Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

[zoobyshoe]

Are we talking about the same hair? It's the one that is almost invincible unless you zoom in.

I don't see any almost invincible hair. I mean, maybe it's Supergirl, but you're never going to prove that.

 

[Psinter]

I don't see any almost invincible hair. I mean, maybe it's Supergirl, but you're never going to prove that.

What the... I meant invisible.

 

[collinsmark]

A response to Zoobie's previous post:

View attachment 97551

Spoiler

I think it's two sets of identical twins posed really carefully, but not perfectly. The fifth girl from the left seems to be looking right at the camera, while the first girl on the left is looking off to the left. The fifth is not a repetition of the first, therefore, but is the reflection of the fourth.

Notice that Girl #3 seems to be looking at the camera every time she repeats. That means both #2 and #3 were looking at the camera; #2 at a reflection of it, and #3 directly at it. However, girl #1 was looking to the left while girl #4 (her twin) was looking directly at a reflection of the camera.

Girl #6 has a cleft in her hair (look carefully) that can only be explained as a reflection of the back of the head of girl #3. The same cleft does not appear in the hair of girl #2.

Spoiler

The fifth girl from the left seems to be looking right at the camera, while the first girl on the left is looking off to the left. The fifth is not a repetition of the first, therefore, but is the reflection of the fourth.

That's a dead giveaway that we cannot simply conclude that there are more than two actual girls.

Multiple reflections of the same girl looking at the camera would be an indication that her "reflections" are not reflections after all, but rather they are different girls, each of them looking at the camera, or that something was photoshoped. I don't see that here, regarding girl #1.

What I see is consistent with all her "reflections." In other words, if of all of the girl #1-like images were identical, it would be a dead giveaway that something was photoshoped, or there being more than one girl #1.

I see "girl #9" looking at the camera, which is really girl #1 looking at the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the camera. It only stands to reason that girl #1 would be looking to her right to see this fourth reflection of the camera.

Let's look at it one of girl #1's perspective. She is in a hall of mirrors and sees many reflections of the camera. She can stare at one of the camera reflections (or the actual camera itself). I think she is looking at the third leftmost camera that she sees, which is really just the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the actual camera.

• Leftmost camera is the actual camera (from her perspective).
• Second leftmost camera is the reflection of the refection of the actual camera (from her perspective).
• Third leftmost camera -- the one she is looking at -- is the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the actual camera (from her perspective).

Notice that Girl #3 seems to be looking at the camera every time she repeats. That means both #2 and #3 were looking at the camera; #2 at a reflection of it, and #3 directly at it. However, girl #1 was looking to the left while girl #4 (her twin) was looking directly at a reflection of the camera.

That normally would be a dead giveaway that there are more than just two girls: if, for a given girl, more than one reflection were both looking directly at the camera. But if you look carefully, there's more going on. Girl #2 has a very mild condition of esotropia, where one eye points inwards (this particular girl's right eye).

Girl #2's right eye is pointing slightly inwards. You can't see that directly from girl# 2 because her head is pointed away from the camera. But you can see it her reflection from "girl #3," which is really just the mirror image of girl #2.

In other words, I believe girl #2 is looking at the very first reflection of the camera. But her right eye is directed slightly inward, which we can see in girl #3, which is really the mirror image of girl#2. In subsequent reflections we cannot see her left eye (blocked by head of reflections of girl #1). So it may appear that girl #7 is looking at the camera, but I contend that it is merely a result of girl #2's esotropia (and girl #7 is merely a multiple reflection of girl #2).

-- By the way, for what it's worth, one of my foremost role-models throughout my life (since childhood even) has this condition. It is not unfamiliar to me.

Girl #6 has a cleft in her hair (look carefully) that can only be explained as a reflection of the back of the head of girl #3. The same cleft does not appear in the hair of girl #2.

Mmm, I don't see it. Perhaps this is really "girl #5"'s hair being confused with a tuft of hair from "girl #6"'s as the result of the different angle/perspective. (I'm not saying there is really a girl beyond girl #2; the rest are merely reflections that start to overlap each other more due to the change in perspective of reflections). I'll qualify that by I'm not sure what you are referring to in this cleft. But from what I see, I attribute what I think you might be referring to as simply being a result of the different angle/perspective enjoyed by the different reflection of the two girls.

So for now, I'm sticking with just two girls, and a couple of mirrors.

 

[Psinter]

A response to Zoobie's previous post:

Spoiler

That's a dead giveaway that we cannot simply conclude that there are more than two actual girls.

Multiple reflections of the same girl looking at the camera would be an indication that her "reflections" are not reflections after all, but rather they are different girls, each of them looking at the camera, or that something was photoshoped. I don't see that here, regarding girl #1.

What I see is consistent with all her "reflections." In other words, if of all of the girl #1-like images were identical, it would be a dead giveaway that something was photoshoped, or there being more than one girl #1.

I see "girl #9" looking at the camera, which is really girl #1 looking at the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the camera. It only stands to reason that girl #1 would be looking to her right to see this fourth reflection of the camera.

Let's look at it one of girl #1's perspective. She is in a hall of mirrors and sees many reflections of the camera. She can stare at one of the camera reflections (or the actual camera itself). I think she is looking at the third leftmost camera that she sees, which is really just the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the actual camera.

• Leftmost camera is the actual camera (from her perspective).
• Second leftmost camera is the reflection of the refection of the actual camera (from her perspective).
• Third leftmost camera -- the one she is looking at -- is the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the actual camera (from her perspective).

That normally would be a dead giveaway that there are more than just two girls: if, for a given girl, more than one reflection were both looking directly at the camera. But if you look carefully, there's more going on. Girl #2 has a very mild condition of esotropia, where one eye points inwards (this particular girl's right eye).

Girl #2's right eye is pointing slightly inwards. You can't see that directly from girl# 2 because her head is pointed away from the camera. But you can see it her reflection from "girl #3," which is really just the mirror image of girl #2.

In other words, I believe girl #2 is looking at the very first reflection of the camera. But her right eye is directed slightly inward, which we can see in girl #3, which is really the mirror image of girl#2. In subsequent reflections we cannot see her left eye (blocked by head of reflections of girl #1). So it may appear that girl #7 is looking at the camera, but I contend that it is merely a result of girl #2's esotropia (and girl #7 is merely a multiple reflection of girl #2).

-- By the way, for what it's worth, one of my foremost role-models throughout my life (since childhood even) has this condition. It is not unfamiliar to me.Mmm, I don't see it. Perhaps this is really "girl #5"'s hair being confused with a tuft of hair from "girl #6"'s as the result of the different angle/perspective. (I'm not saying there is really a girl beyond girl #2; the rest are merely reflections that start to overlap each other more due to the change in perspective of reflections). I'll qualify that by I'm not sure what you are referring to in this cleft. But from what I see, I attribute what I think you might be referring to as simply being a result of the different angle/perspective enjoyed by the different reflection of the two girls.

So for now, I'm sticking with just two girls, and a couple of mirrors.

Wow, that's a very large post. Before I read it let me post this:

How many of you remember this plant from when you were kids? http://imgur.com/gallery/18ODwbx

I used to touch them and amaze myself at how they closed and after a time they were opened again. Although the ones from my place closed faster than the one in that video.

 

[Psinter]

Mmm, I don't see it. Perhaps this is really "girl #5"'s hair being confused with a tuft of hair from "girl #6"'s as the result of the different angle/perspective.

No, it's not. Download the picture and zoom it.

 

[collinsmark]

No, it's not. Download the picture and zoom it.

I still don't see anything that cannot be explained by a difference in angle and perspective (consistent with a different reflection).

Similar to how a meteor (shooting star) might appear to be shooting across the sky -- sometimes away from the direction in which you are looking -- even though in some cases it is mostly moving toward you if you consider all three dimensions.

In girl #1 this tuft of hair is facing the camera, giving it the perception of "going down" quickly. But from a different angle/perspective (e.g., girl # 5), one realizes that it points outwards a little. Same girl, same tuft, different perspective.

 

[Psinter]

I still don't see anything that cannot be explained by a difference in angle and perspective (consistent with a different reflection).

But I needed something that wasn't angle or perspectives to notice it was only two. My mind is not very good with these things. If only they showed their teeth I could identify them better. Or maybe a spot in their faces.

 

[collinsmark]

But I needed something that wasn't angle or perspectives to notice it was only two. My mind is not very good with these things. If only they showed their teeth I could identify them better. Or maybe a spot in their faces.

You are not alone in this regard!

Although I don't see anything inconsistent with the picture being just two girls and two mirrors, it isn't obvious at a glance (not even to me).

This is a picture where I have to first look for something that at a glance might be inconsistent, and then rethink perspective and angles to check. For me, it takes a lot of thinking. I haven't found anything inconsistent thus far, but nothing was immediate.

Anyway, although I'm still sticking to simply two girls and a couple of mirrors for now, this conclusion was one that took a fair amount of staring and thinking. It wasn't a "gut" reaction.

 

[Psinter]

Anyway, although I'm still sticking to simply two girls and a couple of mirrors for now, this conclusion was one that took a fair amount of staring and thinking. It wasn't a "gut" reaction.

I agree.

 

[Ibix]

I'm going to have to have another look when I'm not on my phone.

Apparently, in the "woman in the red dress" scene in The Matrix, if you look carefully at the extras they were all made up of twins. The idea was that the guy who wrote the simulation got lazy and just cut and pasted a few characters...

 

[Psinter]

I'm going to have to have another look when I'm not on my phone.

Apparently, in the "woman in the red dress" scene in The Matrix, if you look carefully at the extras they were all made up of twins. The idea was that the guy who wrote the simulation got lazy and just cut and pasted a few characters...

I saw that movie so long ago I don't even remember the plot. I must re-watch it.

 

[Ibix]

I saw that movie so long ago I don't even remember the plot. I must re-watch it.

It had a plot? As far as I remember it was a series of awesome action scenes duct taped together with passable dialog. It was an absolute triumph of style over substance.

 

[Psinter]

Does anyone here like to play Volleyball? I like to play volleyball.

 

[WWGD]

Does anyone here like to play Volleyball? I like to play volleyball.

OK, set up the net. You serve first.

 

[WWGD]

OK, set up the net. You serve first.

Common, start serving, Psinter.

 

[Psinter]

OK, set up the net. You serve first.

Common, start serving, Psinter.

Yay!

 

[Ibix]

Ugh. Does anyone want a child? Six years old, one couple of careful owners. He's fairly cute, and generally a lovely helpful little guy. Today, though, you can have him if you cover the postage.

Is it too early for whisky...?

 

[Sophia]

How much do you usually tip at an average pizzeria or restaurant? Do you round your price at a supermarket to avoid carrying a wallet full of 1 and 2 cents? I've heard that in some Asian countries leaving a tip is considered rude and offensive whereas American waiters will ask you if there was a problem if you leave too small tip

 

[Psinter]

I leave whatever I have to leave to complete the next dollar bill. For instance, if it was $11 I just give them $20 and tell them to keep the change. And if it is $18 I give them $20. Whatever it is to complete the next bill.

EDIT: Ugh, my head hurts. I think I'm going to be out of service for a while.

 

[Pepper Mint]

How much do you usually tip at an average pizzeria or restaurant? Do you round your price at a supermarket to avoid carrying a wallet full of 1 and 2 cents?

I guess 10%-15% of the total payment.

I've heard that in some Asian countries leaving a tip is considered rude and offensive whereas American waiters will ask you if there was a problem if you leave too small tip

Really? I don't know which one takes it as rudeness.
Maybe you should not get to such restaurants again. Those are clearly too impolite even though they live on tip based incomes.

 

[Pepper Mint]

I leave whatever I have to leave to complete the next dollar bill. For instance, if it was $11 I just give them $20 and tell them to keep the change. And if it is $18 I give them $20. Whatever it is to complete the next bill.
EDIT: Ugh, my head hurts. I think I'm going to be out of service for a while.

I think it is a good lifestyle you have. When I go the pool, I offer them 5 when the ticket price is 3.5 and on some special occasions, I may offer them 3-5 more.
I watch couples fight, argue right in their families, you know all the words people use for each are awful. If you happen to marry one, first 10 years, you both may sound sweet to each other, later 20, things may get sour. There is really nothing worse than marrying a "calculator" who may be writing down everything you have used that is his/hers and later before divorce will ask you to pay back all of them.

 

[collinsmark]

How much do you usually tip at an average pizzeria or restaurant? Do you round your price at a supermarket to avoid carrying a wallet full of 1 and 2 cents? I've heard that in some Asian countries leaving a tip is considered rude and offensive whereas American waiters will ask you if there was a problem if you leave too small tip

Yeah, it totally depends on the culture how much you tip. It also depends on the type of pizzeria:

• Largest tip required in a restarant where someone takes your order at your table and also delivers your food to your table.
• Less if you order at an ordering station, then sit down, followed by somebody bringing the food to your table.
• Least (if any) if you are at a place where you both order and pick up your food away from your table.

Really? I don't know which one takes it as rudeness.
Maybe you should not get to such restaurants again. Those are clearly too impolite even though they live on tip based incomes.

Japan for one.

Once I was eating a quick lunch at a restaurant in Japan -- an American themed restaurant at that -- and I left a small tip on the table before leaving. It would have been a slightly skimpy, yet not unreasonable tip by American standards. I was told not to tip in Japan, but being used to American tipping, and being in an American themed restaurant, after all, I didn't think much about it.

After walking about a block and half I looked behind me to see the waitress running towards me, yelling and waiving her arms to get my attention. I stopped as she ran up to me,
[COLOR=#black]...[/COLOR] "Sir, you left this on your table," she said smiling and a bit out of breath, as she attempted to hand me the tip from the table.
[COLOR=#black]. ...[/COLOR]"Oh, I left that for you," I said while showing reluctance to take the money, "as a tip."
[COLOR=#black].. ...[/COLOR]At that point her smile morphed into dejection, and what I can only describe as some sort of sadness or disappointment. It was as though I had called her by an insult. There she stood though, her determination to return the tip unwavering while she failed to translate her thoughts into English. Her intention was quite clear to me though, and I realized well that had I not taken the tip back immediately, her disappointed face would have turned to one of anger and annoyance.
[COLOR=#black]... [/COLOR]So I took back the tip.

On the other hand, once I did tip a taxi cab driver in Japan, and he didn't seem to mind too terribly much. So there's that.

Tipping is definitely different in different cultures though. That's my main point.

 

[Psinter]

I think it is a good lifestyle you have. When I go the pool, I offer them 5 when the ticket price is 3.5 and on some special occasions, I may offer them 3-5 more.
I watch couples fight, argue right in their families, you know all the words people use for each are awful. If you happen to marry one, first 10 years, you both may sound sweet to each other, later 20, things may get sour. There is really nothing worse than marrying a "calculator" who may be writing down everything you have used that is his/hers and later before divorce will ask you to pay back all of them.

Haha. Then I suppose is a good thing I don't expect to marry anyone.

Not really, I'm poor. I rarely go to pizzerias or restaurants. It's just that when I go I'm like: meh, forget about the change, just keep it. Perhaps it's out of laziness of waiting for the change.

I remember once I ate with some girls at a restaurant and while the service was horrible I didn't care and gave them the $20 bill. Each of us paid our own food (mine costed like $12), but only I left tip. The girls didn't like the service and left nothing for tip. As a matter of fact they were asked if they weren't going to leave any tip by the waitress and they slam dunked in the waitress face that the service was terrible . One of them told me: I can't believe you left them $20. And I told her: meh, I didn't want to wait for the change, it's too bothersome.

 

[Pepper Mint]

...
Not really, I'm poor...

Come on even though you don't have a big saving account, you still have something big all people like me want to have (the bigger the better).

I remember once I ate with some girls at a restaurant and while the service was horrible I didn't care and gave them the $20 bill. Each of us paid our own food (mine costed like $12), but only I left tip. The girls didn't like the service and left nothing for tip. As a matter of fact they were asked if they weren't going to leave any tip by the waitress and they slam dunked in the waitress face that the service was terrible . One of them told me: I can't believe you left them $20. And I told her: meh, I didn't want to wait for the change, it's too bothersome.

$8 more. Yes this is so awesome of you, let me be your waiter next time!

 

[Sophia]

$8 more. Yes this is so awesome of you, let me be your waiter next time!

yep, these are quite large tips that Psinter leaves :) maybe he's not so poor after all :p

 

[zoobyshoe]

Spoiler

But if you look carefully, there's more going on. Girl #2 has a very mild condition of esotropia, where one eye points inwards (this particular girl's right eye).

Spoiler

I think there's a good chance you're misdiagnosing/mis-analyzing what's causing the asymmetry of her eyes. Look at girl #3. The main difference between the eye on the right and the eye on the left is that we can see much more lid on the right. This would be a condition known as ptosis ("drooping eye") rather than estropia. The illusion that eye is "inward looking" is created by the fact there is much darker shadow between that eye and the nose, shadow that obscures the white of her eye on that side of her eye. You see this "cross eyed" illusion quite a lot in very old photographs (1800s) where the lighting came from flash powder and the side of one eye was cast into unnaturally deep shadow while the other side of the same eye was washed out. Contrasted with the other eye, which was more evenly lit, the person looked cross eyed, when they actually weren't.

In this photo, there isn't really a darker shadow on the inside corner of that right side eye so much as there is a more pronounced highlight on the outside (viewer's right). They eye on the viewer's left is more darkly lit, but also more evenly, so we can make out the whites on both sides of the iris. If you look at the eye on the left and get a sense of the size of the iris then carry that size over to the right you should see that an "inward looking" eye would require that the iris on that side be much larger than the iris of the left eye, which is unlikely. So, I conclude it's a case of shadow obscuring the white on the inner side. This is confounded by the ptosis, the unnaturally and asymmetrically, heavy lid.

Regardless, I think you're right about the cleft I saw in the hair. It's actually better explained as the interstice between the hair of the two girls after they are compressed together by reflection, and not as a property of one girl's hair.

 

[rootone]

Tipping:
Where I live it's not really a custom, maybe sometimes if it's a very posh restaurant.
In a run of the mill coffee shop or eatery it's actually more likely they give you, the customer, some kind of discount coupon you can use if you go the same place again.
As for all the small coins, they can be disposed of at a supermarket auto-checkout

 

[Sophia]

Tipping:
Where I live it's not really a custom, maybe sometimes if it's a very posh restaurant.
In a run of the mill coffee shop or eatery it's actually more likely they give you, the customer, some kind of discount coupon you can use if you go the same place again.
As for all the small coins, they can be disposed of at a supermarket auto-checkout

what country is that?

Here, one usually rounds to the nearest 50 cent or euro at an average pub, pizzeria or delivery fast food. If you go to a proper dinner, than it's usually rounded to 5 or 10 euro.
At the shop, people usually leave the smallest cent coins to the cashier.

 

[WWGD]

I once went out to eat with my mom. Service was terrible in all respects,
so we left no tip. The waiter came back and said: " ma'am, service is not included "
My mom replied: " Yes, I can tell".

 

[Pepper Mint]

Either. Kissing is kissing. I think they would be embarrassed. I would. I would tell the other side to just hold hands. And even then holding hands is still embarrassing.

How can holding hands with someone who is like your mom embarrass you ? You sound like a 50 years old virgin.

 

[Psinter]

$8 more. Yes this is so awesome of you, let me be your waiter next time!

I don't think you want because if it costs $18, I'm still leaving only $20.

I once went out to eat with my mom. Service was terrible in all respects,
so we left no tip. The waiter came back and said: " ma'am, service is not included "
My mom replied: " Yes, I can tell".

Hahaha! Your mom has sense of humor.

 

[Pepper Mint]

I don't think you want because if it costs $18, I'm still leaving only $20.

It is a reasonable tip(11.11% per $18).
I was only joking, I can work jobs that aren't tip based. My point is it is your money so you definitely have the right to use it on whatever purpose as long as you like. Tipping culture I think isn't only about paying for the services you are offered but also about doing some good deeds for the poor as well.

 

[BornCane]

The most intelligent man to ever live

 

[OCR]

The most intelligent man to ever live

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James_Sidis ...

 

[Sophia]

The most intelligent man to ever live

Yesterday I watched a documentary about British show Child genius
I admire the abilities of those kids and I would never be able to solve those questions in such a short time, if ever.
However, it seems to me that being able to calculate long arithmetics from head, memorizing 2 decks of cards and being great at spelling are not necessarily signs of being a genius. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic if someone can do that. But I don't get why so much importance is ascribed to abilities like these. How does it prove that these kids are better than others or how does winning this show guarantee achievements and happiness in real life.
What some of those parents do in order to make their child win is ridiculous.