domination.

But I also think you are correctly describing how many people see this. They hear "you can't ever make it big" and that's not even what this about.

@lienrag

Make a square that is 1cm by 1cm then use a compass to mark the diagonal on the ruler at root 2cm

@catsalad @KydiaMusic

They are making the same face and I can't get it out of my head!

@oldcoder

This is exactly how I felt when I missed a lecture in complex and came in and saw this:

"aw hell no. they've got a circle on it now?!?"

It turned out to be fine. But yeah. Math is just always like this from the playground to the very end.

@Scmbradley @suetanvil

I think it's might be possible to accumulate millions in this way. But billions? To have that kind of wealth you need to use the power that wealth can produce to further enrich yourself. Not just selling a thing people like, or running a company that makes sense, no you need to manipulate the system to keep the money flowing back to you.

And people might start doing this to "preserve" their wealth... but at some point it's something else. It's absurd. Grotesque.

@KydiaMusic

Like this.

@mattmcirvin

I had to edit it ... it just posted before I was done typing!

@datarama

I think many people would agree that "It's impossible to earn a Billion honestly" but at the same time feel like it's "too much" to suggest that anything could be done about it.

A guy once said I wanted to do genocide because I said "Billionaires probably shouldn't exist. It's too much power for even the most honest compassionate person to manage properly." Like he thought I was just evil and murderous for saying that.

He wasn't even a millionaire and never will be one.

Which of the following do you think most people you know would consider "radical" (radical doesn't mean wrong, or a bad idea, just an idea that you'd feel shocked to hear voiced)

@phooky

I know right? Boldport was amazing. And you could tell it was a labor of love, their kits were so considerate and made to really help you to learn. And they were forgiving.

(I'd say "except for the cordwood puzzles" but I can even see how these were made with care now. )

@phooky

Topology needs time to seep into your soul. You can memorize the definitions and walk through the proofs but some of it just needs to ... sit with you for a time... or at least that's how it was for me.

I got an A in Topology in college but didn't understand it until three years later.

@electric_gumball

That's a good idea. I have them make right angles using "the Egyptian method" by tying knots and this would be a nice way to store that device after you make it.

The whole idea of the lesson, which I'm very passionate about is making irrational numbers like root two and root three seem... real. Both as "real numbers" but also as ... real numbers, physical distances that make as much sense as 4 cm or 1/3 of an inch.

@BlotchedEmerald

Can you use a compass to make a square?

In fact I will take these to school and make it THEIR problem. I have a whole box of materials and notes for possible future lessons, and if I put them all in one place I'll be more likely to get them written up and ready to go so other teachers might use them.

I've told the other math teachers about how we should do this and they sort of nod along but I suspect they have no idea what I'm talking about.

But if I show them a ruler with root two on it it'll be clear enough I think.

THIS is why cleaning is so difficult. I bought these blank ruler-sized pieces of wood six years ago. I have an idea for a lesson where students use a compass to create a ruler, including irrational numbers, such as square root of two I should write the lesson up and make the sample ruler **or** throw these away. I will write myself a note about this and put them in the “soon trash” box. I need to be ruthless!

@Wyatt_H_Knott @VirginiaHolloway

yeah I know but it's not always "just like a battery"

I understand smoothing capacitors. But when they are used for timing? I'm a bit mystified by that. I get it takes time to charge and discharge but ... why does it discharge? why do they sometimes discharge before fully charged?

Why are some polar and some non-polar? How is that even possible?

@VirginiaHolloway

I think that can happen for you. And someday I'll really understand capacitors and be able to predict what they do in a circuit rather than guessing and just building it to see what happens.