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

[zoobyshoe]

In other news, it's been raining hard here off and on all day and I noticed something I've seen before but can't explain, which is that pigeons seem too stupid to perch out of the rain. They sit there like morons on the utility wires getting drenched. I don't understand why they don't go under a bridge somewhere.

 

[Borek]

Made me think of @Ryan_m_b

 

[zoobyshoe]

Is it true love if her heart's made of spinach?

 

[fresh_42]

Is it true love if her heart's made of spinach?

Yep.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Wow..found more! My poor kid...

 

[zoobyshoe]

Some trees produce stuff that is tasty and good for you. But, in my whole life, I've never quite noticed this before:

Oranges grow in a grove.

Apples grow in an orchard.

Bananas grow on a plantation.

 

[zoobyshoe]

And, I just found out coincidentally from a novel I'm reading, blueberries are grown on a blueberry farm. Suggesting, strangely, that they are a sort of livestock.

 

[jim hardy]

Collective nouns for animals -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_terms_of_venery,_by_animal

 

[WWGD]

I pushed fresh date in my frozen dinners to the limit. I put them in my backpack last Saturday and never had a chance to ( or, more accurately, put off) eat them until today. No bad results so far, tho a careless thing to do.

 

[fresh_42]

I pushed fresh date in my frozen dinners to the limit. I put them in my backpack last Saturday and never had a chance to ( or, more accurately, put off) eat them until today. No bad results so far, tho a careless thing to do.

I once had milk four weeks over the date and it was still o.k. However, that frightened me a lot more than if it were sour. What kind of milk is this? I remember the days when my grandma let milk become sour to thicken it to soured milk. Nowadays milk turns red instead. Weird.

 

[WWGD]

I once had milk four weeks over the date and it was still o.k. However, that frightened me a lot more than if it were sour. What kind of milk is this? I remember the days when my grandma let milk become sour to thicken it to soured milk. Nowadays milk turns red instead. Weird.

And the only person that comments about my spoiled food is the one called fresh_42 :) ? Maybe it is the hormones they now give cows, though maybe they do not do so in Germany, maybe they have different laws?

 

[fresh_42]

Yes, I think hormones are forbidden. One reason why people don't like TTIP here. But milk is processed food anyway, and I suppose it doesn't contain the natural bacteria anymore. Not sure whether I want to know what's in it instead.

 

[WWGD]

Yes, I think hormones are forbidden. One reason why people don't like TTIP here. But milk is processed food anyway, and I suppose it doesn't contain the natural bacteria anymore. Not sure whether I want to know what's in it instead.

Good thing they don't allow them, men can then save money not needing a " Manssiere" ; ) , ( Seinfeld).

 

[OCR]

But milk is processed food anyway, and I suppose it doesn't contain the natural bacteria anymore.

Got... raw milk ...salmonellosis ?[COLOR=#black] ...[/COLOR]

 

[WWGD]

Kind of bizarre. My breakfast came with , literally, frozen yogurt. I get my oatmeal, and next to it on the tray is a small
plastic cup with a lid, containing some rock-solid-frozen substance. I ask the worker what the substance is, and he just says,
without any noticeable sarcasm ( " without a hint of irony") " Frozen Yogurt" . Two hours later, I enjoyed my , (then) drinkable/edible
yogurt.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So, I liked that Peter and the Wolf business. Not sure why. I guess I got the feeling they were making fun of their own heavy handedness.

 

[OCR]

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[OCR]

Thanks nuuskur...[COLOR=#black].[/COLOR]

nuuskur likes this.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Couple weeks ago on North Woods Law, a guy had a flock of 26 wild turkeys eating his garden, so he called the game wardens to arrest them. Didn't go very well: they only caught 6.

Anyway, I was surprised that wild turkey flocks could get that big. In fact, to be honest, I thought the wild turkey was a solitary animal.

 

[Borg]

Rented the movie Hidden Figures from Redbox yesterday. Like any movie, some of the historical accuracy was off but it was still an enjoyable film.

 

[fresh_42]

Like any movie, some of the historical accuracy was off but it was still an enjoyable film.

You should see what Hollywood makes out of non-American history ...

 

[Borg]

You should see what Hollywood makes out of non-American history ...

I know. I can only imagine how the upcoming Dunkirk movie will butcher history.

 

[Ibix]

I know. I can only imagine how the upcoming Dunkirk movie will butcher history.

The US sends a fleet of small ships across the Atlantic to save British soldiers from Hitler, who is personally leading the attack. Brave GIs hold the ports and, after a ferocious gunfight, kill Hitler in hand-to-hand combat. Hitler was played by a double for the rest of the war.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The US sends a fleet of small ships across the Atlantic to save British soldiers from Hitler, who is personally leading the attack. Brave GIs hold the ports and, after a ferocious gunfight, kill Hitler in hand-to-hand combat. Hitler was played by a double for the rest of the war.

This is why Inglourious Basterds was such a wonderful movie. Half of its mission was to mock Hollywood film distortions of WWII.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Took my topology qualifier. I know for sure it wasn't a disaster, but not for sure whether I got a master's pass. I keep going over it in my head... But I literally can't' remember a thing about it other than I answered a bunch of questions. Sometimes I felt more as if I was giving my opinion than showing a mathematical proof, but at least it was an *informed* opinion. :D

 

[nuuskur]

Took my topology qualifier. I know for sure it wasn't a disaster, but not for sure whether I got a master's pass. I keep going over it in my head... But I literally can't' remember a thing about it other than I answered a bunch of questions. Sometimes I felt more as if I was giving my opinion than showing a mathematical proof, but at least it was an *informed* opinion. :D

uh oh.. I have been working on trying NOT to give opinion, but concise proof, instead :D
I think as long as you aren't discussing horse keeping principles on a topology test, you're fine haha

reminds me of my first algebra test in uni, I was so lost, I drew pictures of a giant equation eating the professor [don't ask what it means, I don't know].

 

[fresh_42]

Took my topology qualifier. I know for sure it wasn't a disaster, but not for sure whether I got a master's pass. I keep going over it in my head... But I literally can't' remember a thing about it other than I answered a bunch of questions. Sometimes I felt more as if I was giving my opinion than showing a mathematical proof, but at least it was an *informed* opinion. :D

I think that's normal and likely a sign for good answers. I remember a student in an undergraduate exam who has been asked what a linear mapping is. She answered by all defining properties, and the follow-up questions was about "the nature" of linear mappings and to give an example. I guess she doesn't know until today, why she only got a "C". Bad students don't ask themselves the kind of questions that bother you.

 

[nuuskur]

I think that's normal and likely a sign for good answers. I remember a student in an undergraduate exam who has been asked what a linear mapping is. She answered by all defining properties, and the follow-up questions was about "the nature" of linear mappings and to give an example. I guess she doesn't know until today, why she only got a "C". Bad students don't ask themselves the kind of questions that bother you.

I wouldn't like such a question. So much ambiguity. What do you mean by "its nature"? I can name plenty of different properties of linear maps do they constitute as descriptions for the nature of linear maps?

 

[fresh_42]

I wouldn't like such a question. So much ambiguity. What do you mean by "its nature"? I can name plenty of different properties of linear maps do they constitute as descriptions for the nature of linear maps?

Well, it's one thing to quote properties like $L(x+y)=L(x)+L(y)$, but a completely different one to understand why this is required, i.e. what a linear mapping means. And if you are asked for an example and don't know any, then I'd say the knowledge of the definition is worth nothing.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I think that's normal and likely a sign for good answers. I remember a student in an undergraduate exam who has been asked what a linear mapping is. She answered by all defining properties, and the follow-up questions was about "the nature" of linear mappings and to give an example. I guess she doesn't know until today, why she only got a "C". Bad students don't ask themselves the kind of questions that bother you.

One thing at least I have gotten over as a graduate student, and perhaps just as an adult, is not caring whether I look stupid or not. I used to avoid answering questions just because I thought it probably wasn't right and I was embarrassed about it. Now I at least write something down if I have an idea about it. "Here is my understanding."

-Dave K

 

[dkotschessaa]

Well, it's one thing to quote properties like $L(x+y)=L(x)+L(y)$, but a completely different one to understand why this is required, i.e. what a linear mapping means. And if you are asked for an example and don't know any, then I'd say the knowledge of the definition is worth nothing.

I would have to see the question in question :D. But Munkres actually says something about what he calls "open ended" questions in his book. Sometimes they are the most enlightening and most frustrating types of questions. They also are the type that mathematicians are likely to be faced with initially in research. They only get boiled down to rigorous definitions after much effort.

Probably a whole thread topic could be had on this.

-Dave K

 

[fresh_42]

I would have to see the question in question

It was a verbal exam, i.e. the entire exam was a dialog. The crucial point here is, and I think it is one of the most important things to learn, not to say the most important thing, that you could know an entire textbook and still don't have an idea what it is about. It's the difference between a machine and a human being. It has been the kind of professors who tested understanding first, knowledge second.

 

[dkotschessaa]

It was a verbal exam, i.e. the entire exam was a dialog. The crucial point here is, and I think it is one of the most important things to learn, not to say the most important thing, that you could know an entire textbook and still don't have an idea what it is about. It's the difference between a machine and a human being. It has been the kind of professors who tested understanding first, knowledge second.

Oh wow, I've never witnessed a verbal exam in mathematics! (Other than watching a dissertation defense.)

I totally agree with you though. I've noticed that some undergraduates in particular are very good at "gaming" the system. They know how to answer, what to answer, when to answer on tests. They have lawyer-like skills for negotiating what should be on a test and what shouldn't be, or why a question wasn't fair. They know how to get good grades. But their knowledge of the material? Meh.

-Dave K

 

[fresh_42]

Oh wow, I've never witnessed a verbal exam in mathematics!

I had to write the protocol. I first thought I could beat the record on the most exams, but the guy who was the record holder had more than 500. So I decided to set a record on "number of professors". I ended up with about a dozen different profs, which was a great experience that taught me many insights on interviews. The chances are high, that I'm still the record holder. I even manged to protocol all exams of a single student. He told me afterwards that he's tired to see me, although he was an all "A" student.

 

[OmCheeto]

You should see what Hollywood makes out of non-American history ...

Researching stuff for mother's day yesterday, I ran across the following:

October 26, 1948
Landed in Bermenhaven yesterday and rode the train to Marburg last night.
This is a beautiful country here. The barracks we’re living in here used o be the headquarters for Adolfs’ S.S. troops.
There are still bullet holes in the walls from when the Krauts got run out.
I’ll write again. Till then, So Long.

My mom was born somewhere near 50° 53′ 20″ N, 15° 59′ 59″ E.
About 16 years later, she would be in the Luftwaffe.
My dad eventually ended up in the American Luftwaffe, but not until after my oldest brother was born in Aschaffenburg.
My other older brother was born in Frankfurt.

Und das is vhy itch kanst very goot doych sprecken.

[edit: Dad would have been 19 years old when he wrote that letter]