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Registered Since: 2005-11-05 21:20:06
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Posts by Sarah:
Geometry
April 1st, 2006The Naib has requested I put out a few more posts, particularly of the mathematical variety. I finished my math degree two years ago, so it actually is pretty fun for me to think about it now (although, I must admit, the classes got painful sometimes).
Anyway, I really like the Naib and am quite willing to accomodate him, so here is another one since I seem to be in a posting mood today.
Did you know that no one had ever been able to prove that the premises behind Eucidean Geometry (you know, where all triangles have 180 degrees-the geometry you did in high school, if you took geometry) were always true?
Turns out, you can have several types of geometry: Eucidean; the kind where you assume triangles have over 180 degrees; and the kind where you assume triangles have under 180 degrees.
As it turns out, one of the last two has been very useful in attempting to figure out how galaxies, black holes and the like work but for the ordinary Earth sized stuff, it is best to work with the assume a triangle has 180 degrees.
Maybe you knew that, maybe you didn’t. I, personally, found it to be fascinating.
My thoughts on Math Theory
April 1st, 2006Some people feel as though math theory is completely useless. “Why bother to prove all those math theories?” seems to be their “practical” viewpoint.
I, however, like to know that when I am doing calculus or trig or geometry, the steps and theorems that I envoke have actually been shown to work 100% of the time. And I know this because they have been proved using math theory. I mean, the things you do with calc and trig and geometry can be pretty important. Wouldn’t it suck if you suddenly stumbled upon the exception that proved a theory was incorrect?
Hydrogen Economy?
April 1st, 2006So, out of curiousity, who feels as though the hydrogen economy is on its way? I think I hope so, although wind seems a lot more promising right now. And I am not certain why wind is attracting so much more custom than solar. Hopefully the research on cheaper, more productive solar panels will change that.
Back to fuel cells: there is tons of research being done and lots of publications about why it is and is not plausible right now. I just went to an Energy fair and GM had their future fuel cell car out there (apparently they only have 2 made).
What sucks is that apparently the best way to get Hydrogen right now is to refine natural gas. Now, natural gas sure beats coal but I hope there is serious consideration for using wind and other renewables to produce Hydrogen.
The research is definitely started but it is so difficult to get a good idea of where things will end up.
Backgrounders
November 30th, 2005So, has everyone (or anyone) read the Backgrounders under Clean Power? They have a nice little section on the basic history, setting, whatever and then a very simplistic explanation of how the technology works with nicely simplified science. I quite liked them and highly recommend them. The author is extremely, um, excited by the workings of clean power.
Salt Marsh
November 9th, 2005I would like to know where on Cape Cod that beautiful little salt marsh that is at top of the Blogs is located.
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