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"Real-world problems are simply degenerate cases of pure mathematical
problems."
[Just found in a signature on one of the Haskell mailing lists.]
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On Fri, 30 May 2008 12:03:49 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] dev null> wrote:
>"Real-world problems are simply degenerate cases of pure mathematical
>problems."
>
>[Just found in a signature on one of the Haskell mailing lists.]
Obviously not an engineer. :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen wrote:
> Obviously not an engineer. :)
Hmm... so is "software engineer" not an engineer then? ;-)
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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>> "Real-world problems are simply degenerate cases of pure mathematical
>> problems."
>
> Obviously not an engineer. :)
"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer, and that means I solve problems. Not
problems like 'what is beauty?' - because that would fall within the
preview of your connundrums of philosphy. I solve PRACTICAL problems.
For example: How am I gonna stop some big bean mutha hubba from tearing
me a new, structurally superflous behind? The answer: Use a gun. And if
they don't work: Use MORE gun. Like this little old tripod-mounted
number right here, designed... by ME... built... by ME... and you'd
better HOPE....... NOT POINTED AT YOU!"
[Not that I've watched the trailer obsessively and memorised every line
of it or ANYTHING like that, you understnad.]
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On Fri, 30 May 2008 13:09:21 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] dev null> wrote:
>Stephen wrote:
>
>> Obviously not an engineer. :)
>
>Hmm... so is "software engineer" not an engineer then? ;-)
Not if s/he thinks that s/he is a mathematician.
--
Regards
Stephen
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On Fri, 30 May 2008 14:24:02 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] dev null> wrote:
>
>[Not that I've watched the trailer obsessively and memorised every line
>of it or ANYTHING like that, you understnad.]
Of course not!
Would someone tell me what that rant is about?
On second thoughts, don't :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen wrote:
> Would someone tell me what that rant is about?
> On second thoughts, don't :)
As you may or may not know, Valve recently greated a computer game known
only as Team Fortress 2. In this game, you can play as one of 9
different characters - all with different weapons and abilities, and all
heavily characitured.
One such character is the Engineer. We wears a yellow construction
helmet and talks in a sterotypical Texus accent. Walks around carrying a
wrench and yelling that "I need some God-darn'd help here!" and "plant
yourself on the point, mister!"
His most notable ability is building sentry guns. These, as the name
suggests, shoot anybody on the enemy team who walks within range. Maps
are won or lost based on how many sentry gens a team has built, how
cleaverly placed they are, and how effectively their team of engineers
can keep them repaired.
Valve also released a series of videos entitled "Meet the team". One of
them was "Meet the Engineer". In this, we see the engineer sitting on a
rock beside his camp fire softly playing an accoustic guitar and
describing what he does for a living. At the end of the video, the
camera pulls out, and we discover that the camp fire has 4 sentry guns
round it, and while the Engineer calmly sits playing his guitar, an
entire army of enemy personnel are attempting to attack him, and being
mowed to the ground by the sentry guns.
"and you'd better HOPE....... NOT POINTED AT YOU!"
*insane battlefield shot with Engineer calmly sitting in the middle,
guarded by his sentries*
*TF2 themetune and credits*
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
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On Fri, 30 May 2008 15:02:41 +0100, Invisible <voi### [at] dev null> wrote:
>Stephen wrote:
>
>> Would someone tell me what that rant is about?
>> On second thoughts, don't :)
>
>As you may or may not know, Valve recently greated a computer game known
>only as Team Fortress 2. In this game, you can play as one of 9
>different characters - all with different weapons and abilities, and all
>heavily characitured.
[snip]
>*TF2 themetune and credits*
What part of "don't" do you not understand, Andrew? ;)
We've met, did I look like "an interested in games" type of person?
On second thoughts, don't answer that :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Invisible wrote:
> "Real-world problems are simply degenerate cases of pure mathematical
> problems."
I recently attended a talk given by Arthur Jaffe, a (co)founder of the
Clay institute and professor at Harvard (forgot if he's in the math or
physics dept). His work is mathematical physics.
I don't know his stance, but he knows many top physicists and perhaps
mathematicians as well who'd disagree. Essentially, the (very boring)
talk was about this very issue: Are mathematics and physics consistent
with each other?
A lot of the calculations in physics as currently performed are
actually mathematically invalid. He gave this startling example. You see
the g_s in the equation on this page?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_moment#Magnetic_moment_of_electrons
It has now been measured to around 12 significant figures - perhaps the
most precise measurement ever made. Those 12 figures agree with theory.
And that theory is simply mathematically invalid (at least with the
current state of mathematics).
You just have to "think" differently to do serious theoretical physics.
From what little I've studied, I seriously think mathematics is a bit
easier. At least in math, you're bound by certain rules - everything has
to be logical and provable. In physics, I see them do wild things (i.e.
mathematically questionable) fairly frequently and get good results. I
just can't think that "freely" and ignore the fact that my infinities
can be neglected, or something.
--
Why is the person who invests all your money called a broker?
/\ /\ /\ /
/ \/ \ u e e n / \/ a w a z
>>>>>>mue### [at] nawaz org<<<<<<
anl
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"Invisible" <voi### [at] dev null> wrote in message
news:483fee71@news.povray.org...
> Stephen wrote:
> > Obviously not an engineer. :)
> Hmm... so is "software engineer" not an engineer then? ;-)
True, programmers often pretend to be engineers, scientists and architects.
Thankfully, "software doctor" is not a term that has yet caught on..
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