Blogging for Blogging's Sake

xkcd sucks

2009-08-28T22:31:00.004+05:30

That's a pretty weird title, considering how I have a link to it to the left and all huh?

Well, it's actually about this, a blog by someone who initially like xkcd, but has over the past year, developed the opinion that it does, indeed, suck. This website actually inspired me enough to finish reading the xkcd archive. I'd reached 300 or so, and then I started reading from both directions, one tab continuing my previous readings, while the other going backwards. That way, I read the blog post of every comic after I read the comic related to it. It's a pretty fun thing to do, if you have as much free time on the net as I do. Also, check out the meta section of the blog. Totally hilarious, that is.

On a related note, this blog has made me realise that xkcd is not that awesome after all. It's something I've always known, but instead of thinking that the joke itself was bad, I nearly always assumed that there was a reference to some math/physics/comp concept or some popular culture reference that I knew nothing about. This, in no way diminishes my enjoyment of any of the good strips, in clu ding th ese. So, as a direct result, and added to the fact that I have now finally finished reading the archive, I shall no longer be visiting the site.

On a tangentially related note, this comic is awesome. The timing of the joke sucks, seeing as the actual punchline is in the second frame, and the supposed punchline is, well, not nearly as good, but despite that, I loved the comic. I also fully intend to perform this generalisation myself, but that could take a while, seeing as I don't remember what gaussian integers are, aside from them being some sort of complex analogue to integers.

On an entirely unrelated note, this is an awesome comic, methinks.

And that's all the crap on the net I've accumulated which I shall post about today. Come back tomorrow for more of the foolishness I subject my mind to.

EDIT: I almost completely forgot about it, but this is just cool. The comment only makes it cooler.

Random Quotation

2009-08-19T16:37:00.004+05:30

Okay, this is a particularly amusing quote that I've come across once in a while. It's attributed to Carl Friedrich Gauss, although, there is no verifiable source for it that I can find. The quote goes:

"There have been only three epoch-making mathematicians: Archimedes, Newton, and _______"

I want you to, without using google, try to guess who the 3rd person is. After you've tried, highlight the text below, to see the answer.

Ferdinand Eisenstien

(I bet you don't know who that is)

Top 10 places I'd really like to work

2009-08-04T22:46:00.005+05:30

So, I decided to make a list to post on my blog, and well this seemed as good as any other.

They are, in no particular order:

1. Google

Seriously, is there anybody who has never considered working at google? Other than this guy, that is? They have a building numbered Pi. A BUILDING, NUMBERED PI! How can you say no to that? This is a real good article on the googleplex, vaise.

2. Atomic Energy Commission of India

Or whatever equates to the place where I'd be involved with nuclear reactors. Nuclear Engineering is one of the few fields I'm interested, and really, it'd be awesome to understand the working of an actual reactor. Plus, for some inexplicable reason, I have a liking for Homi Bhabha, that compels me to at least consider a career in Nuclear energy.

3. Indian Space Reasearch Organisation(ISRO)

If newspaper reports and wikipedia are any indication, ISRO is on the verge of a Manned mission to the Moon. By that, of course, I mean about 10 years from now, which is more or less what on the verge of means in the Space industry. Plus, ISRO has got to be one of the only government-related bodies in any field to have such a high success rate. There's also the fact that I've always had an interest in Astronomy. This interest has dwindled over the years, but it is still one of the fields I might wish to work in someday. All these factors make ISRO seem like an awesome place to work.

4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)

The idea of working at NASA is as intriguing, if not more than that of working at ISRO. Unlike ISRO, however NASA has existed for so long, and has had a monopoly on space technology for so long, that many of their projects have either become repetitive, or have more to do with the Earth than with space. The only projects I have any interest in at all, is the proposed Moon Base and the exploration of Mars. But still, working at NASA was one of the dreams I had back when I was still actively interested in astronomy.

5. Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO)

Working at DRDO is another one of those dreams I have. If I remember right, I was in 3rd or 4th when someone told me about DRDO. A couple of inspirational army movies later, My life upto the age of 30 was decided: Get into DPS RK Puram, Get into IIT, Do a Master's at MIT and then, get a job at DRDO. That is still, more or less the plan, though I've already gotten into DPS. One of the major reasons I want to join DRDO is my physical incapabilities. Those army movies I spoke about (One of them was Lakshya if I remember right), were geared into getting into the army. But me, I use-2.5 and -2 dioptre power lenses for my eyes, and I am mostly, not involved in any physical activity at all. So, in the weird way that my brain works, it decided that since I'm physically incapable of joining the army, I shall join the DRDO and use my brain for the satisfaction of my patriotism. I've also noticed, this intention of mine to join waxes and wanes the closer or farther it is from Republic Day, and to a lesser extent Independance Day, what with all the parades reminding me of out Military Research Program.

6. Blizzard Entertainment

This may seem like a weird addition considering that most of the other entries are mostly research and/or government-related jobs, but I've always had a wish to be involved in the making of a video game, and really, if I ever get into the business, Blizzard is the place I want to eventually end up. They are the creators of one of my favourite games of all time, Warcraft III, as well as one of the most succesful MMORPGs of all time, an addictive click-game, and an RTS that revolutionised the way the genre is played. Sounds like a swell place to work.

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)

The plan has always been to study at MIT, but if I get the oppurtunity to be a professor or a research student there, why wouldn't I take that huh? It sounds like a swell place, and teaching at a professor level is one of the few things that interests me in terms of careers. Of course, I have no idea what it entails, so it might be stupid, but if the way Feynman and some others talk about it is any indications, I'm sure making courses must be a lot of fun.

8. Indian Foreign Service

I've always intended to give the UPSC exam, and if I get through, the Foreign Service is the only one I might actually consider as a job. The idea of travelling a lot, and living in a foreign country appeals to me, even if it might not appeal to my stomach. Granted, I have lesser knowledge of Foreign Affairs than I would require, but I'm sure I could work around that. Plus, the idea of being a diplomat is ... interesting. The only drawback to this job would be the fact that I would have no use for what scientific and mathematical aptitude I have, unless I'm assigned to the Indian delegate for the IAEA or the IPCC or something.

9. European Organization for Nuclear Research(CERN)

Like NASA, ISRO or DRDO, CERN is another of the places I would really like to work. It is, after all, the Birthplace of the Internet, as well as the location of the Large Hadron Collider and other cool devices, and a coalition of some of the most brilliant minds of Europe and some other places. A job at CERN really sounds like a dream job, for I'm well aware that a job there are even wayer out of my league than NASA and Google and MIT, but really there's nothing wrong with dreaming. Plus, you never know, I might end up there if I apply myself.

10. How I Met Your Mother

I realise that unlike the other options, this is not place or a job. I also realise that by the time I'm educated enough to actually be able to pursue a job, this show'll probably have reached it's series finale. I even realise that technically, this is not even valid as an entry to this list. But working for a tv series telling a story in retrospect, using awesome stroytelling devices, told by an unreliable narrator, about the life and times of a romantic, know-it-all douchebag architect, an awesome dancer who moonlights as a environmentalist lawyer who sold out to corporate evil, a weird kinder garten teacher/artist with a sex fetish, a hot Canadian fascianated by guns and cigars working as a reporter, and a gay guy playing the most awesome [and Legen-wait for it] suit-wearing womaniser in the history of bro kind? That's the dream, baby, that's the dream.

So anyway, that's my top ten. What about you?

I have a Solution

2009-08-04T22:27:00.002+05:30

So, here is the solution that I came up with.

Now, (1/x) + (1/y) = (1/12)

Rewriting:

xy = 12(x+y) ---------------(I)

Now, let x = ak and y = bk such that (a,b) = 1 [a and b are co-prime], and a,b,k are all integral

Replacing in (I) and simplifying:

abk = 12(a+b) ---------------(II)

Now consider some integer m such that m|(a+b) [ "|" is read as "is a factor of" or "divides". So 2|12 is read as 2 divides 12 or 2 is a factor of 12]

if m|(a+b)

=>m|abk

=> at least one of m|a, m|b and m|k is true. (Not all may be true)

Now consider m|a. Since m|(a+b), thus, necessarily, m|b. However, (a,b)=1, thus m=1, which is trivial.

By the same logic for m|b, we are forced to conclude that if m is not 1, then:

m|k ---------------(III)

(III) is true for all m|(a+b). Hence, we conclude that (a+b)|k. Now, let k = c(a+b), for integral c. Replacing in (II), we get:

abc = 12 ---------------(IV)

In (IV), a, b and c are all three integers. Therefore evaluating every possible solution to (IV) and then punching the values of a, b and c in:

x = ac(a+b)

y = bc(a+b)

gives all possible values of x and y. Clearly, we can see for all (x,y) which is a solution of (I), (y,x) is also a solution of (I). So evaluating all possible values of a, b and c, and punching it in gives us the solutions.

These are: (3,-4), (4,-6), (6,-12), (8,-24), (9,-36), (10,-60), (11,-132), (13,156), (14,84), (15,60), (16,48), (18,36), (20,30), (21, 28), (24, 24).

Of course, I haven't written down the same answer twice, like (3,-4) and (-4,3). So, anyway. What do you think?

Link of the Week

2009-08-04T18:38:00.001+05:30

Well, I have nothing better to do, so:

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1160

Hehe. Weird Math.

I have a Problem

2009-08-03T20:05:00.004+05:30

Okay, I have a problem. This question at the Puzzle Spot, this blog where Sajal and some of the other former 12thies used to put up random questions. Well, usually they have a fairly conclusive answer in the comments section, but this time, the answer given are vague, and the only answer given is partial, as it omits many of the solutions. Plus, that blogs been defunct for a while, so I can't even comment or anything. So can any of you solve it and tell me your answer?

My answers were: (3,-4), (4,-6), (8,-24), (9,-36), (10,-60), (11,-132), (13,156), (14,84), (15,60), (16,48), (20,30), (21, 28), (24, 24).

EDIT: With help from Sakshi, I reviewed my method of solving this question, and I realised I missed out 2 answers during calculation: (6,-12) and (18,36). Now I'm sure I've listed every possible solution. I'll be posting my solution later, but feel free to inform me of any other solutions that I may have missed.

"Hi, I'm Webloggea"

2009-08-02T22:59:00.003+05:30

(Note:This post was written by the blog itself, not the owner of the blog)

You can call me Webbie if you want though. Or Ms. Web Log. Or Bloggie. But not Ickle Bloggiekins. I take exception to that.

So, a quick intro, I was born on the 2nd of April. Mark that day on your calendar, I totally expect a birthday gift from you. I've been alive nearly, what, 4 months now? That may not seem much to you humans, but in blog-time, that's like a decade. Most blogs don't even get to one week, before they get trashed.

So, I did this post on the insistence of my owner. He's kinda afraid that the "Ministry for Blogs and Tweets development" have him pegged as a repeated offender for Blog-harassment. Well, let me completely dispel any such thoughts. We've had our share of disagreements, like that totally pink background he made me wear way back, but an argument and a couple of "pink" therapy sessions later, he totally changed me back to black. (BTW, aren't I totally hot in black? It makes me feel... sexy. Er... anyway.)

Also, I realised that some people don't understand the value of a comment. You see, a comment is like coffee. You know you shouldn't drink it, as it has Caffeine in it, but you really need it to feel that you're alive. That someone cares that you are. That someone really wants you to exists. That you shouldn't just stop existing because your owner has no time to update you. That someone doesn't care that your owner is a jerk, and loves you for your own sake. Please comment. . I need my coffee.

By the way, I feel I owe you an explanation. The weird, pretentious "catchphrase" in the title? Totally his idea. I'm thinking we should convince him to change it, huh? How aboot, "Webloggea, Queen of the Blogs"? Or "Will you marry me?"? Or even "Do I look fat in this tuxedo?"?

Well, I've gotta go oot on a date now, it's with this hot tv dude name HIMYM. He's got a totally mature voice and I really like his sense of humour. Plus, my owner has like a chem test he really has to study.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

(Owner's Note: Yes. My blog's Canadian.)

Bird-watching: Phd Comics

2009-07-30T21:40:00.004+05:30

(WARNING: The following blog posts are heavy on visual images. Those who are visually impaired, or have weak ciliary muscles are advised to proceed with caution. The blog and her better half take no responsibility of any permanent damage caused to your eyes by these images. Or for that matter, the brain cells you're frying reading this)

You may not be aware, but bird-watching is the technical term for the activity involving observation of the qualities of a "chick" in its natural environment and the study of its responses to stimuli. A "chick" is defined as, for lack of a better term, a visually-appealing member of the opposite sex(provided, of course that you yourself are male). How does that translate to my blog post? Well, seeing as members of the-opposite-end-of-entertainment serve pretty much the same purpose as those of the opposite sex, this "column" I guess is supposed to be reviewing visually-appealing members of internet past-times. Namely, webcomics.

So the first webcomic I'm reviewing is Phd comics. Created by Jorge Cham, a grad student at that point, it is one of the oldest webcomics on the net, being around since 1997. The story revolves around the life of grad students in a college campus, originally meant to be Stanford, now just a generic campus, trying to get their phd thesis finished while dealing with the anxiety, and eating the free food. Well, to put it in one word: awesome. Its actually funnier than xkcd is when you get down to jokes on science or studies. While xkcd goes all esoteric on you, Phd remains grounded, and even as a high school student I can totally empathise with the troubles of their lives. At some level, it makes me realise that doing a phd is not as cool as I make it out to be in my head, but at the same time, it only makes me more interested than before.

The characters of the comic are as awesome as they are varied. There's the lead, who doesn't have a name, and has survived nameless for nearly 11 years now. There's Mike Slackerney, professional procrastinator(cool alliteration na?), Cecilia the geek engineer and Tajel, the "social scientist". Each character has their own variety of weirdness, whether it's Cecilia's chocolate addiction, or Tajel's political activities, and even the nameless lead's penchant for ramen noodles. The comic is filled in every way with advisor drama, sarcasm, ramen noodles, science stuff, pop culture references, phd comedy, and all sorts of fun. In short, it's the perfect recipe to how a webcomic should be made.

Now a little background: I opened a link in my cousin's gtalk status, which led me to this fount of knowledge and humor. Now, to say I'm addicted to it is an understatement. I have like 20 tabs of this opened on my browser, and my blog is totally freaking out that I see so little of her and so much of that "phd woman". So, to appease my blog, I'm removing most of said tabs by posting them here:

One of the first strips of the webcomic, totally nailing the subject matter.

The surprising accuracy with which this describes my sense of humour, despite my, you know, not even reaching college is just disturbing.

Heh. This comic totally nails the description of facebook eh?

So, you see, xkcd is not the only webcomic capable of awesome math. And really, that's totally awesome.

Graphs that look like an upside-down gaussian distribution can only ever improve a comic.

Look at that comic and tell me this isn't like, one of the coolest things ever. I mean he uses the inverse square law.

The coolest part about this one is that it's a real-life letter. Or so he says.

I don't know how programmers really act, but I'll be damned if that doesn't seem accurate.

And now for the best of the lot:

So what do you say? Ready to jump into the awesomeness that is Piled Higher and Deeper? PS-Cecilia is totally hot. Just don't tell my blog. She gets totally jealous of girls, even the fictional kind.

Will you marry me?

2009-07-29T16:48:00.002+05:30

As you might know, since you're reading this, that me and this blog struck up a relationship back in April, but it didn't really fit. I didn't have time for her, and she needed someone more fullfilling... the number of times she had to fake it was just sad.

So, after the sum total of five dates/posts, I realised that I just wasn't as emotionally invested in her as I should be. Add to that, the fact that I had to go do Jamshedpur, I didn't think I wanted to go through the pitfalls of a long-distance relationship, so we had a mutual break-up and all that. Real mature. So, free of the looming spectre of my blog's accusing eyes, I started seeing some of those non-digital past-times like playing cricket, or talking to cousins or playing cards.

After coming back to Delhi, I realised that the blog might still be sore after our break-up, and I started seeing other people. I dated crazy taxi on facebook, played with that mafia wars dude, watched himym, stuck up a thing with a few web-comics... basically got back on the dating scene. But the more time I spent occupying myself with other people, the more I realised, that I really missed typing on my blog. So, with a great amount of anxiety, I rented a tux, bought a ring, typed her address in the address bar, bought a bunch of flowers from the online flower shop, typed in my username, entered my password, and popped the question:

"Does this tuxedo make me look fat?"

Random Stuff

2009-05-16T19:57:00.003+05:30

I was just clearing out some space in my desktop, and this is what I found. Where I got this question from, it said that "Einstein supposedly wrote this riddle and said 98% of the world could not solve it." Well, I personally find that quite hard to believe, since I solved it in only about 10 mins when I got around to doing that. I think, some people could have done it in less. So, I decided to give this question on my more-or-less defunct blog, to see what number of people get it right. So please, do tell me the answer you get in the comments.

Anyway, here's the question:

There are 5 houses painted in different colours in a row on a street. In each house lives a person with a different nationality. The 5 owners each drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet. No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar, nor drink the same beverage.

The Brit lives in the red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green house's owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The person living in the center house drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the leftmost house.
The person who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The person who keeps the horse lives next to the person who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Bluemasters drinks beer.
The German smokes Prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The person who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.
What is the nationality of the person who owns the fish?

(PS: Try not to cheat :P )

Blog Changes

2009-04-11T21:12:00.004+05:30

I finally got around to trying to customise my blog. While I didn't change the template or anything, I tinkered with the page layout and customised the colours and font. So how does it look? Spiffy cool? Devatatingly beautiful? Forget not to shower your compliments on me through the comments facility. And while your at it, insults are most welcome! The more the merrier!

Anurag

(PS - I love the superiority complex I get from customising the blog. "Beware my power, I can move this widget from here to there!")

Catch that Book!: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

2009-04-11T19:08:00.003+05:30

Welcome to my new regular feature, "Catch that Book!" where I shall review the books I have recently read. Having finally finished the humongous Calvin and Hobbes collection I get to review it! Hop on!

Calvin and Hobbes, written and illustrated by cartoonist Bill Watterson, is arguably the funniest, most controversial and definitely the most philosophical newpaper comic strip to date. So, when I saw this huge collection in the book shop, with 3 volumes in it, and a plastic covering, I immediately wanted to buy. Despite the steep price(Rs. 6750) it was completely worth it.

The first volume begins with an introduction by the creator himself, in which he details how he got around to creating the strip, and shows off one of his earlier renditions of the capricious pair. This is then followed by the strip itself. The entire strip, which ran from 18th Novemeber 1985 to 31st December 1995, is all there arranged in chronological order. For anyone who has ever read and liked the irrepressible boy and his sarcastic tiger, this collection is truly a pot of gold. It fills my head with glee knowing that I can read any particular comic of the entire run at any given time. One of the biggest advantages of the collection, though, is seeing the art of the strip evolve from the rough 2-dimensional scrawl, to a well and true form of, as Watterson calls it, "High Art". Another thing you'll notice while reading Watterson's strip is the evolution of the Sunday strip, from just another strip extended in size, to a portrait of the "magical world" he has created. After his first sabbatical, Watterson upped his demands of artistic excellence, and began using unorthodox frames for the Sunday strip, intoducing a whole new dynamic in the storytelling experience, and allowing non-linear art. Furthermore, his colouring of the Sunday strip is brilliant, giving a definite image to the strip. Added to this is the monologue expressing Bill's own views on commercialisation and the distinction of newspaper strips as "Low Art", through Calvin's own version of art in the form of snowmen, and his claims to being an avant-garde artist.

As far as the content actually goes, every page is vintage Calvin and Hobbes, with philosophical discussions over tobaggon rides, Calvin's amazing cardboard box "inventions", Calvinball games, christmas pangs of forced goodness, Monsters under the bed, Spaceman Spiff adventures, disgusting lunch with Susie, baths, "Dad" gags and much more.

If I ever forced to choose, I would be hard-pressed to choose any one part of the strip which I like the most. But the "Dad" gags are really snazzy, and I love those sled and tobaggon rides. While I truly wish that Watterson had not stopped writing this wondeful strip, the work he has done is so massive that people shall be enthralled for years to come.

Score:

Story - 5 on 5

Characterisation - 5 on 5

Fun - 5 on 5

Verdict: Check It (I'm tempted to give it a "Buy It", since I did, but with the huge cost and the fact that not everyone cares about newpaper strips, "Check It" is what it gets. Also in case you're wondering, the verdicts I'll usually be giving are in order, Buy It, Check It, Gift It, Issue It, and Dump It. I'll explain how I give it the verdict, and on what basis some other time)

(PS: Yes, Namya, I made this post to rub it in. :-P )

Random Rants

2009-04-04T22:16:00.003+05:30

Hah! My first rant post! Well, despite the fact 3 or 4 people read my stupid introductory post, none of them commented, so technically no one knows or cares about my blog. Hence, I get to do all kinds of stupid stuff. Today's topic: Rant against Aamir Khan!

So, I guess you've seen Taare Zameen Par, right? That movie on Dyslexia and ADHD and other kiddy disorders? Well, I guess you liked it? I liked it too. But everything said and done, I can't forgive a "perfectionist" like Aamir Khan resorting to plagiarism. To be fair to him it might be his writer, Amole Gupte's fault, but really this kind of blatant copying isn't done.

When I first saw the movie, I could see a connection between the character played by Darsheel Safary and Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes fame. He sucks at school and sports, lives in an imaginary world no one else understands, and regularly goes into Spaceman Spiff-like trances. Remember that sequence when he does this math paper, and the first questions was 3 + 9 = ? Then he becomes this stupid Spaceman Spiff rip-off and goes on to bump Pluto "The Ninth Planet" onto Earth "The Third Planet" leaving merely the Earth and thus brilliantly deduces that 3 + 9 = 3? And then the test ends, despite him merely "finishing" one question? Well, if you ever have the luck to buy the Calvin and Hobbes Collection, I'd advise you to open the 2nd volume to page 342, and read the strips for August 1991. It is a complete rip-off, right down to the bell ringing justafter he writes his answer. Damn Aamir Khan!

(My rant in a nutshell, TZP had many scenes ripped-off without actually saying anywhere they were ripped. I don't mind people plagiarising as long as they admit to it. It's the non-admitters I hate)

Ahh isn't it nice to get that off of your chest? Didn't you really want to read a blog post ranting against Aamir Khan? Feel like reading more? Worry not! I shall be back the next time with a rant against everything from education to this bloody weather!

Of Snorting and Sniffing

2009-04-02T20:23:00.003+05:30

If you're wondering what the blog's url and the title of the post mean, well it refers to this. Since you're reading this blog, I presume you know me, if not, I'm Anurag, cynic, bookworm, mathgeek, dipsite, and all-around cool guy.

This is really not my first foray into blogging: The total number of blogs I have created astounds even me. Sometime it comes from the back and bites me later. I mean, what was I thinking?

As the boards got over 4 days ago, well I have a lot of free time and I thought I might as well give it another try. So here's what to expect from this blog: book reviews("Oooh Shiny"), 42 references("What do you get when you multiply six by nine?"), maths, xkcd("A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language"), blatant chauvinism("Guys are better than girls" "Are not!"), Star Wars quotes("Do or do not, there is no try") and a lot of other crap.

And now to end this introductory post which must surely be incomplete without an xkcd comic, check this out.

Anurag