Personally, I hope so but not just now ;-)

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 6/30/2010 3:56 PM, Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Am+I+going+to+die%3F
>
> It used to give an error. Thanks to my feedback, it now works correctly.
> ;-)
>
Hoo boy... this could be a time waster:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+meaning+of+life%2C+the+universe+and+everything%3F

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=What+is+the+ultimate+question%3F

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+much+wood+could+a+woodchuck+chuck+if+a+woodchuck+could+chuck+wood%3F

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=why+am+I+here%3F

Geesh... this is just spooky.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Where+am+I%3F



-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

Mike Raiford <"m[raiford]!at"@gmail.com> wrote:
> Geesh... this is just spooky.

I especially like the last one. Here's another:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+beans+make+five

Post a reply to this message

"Bill Pragnell" <bil### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
> Mike Raiford <"m[raiford]!at"@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Geesh... this is just spooky.
>
> I especially like the last one. Here's another:
>
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+beans+make+five

OMG this is a fun game

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=do+you+feel+lucky+punk

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=are+you+talkin+to+me

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+matrix

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=who%27s+the+man

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what%27s+up

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+fingers+am+i+holding+up

Post a reply to this message

Mike Raiford wrote:
> Geesh... this is just spooky.
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Where+am+I%3F

What's more fascinating is the method they use to do this. In addition to 
all the things you'd think of, the company that publishes the database also 
has deals with Amazon, AOL, etc to get lists of IP vs sign-up geographic 
locations.  So when you sign up for a service (Amazon, facebook, etc) from a 
particular IP, that and the address goes to the company, who then do 
statistics to figure out if enough people with similar IP addresses are 
putting in similar physical addresses.

At least, that's one way MaxMind works, and that's pretty much what most 
people use.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
    C# - a language whose greatest drawback
    is that its best implementation comes
    from a company that doesn't hate Microsoft.

Post a reply to this message

> Hoo boy... this could be a time waster:

Wolfram Alpha: Wasting your time since 2009.(tm)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> Hoo boy... this could be a time waster:
> 
> Wolfram Alpha: Wasting your time since 2009.(tm)

That's OK. We can prove wasting time is Turing-equivalent to a CA.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
    C# - a language whose greatest drawback
    is that its best implementation comes
    from a company that doesn't hate Microsoft.

Post a reply to this message

>> Wolfram Alpha: Wasting your time since 2009.(tm)
> 
> That's OK. We can prove wasting time is Turing-equivalent to a CA.

Heh. I like the way you can fire up WA and just type stuff, and it's 
like Star Trek - the computer spits out all sorts of formulas, 
equations, graphs and so on. It's like SciFi.

The only problem is... when you actually want something specific, WA has 
literally no clue what you're talking about.

Actually, no - the *other* problem is that WA serves no real purpose, 
unless you happen to be a math geek. All the unit conversions and 
currency conversions and all that stuff that normal people might want, 
Google can already do. And it has done for years. WA doesn't really 
offer anything new that's of practical use.

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> It used to give an error. Thanks to my feedback, it now works correctly. 
> ;-)

Also, it used to claim that the population of Bletchley was 
(significantly) larger than the population of Milton Keynes - which is 
absurd, considering that the former is a *subset of* the latter.

This issue has also now been rectified. (Although it took several 
months... I'd forgotten that I even filed the ticket!)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+povray


http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&source=hp&q=what+is+povray&cts=1278020105641&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

...

Post a reply to this message

Thibaut Jonckheere wrote:
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+povray

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~teddo/orly.png

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
    C# - a language whose greatest drawback
    is that its best implementation comes
    from a company that doesn't hate Microsoft.

Post a reply to this message

Darren New a écrit :
> Thibaut Jonckheere wrote:
>> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+povray
> 
> http://www.public.iastate.edu/~teddo/orly.png
> 

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Orly+&a=*C.Orly-_*Miscellaneous-

:-P

Post a reply to this message

On Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:06:37 +0100, Orchid XP v8 wrote:

>> Hoo boy... this could be a time waster:
> 
> Wolfram Alpha: Wasting your time since 2009.(tm)

That almost rhymes.  Good enough for sloppy poetry, in any event. ;-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:02:26 +0200, Thibaut Jonckheere wrote:

> Darren New a écrit :
>> Thibaut Jonckheere wrote:
>>> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+povray
>> 
>> http://www.public.iastate.edu/~teddo/orly.png
>> 
>> 
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Orly+&a=*C.Orly-_*Miscellaneous-
> 
> :-P

I just have to say, this is one of the most bizzarre conversations I've 
ever seen - I'd have continued it with a URL, but I couldn't quickly find 
an question to which the answer expressed *this* quite this precisely.

Jim

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Am+I+going+to+die%3F
> 
> It used to give an error. Thanks to my feedback, it now works correctly.
> ;-)

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=the+game&a=-_*Miscellaneous-

Post a reply to this message

Am 01.07.2010 17:02, schrieb Bill Pragnell:

> OMG this is a fun game

Yeah. But it still doesn't provide a meaningful answer to the question 
that bothers us all:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=What+The+Fuck%3F

Post a reply to this message

> Yeah. But it still doesn't provide a meaningful answer to the question 
> that bothers us all:
> 
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=What+The+Fuck%3F

http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20080105



[You have no idea how long it took me to find that...]

Post a reply to this message

Jim Henderson wrote:

> I just have to say, this is one of the most bizzarre conversations I've 
> ever seen.

Tulips.

Post a reply to this message

clipka <ano### [at] anonymousorg> wrote:
> Am 01.07.2010 17:02, schrieb Bill Pragnell:
>
> > OMG this is a fun game
>
> Yeah. But it still doesn't provide a meaningful answer to the question
> that bothers us all:
>
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=What+The+Fuck%3F

:)

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+name

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+quest

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+favourite+colour

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+capital+of+assyria

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+air+speed+velocity+of+an+unladen+swallow

Post a reply to this message

Bill Pragnell wrote:

> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+name
> 
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+quest
> 
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+your+favourite+colour
> 
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+capital+of+assyria
> 
>
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+air+speed+velocity+of+an+unladen+swallow

How about "How many stupid film references do you know?"

Post a reply to this message

On 7/1/2010 10:21 AM, Darren New wrote:
> Mike Raiford wrote:
>> Geesh... this is just spooky.
>> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Where+am+I%3F
>
> What's more fascinating is the method they use to do this. In addition
> to all the things you'd think of, the company that publishes the
> database also has deals with Amazon, AOL, etc to get lists of IP vs
> sign-up geographic locations. So when you sign up for a service (Amazon,
> facebook, etc) from a particular IP, that and the address goes to the
> company, who then do statistics to figure out if enough people with
> similar IP addresses are putting in similar physical addresses.
>
> At least, that's one way MaxMind works, and that's pretty much what most
> people use.
>

again... Spooooky ... and with a touch of somewhat disturbing added to 
the mix... :/

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

On 7/1/2010 9:32 AM, Mike Raiford wrote:

> Hoo boy... this could be a time waster:
>
>
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what+is+the+meaning+of+life%2C+the+universe+and+everything%3F
>
>
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=What+is+the+ultimate+question%3F
>
>
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+much+wood+could+a+woodchuck+chuck+if+a+woodchuck+could+chuck+wood%3F
>
>
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=why+am+I+here%3F
>
> Geesh... this is just spooky.
>
> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Where+am+I%3F
>

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=where+do+babies+come+from%3F

I have to remember that one when my son asks

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

Mike Raiford wrote:

> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=where+do+babies+come+from%3F
> 
> I have to remember that one when my son asks

And I thought they came from central Africa...

...oh, no, I'm getting mixed up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_baby

[insert witty remark here]

Post a reply to this message

On Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:08:56 +0100, Invisible wrote:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
> 
>> I just have to say, this is one of the most bizzarre conversations I've
>> ever seen.
> 
> Tulips.

Or, if I take a page from Victor Borge, I'd say "Threelips". ;-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 03/07/2010 6:02 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:08:56 +0100, Invisible wrote:
>
>> Jim Henderson wrote:
>>
>>> I just have to say, this is one of the most bizzarre conversations I've
>>> ever seen.
>>
>> Tulips.
>
> Or, if I take a page from Victor Borge, I'd say "Threelips". ;-)
>

You are showing your age. :-P

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

"Stephen" <mca### [at] aolDOTcom> wrote in message
news:4c2c3649$1@news.povray.org...

> Personally, I hope so

Why?

Post a reply to this message

On 03/07/2010 1:59 PM, somebody wrote:
> "Stephen"<mca### [at] aolDOTcom>  wrote in message
> news:4c2c3649$1@news.povray.org...
>
>> Personally, I hope so
>
> Why?
>

Because:
I don’t want to be one of the undead.
As we get older we get more decrepit and eventually that would be 
unbearable.
Life is not a bed of roses and there is only so much one can take.
But as I said, not just yet. ;-)


-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

"Stephen" <mca### [at] aolDOTcom> wrote in message
news:4c2f3a2a@news.povray.org...

> On 03/07/2010 1:59 PM, somebody wrote:
> > "Stephen"<mca### [at] aolDOTcom>  wrote in message
> > news:4c2c3649$1@news.povray.org...

> >> Personally, I hope so

> > Why?

> Because:
> I don’t want to be one of the undead.
> As we get older we get more decrepit and eventually that would be
> unbearable.

Since a large proportion of old people die a "natural" death instead of
committing suicide, I don't agree that there's an age (teenages included)
where life becomes unbearable. So I would not wish for somebody, or myself
(!), to die no matter how old they are. But more to the point, you cannot
keep on becoming more and more decrepid if you are not to die - at worst you
reach an asymptote, but more likely, curing of death involves maintaining a
high level of health.

Post a reply to this message

On Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:47:34 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 03/07/2010 6:02 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:08:56 +0100, Invisible wrote:
>>
>>> Jim Henderson wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just have to say, this is one of the most bizzarre conversations
>>>> I've ever seen.
>>>
>>> Tulips.
>>
>> Or, if I take a page from Victor Borge, I'd say "Threelips". ;-)
>>
>>
> You are showing your age. :-P

Perhaps, but he did that when I was how old?

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 12:54 AM, somebody wrote:
> "Stephen"<mca### [at] aolDOTcom>  wrote in message
> news:4c2f3a2a@news.povray.org...
>
>> On 03/07/2010 1:59 PM, somebody wrote:
>>> "Stephen"<mca### [at] aolDOTcom>   wrote in message
>>> news:4c2c3649$1@news.povray.org...
>
>>>> Personally, I hope so
>
>>> Why?
>
>> Because:
>> I don’t want to be one of the undead.
>> As we get older we get more decrepit and eventually that would be
>> unbearable.
>
> Since a large proportion of old people die a "natural" death instead of
> committing suicide, I don't agree that there's an age (teenages included)
> where life becomes unbearable.

Boredom, anomie, jadedness, the loss of cognitive powers, not to mention 
lack of fulfilment add up to an unappetising prospect. Life is not a 
book it hurts a lot for most people.

> So I would not wish for somebody, or myself (!), to die no matter how old they are.

Nor do I unless they wish it.

>  But more to the point, you cannot
> keep on becoming more and more decrepid if you are not to die - at worst you
> reach an asymptote, but more likely, curing of death involves maintaining a
> high level of health.
>

You want health and happiness too? This does not sound like the human 
condition. ;-)

Another point is I don’t want to be around in the latter part of the 
sun’s life cycle, never mind after the heat death of the universe.



-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 2:37 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:47:34 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>

>> You are showing your age. :-P
>
> Perhaps, but he did that when I was how old?
>

I don’t know but the Ice Giants were still around. ;-)

I must give you credit though, for knowing your history. :-D


-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:53:50 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 04/07/2010 2:37 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> On Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:47:34 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>>
>>
>>> You are showing your age. :-P
>>
>> Perhaps, but he did that when I was how old?
>>
>>
> I don’t know but the Ice Giants were still around. ;-)

Ah, but PBS over here runs a couple of his shows periodically, usually 
when they're raising funds. ;-)

> I must give you credit though, for knowing your history. :-D

LOL - I guess the mind still works. ;-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 6:08 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> I don’t know but the Ice Giants were still around.;-)
> Ah, but PBS over here runs a couple of his shows periodically, usually
> when they're raising funds.;-)
>

Nice one!

>> >  I must give you credit though, for knowing your history.:-D
> LOL - I guess the mind still works.;-)
>

Not dead yet then ;-)

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:17:39 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 04/07/2010 6:08 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> I don’t know but the Ice Giants were still around.;-)
>> Ah, but PBS over here runs a couple of his shows periodically, usually
>> when they're raising funds.;-)
>>
>>
> Nice one!
> 
>>> >  I must give you credit though, for knowing your history.:-D
>> LOL - I guess the mind still works.;-)
>>
>>
> Not dead yet then ;-)

Somehow that triggered a scene from Monty Python. (and I'm sure you know 
which one). ;-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 7:24 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> Not dead yet then;-)
> Somehow that triggered a scene from Monty Python. (and I'm sure you know
> which one).;-)
>

If it is the one I'm thinking of, the last time I heard it was at the 
start of a bad trip. Not mine but I spent the rest of the evening 
talking someone down. :-(

Ni! Ni!

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 19:56:29 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 04/07/2010 7:24 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> Not dead yet then;-)
>> Somehow that triggered a scene from Monty Python. (and I'm sure you
>> know which one).;-)
>>
>>
> If it is the one I'm thinking of, the last time I heard it was at the
> start of a bad trip. Not mine but I spent the rest of the evening
> talking someone down. :-(
> 
> Ni! Ni!

Might be time for a rewatch to get a good memory in place with it. :-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

Stephen wrote:
> Another point is I don’t want to be around in the latter part o
f the 
> sun’s life cycle, never mind after the heat death of the univer
se.

I would expect that if any decent number of people got immortality, we'd 

figure out how to get around that.  It's a pretty common science fiction 

theme, at least.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
    C# - a language whose greatest drawback
    is that its best implementation comes
    from a company that doesn't hate Microsoft.

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 8:14 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> Might be time for a rewatch to get a good memory in place with it.:-)
>
Ni! Ni! '-)


-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 04/07/2010 8:27 PM, Darren New wrote:
> Stephen wrote:
>> Another point is I don’t want to be around in the latter part of the
>> sun’s life cycle, never mind after the heat death of the universe.
>
> I would expect that if any decent number of people got immortality, we'd
> figure out how to get around that. It's a pretty common science fiction
> theme, at least.
>

"INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER"

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:37:43 +0100, Stephen wrote:

> On 04/07/2010 8:14 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> Might be time for a rewatch to get a good memory in place with it.:-)
>>
> Ni! Ni! '-)

Agh, you said it! ;-)

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On 05/07/2010 1:54 AM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:37:43 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>
>> On 04/07/2010 8:14 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>> Might be time for a rewatch to get a good memory in place with it.:-)
>>>
>> Ni! Ni! '-)
>
> Agh, you said it! ;-)
>

:-)


-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

On 1-7-2010 17:02, Bill Pragnell wrote:
> "Bill Pragnell" <bil### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
>> Mike Raiford <"m[raiford]!at"@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Geesh... this is just spooky.
>> I especially like the last one. Here's another:
>>
>> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=how+many+beans+make+five
> 
> OMG this is a fun game


> http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what%27s+up


but why did I expect another answer to

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=what%27s+up+doc ?

Post a reply to this message

On 7/4/2010 2:50 AM, Stephen wrote:

>
> Another point is I don’t want to be around in the latter part of the
> sun’s life cycle, never mind after the heat death of the universe.
>

I hear there's this great restaurant ....


On a more serious note,

Yeah I've often pondered immortality. I think it would be a bad thing. 
Now, if I could build up a retirement fund that would give me a 
perpetually livable salary after, say, 65 years ... I'd be all for it. 
But the prospect of having to do work that I don't want to do for 
hundreds of years isn't all that exciting to me.

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

On 7/2/2010 7:24 AM, Invisible wrote:


> [insert witty remark here]

Your query returned no results...

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

Mike Raiford wrote:

> On a more serious note,
> 
> Yeah I've often pondered immortality. I think it would be a bad thing. 

You *think* it would be a bad idea?

Have you seen any population growth figures recently? ;-)

Post a reply to this message

>> [insert witty remark here]
> 
> Your query returned no results...

Ah, well see, "bush" is also a slang word for... well, you fill in the 
rest. ;-)

Post a reply to this message

On 7/6/2010 8:06 AM, Invisible wrote:
> Mike Raiford wrote:
>
>> On a more serious note,
>>
>> Yeah I've often pondered immortality. I think it would be a bad thing.
>
> You *think* it would be a bad idea?
>
> Have you seen any population growth figures recently? ;-)

Oh, yeah ... there's also that, too. But it's a minor detail.

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

On 7/6/2010 8:07 AM, Invisible wrote:
>>> [insert witty remark here]
>>
>> Your query returned no results...
>
> Ah, well see, "bush" is also a slang word for... well, you fill in the
> rest. ;-)

Dammit, I had SafeSearch(tm) turned on again...

-- 
~Mike

Post a reply to this message

On 06/07/2010 1:57 PM, Mike Raiford wrote:
> On 7/4/2010 2:50 AM, Stephen wrote:
>
>>
>> Another point is I don’t want to be around in the latter part of the
>> sun’s life cycle, never mind after the heat death of the universe.
>>
>
> I hear there's this great restaurant ....
>
>

I've heard that too. I believe that it has lots of stars. ;-)

> On a more serious note,
>
> Yeah I've often pondered immortality. I think it would be a bad thing.
> Now, if I could build up a retirement fund that would give me a
> perpetually livable salary after, say, 65 years ... I'd be all for it.
> But the prospect of having to do work that I don't want to do for
> hundreds of years isn't all that exciting to me.
>

Now, I feel differently. I like my work and have been lucky enough to 
have jobs that I would have paid to do. (Almost ;-) )
I’d like to cut down the number of days I work, as I get older, to maybe 
six months a year.


-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

Post a reply to this message

Last year, I did a query for "cheese toast", expecting to get some 
nutritional data.

Nope. It gave me the distance from Toast, USA to Cheddar, UK. (About 
1,000 miles, BTW.)

Today, it gives the correct answer. ;-) And it's all becuase of ME! :-D

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message