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31-Aug-2004
Last activity
4-Dec-2019
Posts
421

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Post
#80715
Topic
Myths
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80715/action/topic#80715
Time
Thanks Shimmy, that's a good post.

I read up on recent entropy theories, and that is very interesting. It seems (with a cursory understanding) that for the theory to work, a system (life form) would need to absorb energy for a short time; to configure more complex proteins and such, to reach a state where it can then equalize faster. This does not seem logical to me; if you have a tub of water with two exit spouts, one higher and larger than the other, the water will not flow up to the larger spout simply because it can exit the tub faster from there, and in the long run drain the tub faster and obey the law of gravity faster. In the same way, it seems unlikely that heat/energy would flow into a system or molecule to accelerate long term dissipation. If you have a heated cabin in the middle of a snowy forest, the heat is not going to localize on a window to melt a hole in the glass so that it can ultimately exit the cabin faster.

But, as I said, I have a cursory understanding of the new perspective on thermodynamics. Definitely worth delving into.

There is the disjoint between biology (progression towards order) and thermodynamics (progression towards disorder). This new perspective on thermodynamics resolves them by proposing a short term or localized movement towards order in the midst of a long-term or large scale movement towards disorder. The other possible resolution is that biology is not moving toward order but disorder. If you assume the atom as the starting point and look at the present, then biology must be increasing in order. But if you look at things like rate of extinction compared to rate of species generation...or increasing cancer rates (that is, the harmful mutation of DNA)...and trace that line all the way back to origin, it points to a MORE complex biological history rather than a less complex biological history.

While the first step in that reasoning may be ok, I know under current theories (creation/evolution) the conclusion is harder to take. Let me just say, it's ok to say "we don't know." No one is going to force you to support creationism if you question evolution (or if they do, that's unfair). I'm not arguing for God here, I'm just offering some points on evolution that don't always get mentioned, and I think have some validity. Or at least are worth addressing.
Post
#80616
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80616/action/topic#80616
Time
To what plural English word can you ADD an 's' to make a singular word? (not the singular version of the same word, but a different, singular word)

And as an addition, although it's not quite a riddle, my girlfriend wants to know "what do you call a deer with no eyes?"
Post
#80581
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80581/action/topic#80581
Time
U = unknown
R = confirmed regular
H = possibly heavy
L = possibly light

1: UUUU UUUU
If they are even:
8R and 4U

____2: UU UR
____If they are even:
____11R and 1U

________3: U R – see if the unknown is heavier or lighter

____If they are uneven:
____9R, 2H, 1L or 9R, 2L, 1H (the three unknowns in weighing 2 are either heavier or lighter depending on which side went down)

________3: H H or L L
________If even, the unweighted L or H is the rogue and you already know if it is heavier or lighter.
________If uneven, it is the heavier or lighter of the two, depending what your pair is.

If they are uneven:
4H, 4L, 4R

____2: HHHL HRRR (or LLLH LRRR, same logic applies)
____If they are even:
____One of the 3 unweighed L’s is a light rogue.

________3: L L
________If they are even:
________The third is the rogue. If uneven, the lighter of the two is the rogue.

____If the left side is heavier:
________One of the 3 H’s from the left is a heavy rogue. Same as above.

____If the right side is heavier:
________The L on the left or the H on the right are rogue. Pick one and weigh it with an R. The outcome will tell you which is rogue, and
________they are already H or L so you know if it is heavy or light.
Post
#80580
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80580/action/topic#80580
Time
I'm going to be gone over the weekend, so I'm going to post the answer (or an answer, there might be other ways) so the thread won't die. If you want to keep working it out, don't read the next post.

Other than that, the thread is open. First person to ask a riddle gets control!
Post
#80532
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80532/action/topic#80532
Time
I'm just saying, if you weigh 3 and 3 and one side goes down, you don't know if the side that went down contains a heavy BB or if the side that went up contains a light BB. If you pick wrong, you're going to get extra weighings in there.

Using your strategy, worst case scenario:
1: six and six.
2: take the heavier side, 3 and 3. Comes out even.
3: take the other six, 3 and 3. One side is lighter.
4: NOW you're down to 3. Weigh 2 of them and find the light BB.

Since the rogue BB can be either heavier or lighter, and you don't know which, you can't eliminate them that way.

Edit: I went and re-read the question, and there is some room for ambiguity in there. To re-state: One BB weighs different than the rest. You don't know if it's heavier or lighter, just that it's different.
Post
#80472
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80472/action/topic#80472
Time
What if one of the BB's is lighter instead of heavier? How are you going to figure out if the higher side is is a light rogue or the lower side is a heavy rogue?

============

I'll give you all a HINT.

First weighing is 4 and 4. You need three weighings. How do you do it?
Post
#80407
Topic
Is it wrong to name your kids after a Star Wars character?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80407/action/topic#80407
Time
Hey Ric, is Mestre Boneco a national celebrity in Brazil? What does Boneco translate to?

For the rest of you, in Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial art, you get a nickname. Most people get it when they are young, then they grow up and still have their little kid nickname. My teachers have been Master Big Lips and Master Pinky. I went by Tomate, or tomato, because my Irish complection gets so red when I exert myself.

But it's a kick to see these big bad-ass Brazilians calling themselves "pinky" in public.
Post
#80394
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80394/action/topic#80394
Time
Then we're up to 4 weighings minimum, if we're lucky. If that next set you take off (#3) turns out to have the rogue, then you still need one more weighing (#4) to figure out if the H or the L is the rogue. If when you remove that pair (#3) and it's still unbalanced, you'll need 5 total weighings.

The answer is less than 5.
Post
#80386
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80386/action/topic#80386
Time
For ongoing discussion let's use this legend:
U = unknown
R = confirmed regular BB
H = potentially heavy BB
L = potentially light BB
HHU RRR = two H's and a U on one balance, three R's on the other...

I'm with you through the end of the second weighing.
1 = UUUUUU UUUUUU (gives you HHHHHH LLLLLL after weighing)
2 = HHH LLL
so regardless of if weighing 2 is even or uneven, you can assign HHH, LLL, and RRRRRR.

How does weighing 3 locate the BB out of the 3 H's and 3 L's?
Post
#80357
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80357/action/topic#80357
Time
Yeah, I don't know if I could have gotten it without the insight that it was USED in death to smell good rather than naturally smelling good. Wihtout that hint I was barking up every wrong tree in the forest.

As for the other riddle, yes, it's the scale of justice type of scale.

And we're looking for the minimum, not the maximum. Sorry if I glossed over that point.
Post
#80313
Topic
Riddles
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80313/action/topic#80313
Time
I'm deciding between a logic riddle and a word riddle...

I'll do logic first.

You have 12 BB's, all identical in appearance. 1 weighs EITHER slightly more or slightly less than the other 11, which are exactly alike. You have a balance scale.

How many weighings are required to definitively identify the rogue BB? (and how)
Post
#80312
Topic
Myths
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/80312/action/topic#80312
Time
I will absolutely grant that evolution has not been disproven. I will also grant that it is the best explanation, scientifically and logically, yet proposed. Thirdly, there is significant circumstantial evidence in the form of "related species." Birds and dinosaurs share characteristics, humans and apes share characteristics, and so forth.

As far as I know, there are only three explanations for species:

1) Life developed elsewhere and then species were deposited here by space aliens (the view espoused by Francis Crick, who found both evolution and God ridiculous)

2) Evolution

3) Divine intervention (Creationism, directed evolution, etc.)

Solution 1 solves the problem of no evidence of evolution on earth. Solution 2 has the benefit that you don't have to use the words "God" or "space alien". Solution 3 has no methodological problems but requires belief in the supernatural.

The problems with evolution I've already stated. Another is that the THEORY of evolution contradicts the LAW of thermodynamics (i.e. entropy). Usually that would be enough for most scientists.

Anyway, that's all I have. Starkiller? Closing comments? You get the last word.