What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

In summary, the conversation consists of various discussions about documentaries, the acquisition of National Geographic by Fox, a funny manual translation, cutting sandwiches, a question about the proof of the infinitude of primes, and a realization about the similarity between PF and PDG symbols. The conversation also touches on multitasking and the uniqueness of the number two as a prime number.
  • #7,211
WWGD said:
My new book: " Peanuts,in a nutshell".

Peanuts, to me, have one of the weirdest methods of producing a seed that I have ever heard of.

Since they are harvested from the ground, you might wonder if they are some kind of root vegetable.
On the other hand, the peanut looks exactly like a seed, inside its husk, and new plants can be grown from them (but the same can happen from some roots (potatoes, carrot parts, etc.)).
However, seeds come from flowers. You need a flower. I have seen underwater flowers, but never heardof an underground one (self-fertilizing?).
They also don't have the normal anatomical connection to the plant, typical of a root vegetable. They don't grow out of the roots as some kind of enlargement, and connect to the rest of the plant that way. They grow for like little branches that grow from the air into the ground!
So what is going on here?

Ask de Google:
from here:
Screen Shot 2021-06-06 at 3.48.25 PM.png


They flower above ground and then grow the developing seed into the ground. The developing seeds down, inside a thin tube that grows out and extends underground.
Seeds develop there (underground) as peanuts.

Wikipedia on peanuts here.

It would be interesting to know what their adaptive advantage might have been in adapting this way of doing things.
The picture shows a short plant, as grown on farms. They may, in nature, just vine along on the ground, inserting seeds into different areas (and environments) as it goes. Could be seen as a seed distribution mechanism (often selected for).
 
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  • #7,212
BillTre said:
Peanuts, to me, have one of the weirdest methods of producing a seed that I have ever heard of.

Since they are harvested from the ground, you might wonder if they are some kind of root vegetable.
On the other hand, the peanut looks exactly like a seed, inside its husk, and new plants can be grown from them (but the same can happen from some roots (potatoes, carrot parts, etc.)).
However, seeds come from flowers. You need a flower. I have seen underwater flowers, but never heardof an underground one (self-fertilizing?).
They also don't have the normal anatomical connection to the plant, typical of a root vegetable. They don't grow out of the roots as some kind of enlargement, and connect to the rest of the plant that way. They grow for like little branches that grow from the air into the ground!
So what is going on here?

Ask de Google:
from here:
View attachment 284125

They flower above ground and then grow the developing seed into the ground. The developing seeds down, inside a thin tube that grows out and extends underground.
Seeds develop there (underground) as peanuts.

Wikipedia on peanuts here.

It would be interesting to know what their adaptive advantage might have been in adapting this way of doing things.
The picture shows a short plant, as grown on farms. They may, in nature, just vine along on the ground, inserting seeds into different areas (and environments) as it goes. Could be seen as a seed distribution mechanism (often selected for).
And they are considered Legumes instead of nuts, strangely enough. I am not too strong on my bio classification schemes, I think within the Linneus classification?
 
  • #7,213
From the little I have read, it seems they were originally grouped with some nut tree plants, but that was only based on taste.
Further research has identified better traits for classifying.
 
  • #7,214
BillTre said:
From the little I have read, it seems they were originally grouped with some nut tree plants, but that was only based on taste.
Further research has identified better traits for classifying.
Would these classification techniques be derived from Anova? I mean, two obects are within same class if there is a small variation in several traits (variation within classes) and in different class otherwise (Variation between classes)? EDIT: I am interested in general on the issue of whether some phenomenon is " a thing" that needs a separate classification. As an example, if some new animal were discovered: should we come up with a new class scheme for it or incorporate it under an existing class? What criteria is used? I mean , as I understand, animals in the same species can inter-reproduce, but is this the classification scheme?
 
  • #7,215
Borg said:
my wife's entertainment when I'm driving though (I've seen the movie many times and will be paying attention to the road).
Though the wording may change in your state or province, law enforcement agencies are very clear on the rules about watching videos while driving. In most states and provinces, having a display within view of the driver that shows video while the vehicle is in motion is illegal.
 
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  • #7,216
What if the wife/other passenger were to move to the back seat?
 
  • #7,217
I didn't think about it being illegal since I wouldn't be watching but yeah, that wouldn't be a good excuse. I should probably stick to texting like all of the other drivers. :oldtongue:
 
  • #7,218
WWGD said:
Would these classification techniques be derived from Anova? I mean, two obects are within same class if there is a small variation in several traits (variation within classes) and in different class otherwise (Variation between classes)?
Anova would be used for statistical assessment of differences in traits.
There are just lots of different traits that sound like they might not have been considered originally.

WWGD said:
Would these classification techniques be derived from Anova? I mean, two obects are within same class if there is a small variation in several traits (variation within classes) and in different class otherwise (Variation between classes)? EDIT: I am interested in general on the issue of whether some phenomenon is " a thing" that needs a separate classification. As an example, if some new animal were discovered: should we come up with a new class scheme for it or incorporate it under an existing class? What criteria is used? I mean , as I understand, animals in the same species can inter-reproduce, but is this the classification scheme?
I find this issue interesting also.
There have been and continue to be several definitions for species. Ability to interbreed is one, but there are others. They deal with different situations in slightly different ways.

I have been thinking about this recently with respect to how a competing population of competing animals is defined. This would define members of a population that compete for a shared set of resources.
The competition among these individuals would define them as remembers of a competing population.
This would be a natural grouping based on the interactions among the group's members.
It would be a dynamic collection. The population members could change depending on how its members interacted with each other and the resources they were competing for.
 
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  • #7,219
BillTre said:
Anova would be used for statistical assessment of differences in traits.
There are just lots of different traits that sound like they might not have been considered originally. I find this issue interesting also.
There have been and continue to be several definitions for species. Ability to interbreed is one, but there are others. They deal with different situations in slightly different ways.

I have been thinking about this recently with respect to how a competing population of competing animals is defined. This would define members of a population that compete for a shared set of resources.
The competition among these individuals would define them as remembers of a competing population.
This would be a natural grouping based on the interactions among the group's members.
It would be a dynamic collection. The population members could change depending on how its members interacted with each other and the resources they were competing for.
Maybe clustering, nearest neighbors Or other machine learning techniques, etc. , could be considered.
Edit: I remember this book " The Goal", by E Goldblatt that described the logic for the design of the Periodic Table. It was not the main topic of the book , but it was interesting nonetheless.
 
  • #7,220
LCSphysicist said:
I just realized that i am always confusing these names, and it makes me stressed:
Lagrange, Laguerre, Laplace, Legendre.
Unfortunately these things, noise, only/mostly go away with time. Next semester or two, they will separate. Somethingthathas helped me has been just doing 15 minutes of deep breathing daily. Not sure why but it has helped me feel more mentally clear.
 
  • #7,221
Industries that emit greenhouse gases are adopting "Net Zero" policies, meaning they will still emit, but they will offset it by paying someone not to cut their trees. Or something.

The wind turbine industry has the problem of bird kill. They could have Net Zero bird kill if they offset it by offering free family planning services for cats.
 
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  • #7,222
WWGD said:
And they are considered Legumes instead of nuts, strangely enough.
Hence "goober peas," as in :

Lying in the shadow underneath the trees, Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!
Peas! Peas! Peas! Peas! Eating goober peas! Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!
 
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  • #7,223
gmax137 said:
Hence "goober peas," as in :

Lying in the shadow underneath the trees, Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!
Peas! Peas! Peas! Peas! Eating goober peas! Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!
When they ask me at the salad bar: peas? I flash the peace sign ✌: peas/peace, ( please) brother!

Edit: Just like when a rep asked me: " Are you familiar with Greenpeace"? . Yes, I always put them on my salad.
 
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  • #7,224
So do I need an app or a nap? Or peace/peace?
 
  • #7,225
I decided to try a little rock polishing and picked up this National Geographic Rock Tumbler:
rock tumbler.jpg

Here's my first run:
rocks-1.jpg
 
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  • #7,226
dlgoff said:
Here's my first run:
After the first run? How long and what grit?
 
  • #7,227
Keith_McClary said:
After the first run? How long and what grit?
First run meaning, using all three four grits for the recommended times. Many days.
 
  • #7,228
dlgoff said:
I decided to try a little rock polishing and picked up this National Geographic Rock Tumbler:
View attachment 284242
Here's my first run:
View attachment 284241
Rock festivals need clarification : Obsidians or AC/DC?
 
  • #7,229
WWGD said:
Rock festivals need clarification : Obsidians or AC/DC?
I miss this t-shirt I used to have titled " Heavy Metal" that contained pictures of elements of the periodic table.
 
  • #7,230
Still can't get used to it with the masks, mostly the black ones, when looking at women from far away: is that a #$@ mustache ?!
 
  • #7,231
Somehow found the meaning of the word "Tatterdemalion" while listening to my You Tube feed which brought up the song "Ogre Battle " by Queen. I can't see it coming up in any daily conversation other than the likes of " You know a weird word I learned on the Internet?
 
  • #7,232
Time soon for the yearly number-0 haircut. Sheep -like I guess.

Interesting reply, dude: Do you have Tourette's? #$%@ no!
 
  • #7,233
Maybe Michael Caine could name one of his children Marco . Or Morco.
 
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  • #7,234
Borg said:
I didn't think about it being illegal since I wouldn't be watching
On some cars it is disabled when the car is moving.
 
  • #7,235
Keith_McClary said:
On some cars it is disabled when the car is moving.
Don't some cars include screens on the back seats?
 
  • #7,236
I once (last year) looked up some maps on an official government website about Californian wildfires, simply to see which specific areas have been concerned. It took PG&E about two hours to contact me. I get emails from them ever since, but now they corrected my name (derived from an email address) from a bad Spanish male to an American / European female version. Do you think they might send me their source code? Is that already AI?

Maybe I should answer and ask them how they plan to deliver electricity and gas if I changed my supplier to PG&E?!
 
  • #7,237
Seems in Spring/Summer, socks are like tree rings, allow you to tell someone's age by how high up they go in a person's knees.
 
  • #7,238
fresh_42 said:
I once (last year) looked up some maps on an official government website about Californian wildfires, simply to see which specific areas have been concerned. It took PG&E about two hours to contact me. I get emails from them ever since, but now they corrected my name (derived from an email address) from a bad Spanish male to an American / European female version. Do you think they might send me their source code? Is that already AI?

Maybe I should answer and ask them how they plan to deliver electricity and gas if I changed my supplier to PG&E?!
Are they still regularly providing service with the fires raging on?
 
  • #7,239
WWGD said:
Are they still regularly providing service with the fires raging on?
Perhaps that is the idea. There are no fires here, yet.
 
  • #7,240
fresh_42 said:
I once (last year) looked up some maps on an official government website about Californian wildfires, simply to see which specific areas have been concerned. It took PG&E about two hours to contact me. I get emails from them ever since, but now they corrected my name (derived from an email address) from a bad Spanish male to an American / European female version. Do you think they might send me their source code? Is that already AI?

Maybe I should answer and ask them how they plan to deliver electricity and gas if I changed my supplier to PG&E?!
Why did they contact you? Did they assume you were a customer in need?
 
  • #7,241
Good description of the department head: Looks like a lumberjack. But a lumberjack at the end of the day.
 
  • #7,242
WWGD said:
Why did they contact you? Did they assume you were a customer in need?
I surfed on a Californian (or federal, I don't remember) website and zoomed in on a map of a few locations. I wanted to know how close @berkeman was. I guess they simply assume that I am a Californian. It was a MS .com email address. But what happened that they changed my name from male to female?
 
  • #7,243
fresh_42 said:
I surfed on a Californian (or federal, I don't remember) website and zoomed in on a map of a few locations. I wanted to know how close @berkeman was. I guess they simply assume that I am a Californian. It was a MS .com email address. But what happened that they changed my name from male to female?
AI/ML fail?
 
  • #7,244
WWGD said:
AI/ML fail?
Could be. The actual address was born out of an urgent need, you know, from a website where they want to send you a password. I use it since then for quick and dirty accesses, and to channel spam. The name I used - only a prename - doesn't really exist. It sounds Italian, but is written wrong, or Spanish, but only to those who do not know better. So it doesn't fit in any category, although it is clearly a name. The AI changed it into a valid female version, but not into a valid Spanish or Italian version, only in an American / European one.

That's why I am curious to see their source code.
 
  • #7,245
fresh_42 said:
Could be. The actual address was born out of an urgent need, you know, from a website where they want to send you a password. I use it since then for quick and dirty accesses, and to channel spam. The name I used - only a prename - doesn't really exist. It sounds Italian, but is written wrong, or Spanish, but only to those who do not know better. So it doesn't fit in any category, although it is clearly a name. The AI changed it into a valid female version, but not into a valid Spanish or Italian version, only in an American / European one.

That's why I am curious to see their source code.
Cant you just R-click on their page to view the source?
 

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