Monthly Archive for November, 2003

Published
by
Gagan Kaul
on November 22, 2003
in General
. 0 Comments

Parallel Universe

Wow!! Here is some fodder for thought, and I mean serious thought. I had heard the concept of a parallel universe and all that string-theory stuff which sounded very greek to me. But I happened to stumble on a website BBC - Horizon - Parallel Universes which details the concept of parallel universe. It says that the dimensions exist much beyond the most well known number 3. The scientists believe that there are 11 dimensions and the eleventh dimension is where all the hoopla takes place. It further goes on to say that we are in a tiny bubble which is a part of an infinite membranous bubble structure. And that gravity is just the pull exerted on us by the antimatter or the parallel universe near us.

Hmm, sounds scary but interesting at the same time. Seems like another fiction becoming reality as things get discovered and sorted out. Check out this article as well for more on parallel universe.

Also, check out this Interview.

Published
by
Gagan Kaul
on November 12, 2003
in General
. 0 Comments

Nokia N-Gage Cracked

The Register reports that the security system built into Nokia’s N-Gage has been cracked, allowing other Symbian-based mobile handsets to play games designed for the Finnish handheld console-cum-phone.

So claims gaming web site Spong, without explaining how the crack works. But work it does. Siemens phone fan-site ClubSiemens has a series of pictures of the handset running the N-Gage title SonicN.

“The Ngage games runs very well on the SX1,” the site reports. “[You] just need to transfer the game file to the MMC and use a specific application to install the game. There is no lag at all and the sound is nice, especially when using the stereo headset. Graphics are perfect, just have to remember to press the hash key to get the game in fullscreen.”

This seems an interesting idea though stuff like this might lead to cracking and game piracy. I don’t know where this will lead to with respect to Nokia and what measures the company might take to prevent such a thing from happening.

Published
by
Gagan Kaul
on November 10, 2003
in General
. 0 Comments

Ruminations

I am reading a book, 777 Mathematical Conversation Starters by John dePillis. Its an interesting book with lots of quotes, poems, laws and anecdotes et al.

Herez some of them, and further I will keep updating this page with what I like from the book.

Robert Lee Moore (1882-1974) coined the term “point-set topology”. He is well known for his unique teaching method which, some would say, was less than minimalist. Learning by the student and teaching of the student was the responsibility of –the student. Moore’s pupils were obliged to avoid textbooks and all other references in favor of “discovery”. The result? After 64 years of teaching, Moore’s 50 doctoral students include three preseidents of the AMS and five presidents of MAA.

Probability vs. Determinism:

Billiard balls … are routinely invoked as the model of predictable physics. No one calls billiards a game of chance. All it requires to get the ball into the pockets is a well-measured poke of the perfectly positioned cue.

Dice on the other hand, [are perceived to be] the epitome of chance. Yet billiard balls and dice are both governed by the same physical laws.

So in the final analysis, chance lies in the clumsiness, the inexperience, or the naivete of the thrower– or in the eye of the observer. In fact, one might perfectly imagine a civilization in which the rolling of the dice would be a sport and billiards a game of chance.

Problem Solving:

Professionals in all areas are expected by their clients to exhibit one quality they are supposed to have in common — sound judgement. The following story provides an illustration:

In order to solve a persistent and intraceable probem with oneof its new multi-million dollar machines, a company contacted one of its recently retired engineers.

After studying the machine for a few hours, the engineer placed a small “x” in chalk on a particular component of the machine and proudly stated, ” This is where your problem is. Replace this part.” The part was replaced and the machine worked perfectly again. The company received a bill for $50,000 from the engineer for his service.

Feeling somewhat put upon, the company demanded an itemized accounting of the engineer’s charges. The engineer’s response read: One Chalk mark $1.00. Knowing where to put it, $ 49,999.00.