Boffin wins (Ig) Nobel prize asking if cats can be liquid 2017's Ig Nobel prizes have been awarded, again with the aim of shining a light on science that first makes you laugh and then makes you think. Some of this year's most interesting awards are: Physics – To Antoine Fardin, for using fluid dynamics to probe the question "Can a Cat Be Both a Solid and a Liquid?” in On the …
Cats are merely boneless. Everybody knows that.
Gambling is for people who can't do math(s). Gators don't figure into it.
One wonders if the inserted beat makes mommy-to-be ... uh .... er ... "smile", that's it ... and baby gets the endorphin rush.
People who are disgusted by cheese were brought up by abusive parents.
"Cats are merely boneless. Everybody knows that."
Actually cats' insides don't inhabit the same dimension as the rest of them. This answers many things about cats. Why they turn up in odd places, etc. They are actually sentient alien drones, designed to examine every part of a world to decide if it is worth invading. It wasn't, apparently. But some of the drones decided that since they could train the top indiginous species easily, they wanted to bunk off and didn't go back. Being Von Neumann machines they replicated and, well, we have the current situation now.
"Gambling is for people who can't do math(s). Gators don't figure into it."
Personally, if you are anywhere near a Gator, there is an element of risk, one could say gambling.
Can't argue with your last two observations. Cheese rules. After cats, that is.
> if you are anywhere near a Gator, there is an element of risk,
Years ago, I stupidly went to a zoo in Malawi. There was a sign - "Crocodiles" - pointing down a narrow fenced lane, the fencing just some chicken wire, not especially secure. This lane ended, and I looked across to a pool, wondering where the crocodile(s) were? I then glanced down to find the rather large croc at my feet*, with just some chicken wire between it an me.
The science is that I discovered a Boolean variation of Schrödinger's cat - you can have clean undies or you can be standing next to a crocodile with nothing between you except chicken wire.
-
* It was probably old, toothless, used to visitors or couldn't be bothered. It wasn't dead, and neither am I, I think, so I'm guessing...
>>Actually cats' insides don't inhabit the same dimension as the rest of them. This answers many things about cats. Why they turn up in odd places, etc. They are actually sentient alien drones, designed to examine every part of a world to decide if it is worth invading
So basically they're just an intrusion into our universe of pan-dimensional hyper-intelligent beings?
I think you'll find that's mice.
They don't even use big hard men, unless you're on the list.
I've had the very polite representative of the house inform me that my bets will not be accepted at blackjack, but other games are available. Poker is popular as it's gamblers fleecing each other with a skim for the house.
Most of the gaming houses around these parts only have house favoured games anyway. Slots, roulette and poker, no blackjack.
"Obligatory request for Pterry icon."Seconded, again.
Since you mention it, I think it is high time we started a campaign. Haven't had one in ages!
Rather than overtaxing the El Reg staffers though, perhaps we could propose some kind of 'unsung genius' icon that could also apply to Douglas Adams?
There are several icons that are hardly ever used - just re-purpose those - how hard can it be?
"How about a 42 crossed with a scythe in the background?"
Whilst I applaud your creative thinking, the prevalence of quotes from both The Greatest Procrastinator That Ever Did Live (‘I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by.’), and Sir Pterry surely call for their own unique icons?
I would recommend for Mr Adams, a cup of really hot tea? And for Sir Pterry, a black, wide brimmed Fedora?
"There are several icons that are hardly ever used - just re-purpose those - how hard can it be?"
Nearly sounding like an end-user there! Let's do this properly. Submit an RFC as a non-standard change for CAB consideration, raise SRs as required on the back of that. Wait for six weeks. Send an email wondering where the change went. Wait three more weeks. Give up.
Job well done.
Nearly sounding like an end-user there! Let's do this properly. Submit an RFC as a non-standard change for CAB consideration, raise SRs as required on the back of that. Wait for six weeks. Send an email wondering where the change went. Wait three more weeks. Give up
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....thump.
You pretty much just described my day. I come to El Reg to take my mind *off* work you sod :P
Re. Also Douglas Adams...
He would have loved Mobile Phones. I was thinking the other day what would he have made of the feature of modern life where everyone* getting in a lift is looking at their phone?
*Except me - I was holding my phone but looking at the other people looking at their phones
Casinos don't need to do maths, the odds are already in their favour.
And how do you suppose that happy circumstance was arrived at? By thoroughly understanding probability. How do they set up new games and expect to bring in the money? Same answer. Why do they prevent collusion between players? Now we're on to game theory. So yes, they do in fact need to understand maths or risk going out of business.
Mine has a copy of Radner on Dice in the pocket.
"Casinos don't need to do maths, the odds are already in their favour."
With one exception: Blackjack. In that game the odds are about 50:50.
You can win by counting cards (which will get you kicked out) or statistically by standing at 17+ every time.
One wonders if the inserted beat makes mommy-to-be ... uh .... er ... "smile", that's it ... and baby gets the endorphin rush.
On the other hand: The fetus spends most of its time sleeping.
So is that "strong response" to music the same one I have when the neighbors start blasting their music at 3am?
Can a cat be poured into two separate containers at the same time?
Yes:
https://arxiv.org/abs/1601.05505
"Quantum superpositions of distinct coherent states in a single-mode harmonic oscillator, known as "cat states", have been an elegant demonstration of Schrodinger's famous cat paradox. Here, we realize a two-mode cat state of electromagnetic fields in two microwave cavities bridged by a superconducting artificial atom, which can also be viewed as an entangled pair of single-cavity cat states. We present full quantum state tomography of this complex cat state over a Hilbert space exceeding 100 dimensions via quantum non-demolition measurements of the joint photon number parity. The ability to manipulate such multi-cavity quantum states paves the way for logical operations between redundantly encoded qubits for fault-tolerant quantum computation and communication. "
https://litterkwitter.com/
My daughter has trained her cat to use one of these. When I visit it is pretty surreal to be lying in bed and hearing the cat taking a piss in the toilet next door, especially as due to my advancing years the bastards flow rate is greater than mine.
This post has been deleted by its author
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
