tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post231272383731646630..comments2023-04-11T09:34:03.031-04:00Comments on Polybloggimous: On Books. Mine and Others.Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-62853304426670136782008-03-01T00:58:00.000-05:002008-03-01T00:58:00.000-05:00Not a math geek here either - I took a year of cal...Not a math geek here either - I took a year of calculus in college, with a 3.0, 2.5, and 2.0. Since I'm much better at stats than calc, I spotted the trend and stopped taking math.<BR/><BR/>My son's been coming home with trig questions lately - which I was good at 25 years ago - but I'm clueless now.<BR/><BR/>I can do stats and financial modeling with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back though. :)<BR/><BR/>Mmmm... did somebody say gingersnaps? If Nathan has 24 fresh-baked gingersnaps, and 22 friends ask if they can have one, how many will he have left?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-928418088551461312008-03-01T00:26:00.000-05:002008-03-01T00:26:00.000-05:00...:p...<BR/><BR/>:pMWThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09446603415730525882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-24196035096299201962008-02-29T21:50:00.000-05:002008-02-29T21:50:00.000-05:00Saline Saline over the seven seas.:OSaline Saline over the seven seas.<BR/><BR/>:OJohn the Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467337009577733553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-43776484171974982582008-02-29T21:27:00.000-05:002008-02-29T21:27:00.000-05:00Michelle,If you're talking about the geek joke, I'...Michelle,<BR/><BR/>If you're talking about the geek joke, I'm waiting for the real answer, but I'm pretty sure I get this one.<BR/><BR/>If you're talking about the math problems, I'm happy in my ignorance. <BR/><BR/>:DNathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-34117952071281635032008-02-29T21:13:00.000-05:002008-02-29T21:13:00.000-05:00Nathan,I'm a teacher at heart, so if I understand ...Nathan,<BR/><BR/>I'm a teacher at heart, so if I understand it, I can probably explain it to you.<BR/><BR/>Hell, I showed my grandmother the basics of the periodic table of elements the other day. (She was talking about being confused when her Potassium was labeled KCl. (She keeps close track of all her medicines, which is pretty much a full time job.)Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-38301018048482980362008-02-29T20:10:00.000-05:002008-02-29T20:10:00.000-05:00>.>... I was trying to miss it, yeah. :D>.><BR/><BR/><.<<BR/><BR/>... I was trying to miss it, yeah. :DMWThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09446603415730525882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-52709201945011956952008-02-29T18:27:00.000-05:002008-02-29T18:27:00.000-05:00I like geek jokes, though as often as not I don't ...I like geek jokes, though as often as not I don't even understand them after they're explained to me.<BR/><BR/>MWT,<BR/><BR/>Did you miss the thing about the dance-off? I'd like to keep bloodshed to a minimum.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-74118751690094981292008-02-29T18:08:00.000-05:002008-02-29T18:08:00.000-05:00I told a geek joke over at Anne's place the other ...I told a geek joke over at Anne's place the other day!Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-50951372589291269082008-02-29T18:07:00.000-05:002008-02-29T18:07:00.000-05:00Two salts on seven seas?Nathan: Permission to clon...Two salts on seven seas?<BR/><BR/>Nathan: Permission to clonk John the Scientist with my (new, improved) clue-by-four? (Or can I borrow the grill for a minute?)MWThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09446603415730525882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-38032593839801439952008-02-29T17:29:00.000-05:002008-02-29T17:29:00.000-05:00Two sailors overseas?Two sailors overseas?Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-21907093878485780602008-02-29T17:09:00.000-05:002008-02-29T17:09:00.000-05:00OK, it's time to send Nathan screaming from the ro...OK, it's time to send Nathan screaming from the room. GEEK JOKES!<BR/><BR/>What's this?:<BR/><BR/>NaClNaCl<BR/>CCCCCCCJohn the Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467337009577733553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-79916599397451565172008-02-29T16:54:00.000-05:002008-02-29T16:54:00.000-05:00Hee hee. I was waitin' for MWT to show up and defe...Hee hee. I was waitin' for MWT to show up and defend the profession.<BR/><BR/>;-)<BR/><BR/>MWT: Spot the quote: All science is either physics or it's stamp collecting.<BR/><BR/>:DJohn the Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467337009577733553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-62890756843174618182008-02-29T16:04:00.000-05:002008-02-29T16:04:00.000-05:00I'm thinking that if we have any disputes here, th...<I>I'm thinking that if we have any disputes here, the official means of conflict resolution should be the pants-off dance-off.</I><BR/><BR/>(Backs slowly away from the blog)<BR/><BR/>Y'know I like y'all, but...Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-64684063092559083382008-02-29T15:40:00.000-05:002008-02-29T15:40:00.000-05:00Michelle, thank you for clearing that up for me. ...Michelle, thank you for clearing that up for me. I'm thinking that if we have any disputes here, the official means of conflict resolution should be the pants-off dance-off.<BR/><BR/>Think carefully before you pick a fight here!Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-65418426532156093052008-02-29T15:33:00.001-05:002008-02-29T15:33:00.001-05:00Nathan,I think John insulted MWT by saying he didn...Nathan,<BR/><BR/>I think John insulted MWT by saying he didn't consider biologists to be scientists.<BR/><BR/>I'd be insulted, but I'm not a biologist anymore.Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-28609538831386226602008-02-29T15:33:00.000-05:002008-02-29T15:33:00.000-05:00Michelle - It's been awhile since I read New Scien...Michelle - It's been awhile since I read New Scientist, but I used to. That Feedback was great. Thanks for pointing it out.<BR/><BR/>John - Fourier Transform Spectroscopy. What'll they think of next.vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16955307244053931069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-21735665259084975312008-02-29T14:55:00.000-05:002008-02-29T14:55:00.000-05:00::slinks in::I can balance my checkbook.::slinks a...::slinks in::<BR/><BR/>I can balance my checkbook.<BR/><BR/>::slinks away::Janiecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14190655869710465713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-88003203916082475142008-02-29T14:36:00.000-05:002008-02-29T14:36:00.000-05:00MWT,Where were you insulted? I won't stand for th...MWT,<BR/><BR/>Where were you insulted? I won't stand for that here.<BR/><BR/>And I was just tryin' to streamline the thing for you. I've also had it sanded and polished for you.<BR/><BR/>Here, you can have it back now.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-3661453288705378542008-02-29T14:28:00.000-05:002008-02-29T14:28:00.000-05:00What? I'm being insulted AND someone's trying to s...What? I'm being insulted AND someone's trying to steal my clue-by four?? I protest! Mightily! *shakes fist*Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-32692423132830309552008-02-29T13:46:00.000-05:002008-02-29T13:46:00.000-05:00I coulda used the Nathan method when I was a TA.;-...I coulda used the Nathan method when I was a TA.<BR/><BR/>;-)John the Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467337009577733553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-59688454648461358932008-02-29T13:43:00.000-05:002008-02-29T13:43:00.000-05:00OK John,You have a 6' 2"X4". You find it slightly...OK John,<BR/><BR/>You have a 6' 2"X4". You find it slightly unwieldy Divide 6' by 2 and find you are left with 3'. Measure 3' (from either end of the 2"X4"). Cut with any appropriate saw at the marked line. You now have a much more wieldy clue-by-four.<BR/><BR/>This shall henceforth be known as the "Nathan Method".<BR/><BR/>You can quote me on that.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-17753896032006477212008-02-29T13:33:00.000-05:002008-02-29T13:33:00.000-05:00Nathan - think of a bell curve. The machine that r...Nathan - think of a bell curve. The machine that reads the amount of glucose in your blood spits out a gaussian curve like that. The amount of glucose in your blood is not related to the height of the curve, it's related to the total area under that curve. A short fat curve may have just as much area under it as a tall, skinny one, just like a short, fat person might weigh as much as a tall, skinny one.<BR/><BR/>One of the reasons that Newton and Leibnitz invented integral calculus was to develop a mathematical method to determine the area under a curve. So we've been using that method for what, 300 years?<BR/><BR/>This guy Tai goes and writes a computer algorithm that takes the curve, applies Newton's method, and gives you an area under the curve. Clueless biomedical scientists who never properly learned their calculus are calling it the Tai method instead of recognizing the integral calculus they should have learned.<BR/><BR/>This is like patenting a <A HREF="http://patentlaw.typepad.com/patent/2005/04/children_rejoic.html" REL="nofollow">peanut butter sandwich</A>. As the patent lawyers say "obvious to someone skilled in the art".<BR/><BR/>Actually skill isn't necessary - it should be obvious even to engineers or scientists who come to work on the technical short bus.John the Scientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03467337009577733553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-86160595726929624412008-02-29T12:59:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:59:00.000-05:00Well Nathan,There are other funny things at Feedba...Well Nathan,<BR/><BR/>There are other funny things at Feedback you might get. If only to take your mind off the math.<BR/><BR/>Like:<BR/><BR/>“The instructions supplied with Bryan Carter's Sonic Plakaway toothbrush include a warning: "Never use while sleeping"”Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-65761010764716157192008-02-29T12:49:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:49:00.000-05:00I really don't have a clue what you people are tal...I really don't have a clue what you people are talking about.<BR/><BR/>Well done.Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745748859173296736.post-69009211729397641202008-02-29T12:30:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:30:00.000-05:00Well, he wasn't a biologist. From the journal Diab...Well, he wasn't a biologist. From the journal Diabetes Care, I'd say you're looking at a medical professional.<BR/><BR/>Of course I have a bio degree and could no longer to calculus to save my life. But I'm still ok with statistics.Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.com