Strange math?

Sometimes even simple math is all but intuitive.   Would you guess that one third plus half of one third equals to one half?

Becomes obvious when doubled (2/3 + 1/3 = 1).

We are the lottery winners

We are always surprised to see even numbers, as if they were less likely than non even ones.   The cashier is always surprised when the total with taxes comes to 40 dollars even.   But other numbers surprise us too -- the other day I saw a gas station sign with "Gas:123.4 - Propane:78.9", and I freaked out!

The reason why we care so much about even numbers, or progressions, or palindromes is that we consider them special.   And they definitely are, if only because they're easier to remember.

Another special number is obviously the one on the lottery ticket that we just bought.   If it does get extracted, then we'd be more than just surprised.   Most of us would start thinking of destiny and fate.

The thing is that when a special number turns out of random chance we tend to mystify the situation as if something equally special must have contributed to it happening.   In reality, in all fair cases, nothing contributed... it was just chance.   We're only having that thought after the fact.   And after the fact the probability of something that did happen is 100%.

This expands to the transcendental.   What are the odds that, of all possible combinations of elements, we ended up with an Earth that allowed the development of intelligent forms of life?   The odds are 100% because it did happen.   For how unlikely that that is, we wouldn't be wondering about it if we weren't here.   We are the lottery winners!

Wish I was taping...

Sometimes I wish there was a VCR hooked up to my eyes... So many good pictures that a camera would never have the time to take.   Like yesterday, when within 10 minutes a little girl on a glass elevator with her mom and sister was looking lost while fogging the glass underneath her nose in the shape of an almond; when, just outside, a square faced kid was very happy to be in her mom's 'backpack' carrier bouncing up and down as if he was horseback riding; and when a novice driver was looking intense with her pointy tongue sticking out of her mouth right after backing up too fast and slamming on the brakes when trying to get a big sedan with 2 wheels on the sidewalk out of a parking stall.   Well, fortunately at least we have photographic memory.

No thirteenth floor, sorry

Isn't this close to the stupidest thing ever?

The first 5 minutes of the day

I wrote about this before.   I think when I wake up in the morning I am temporarily slightly smarter.   I am able to connect things that didn't appear related, I am able to realize that there is a problem with something that I'm doing, I am able to find a solution.

However, when I try to implement the idea, I usually realize that it can't be used as is, things are more complicated and wouldn't actually work.

This brings me to the conclusion that the first 5 minutes of the day I am able to think without too many preconceptions, go back to the source of the problem, find the 'ideal solution.'   Then of course the ideal solution has to deal with the complexity of reality, but it still helps.

So many questions

• Do birds sometimes fly just for fun?
• Do trees of the same kind talk with each other?   They bloom together, their leaves fall together...   Are they twins?
• Does anybody actually read book introductions?
• Can street lights spontaneously go out and then come back on?
• How come cars' bumpers are not all at the same height?
• How come do I rush to close the MS Calculator right after each use?
• Why do over 50% of kids under 10 have wheels under their shoes these days?

When the escalator is not working...

...why do I stutter on the first steps?   I have a few theories:

• The first steps have variable rise -- in normal stairways the rise is constant.
  
• The expectation that it should move is violated -- the disbelief may be confusing.
• The treads are striped -- this may give visual disorientation.

Best Before

Am I the only one still finding cryptic expiry dates on products?
This one (click to zoom out) is particularly bad.   Thanks to Google I was able to figure out that 334 is November 31st, 12:48 is probably when it was packed, but I still don't know the year.

Chewing gum

Not sure why, but when I'm chewing a gum I feel about 10% tougher.

Does the act of chewing boost confidence?   Just like with cigarettes for smokers...

Is it the mechanical action per se, or does it recall a stereotype created by the media?