Comments for Eccentricity

Comment on Mayan Multiplication and Anti-Realism by Craig

Craig — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:19:23 +0000

The method actually does make sense. Essentially you convert the first number into binary then multiply it. Multiplying by only powers of two is a lot easier than some nasty number that someone comes up with on the spot.

The ‘throwing away’ of the .5’s is actually quite the opposite than you would expect. When you convert to binary, the .5’s you get are marked with a 1 and correspond to the odd iterations you are keeping, and the whole numbers you get are marked with a zero and correspond to the even numbers which, since they still have a factor of two, are not needed in the final layout for the number.

Comment on Attacked by the Big Issue by Another Big Issue « Eccentricity

Another Big Issue « Eccentricity — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:27:24 +0000

[...] in Oxford, Random by Leila on January 27th, 2009 Now, I’ve not had the best luck with Oxford Big Issue sellers in the past and it looks like this trend it set to continue. There are a few Big Issue guys [...]

Comment on Mayan Multiplication and Anti-Realism by Kenny

Kenny — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:39:49 +0000

This is really strange yet cool in a way. And thanks for sharing this

Comment on Pheasants by PJ

PJ — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:05:41 +0000

It’s hunting season. Baby pheasants were laid down in the forests in the spring and had all summer to grow. Now they are all over the place for hunters to shoot.

Comment on St Andrews – Gay capital of the universe? by Marc j

Marc j — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:08:02 +0000

Hello, I don’t live in Saint Andrews but here is my point of view on homosexuality in western europe in general, i am gay:
I must say that i find the word “fashion” to be quite questionnable when it comes to sexual orientation. Being a homosexual is not about following a trend, or trying to be cool. We may not be as looked down on as former generations have been but it is still harder to be gay than heterosexual. It might not be true in saint andrews, but you still get bad looks, people whispering in your back when you’re holding hands with someone of the same sex.
Few people may like the attention, i know i don’t…
I think that what happens in your university is that people feel like they are in a tolerant environment and just want to experiment, we are all bisexuals to a certain extent after all.
As for another thing you said, i think that you are overestimating the number of homosexuals, the thing is that when people are in a tolerant environment, well, they feel free about their sexuality, and they don’t hide it. I think it’s the main reason why there are more homosexuals: while people used to pretend they were straight, marry someone and have kids, now they just want to live their life, without the pressure of society’s norms.

Comment on East Kilbride – home? by Tony MacDiarmid

Tony MacDiarmid — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:36:45 +0000

East KIlbride once was a pretty place. I spent my childhood there. Then it was a small, quiet village, surrounded by green fields and had a relatively stable population. The village and the community were systematically destroyed by a group of well-meaning vandals, posing as architects and town planners. They were known collectively as the East Kilbride Development Association. The destruction started in the late 1940’s with an influx of solid, ordinary people mostly from Glasgow. Unfortunately they brought a culture of religeous intolerance with them. I have visited EK about 20 times since I left in 1959. Each time, the deterioration of the town appears to be accelerating. The current financial crisis will probably mean a drastic increase in unemployment. The ‘neds’ will proliferate and wreck the town some more. I don’t think I will return again. John Hannah was right! My advice to young EK people – get out!!

Comment on Pheasants by Renzo

Renzo — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:09:31 +0000

They probably tried with more than three as well, but agreed that it didn’t make such good triangles…

Comment on Mayan Multiplication and Anti-Realism by Juakeene

Juakeene — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:34:50 +0000

IT is really a shame that people did not believe the nahuatle people and their culture.
Ofcourse their religion was replaced by the catholic bible; many of them managed to keep their unique numeric systems and culture alive despite the true evil of colonialism… The ten count system is dwarfed in terms of inovation by the twenty count system, seemingly “too complex.” Interpretation of the universe may be too complex to surely know, however to beknow such things are for the true “aristocrats.”
Good article over all.

Comment on Moving on up (and down) by Shabbiness

Shabbiness — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:04:06 +0000

Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation Anyway … nice blog to visit.

cheers, Shabbiness!!

Comment on Pashmina Sale! by francis

francis — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:35:09 +0000

the world’s population is growing very quickly, apparently by 2050 the world will have 9 billion in it – so i dont think that breeding is a problem we’re troubled with>?