The futility of life
November 29, 2018
Still probably the best 70$ I ever spent.
Category: Philosophy
Credo
August 14, 2014
I believe there is life outside of Earth. There are many planets in the observable universe, and thirteen billion years is a long time. I doubt, however, that DNA has much to do with it. I believe P ≠ NP. How else could it be so hard to prove? Relatedly, even non-standard computing architectures, based … More Credo
Intelligence is inexplicable
April 8, 2014
So, the question still remains – after spending endless nights in front of a bright screen, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and the soft hum of cooling fans – when does your program finally count as “intelligent”? It may have started out as a simple “hello_world.c”, but now it’s a raging monstrosity, fully imbued with … More Intelligence is inexplicable
A short note on large numbers
March 4, 2014
It is not very often that we encounter large numbers in mathematics; in fact, in some fields it’s sometimes quite common not to encounter numbers at all. Most numbers you meet are relatively benign and harmless: 0, 1, 2, 3, e, π; you don’t need much apart from those. In any case, even to an … More A short note on large numbers
Whatshisname’s Theorem
December 12, 2013
Maybe it’s because I recently read Contact and 2001: A Space Odyssey; perhaps it’s the glorious recent exoplanet reports from analysis of Kepler data; or it could just be random fluctuations; but lately I’ve been thinking about how lovely it would be to finally establish first contact with an alien civilization. As fun as intergalactic … More Whatshisname’s Theorem
Valentine Confession
February 14, 2013
Valentine’s day is upon us, so I think it’s a good time to say this: I love mathematics. I suppose that a large part of that is similar to what some people look for in their beloved ones: the mystery, surprise. Mathematics, with all her hard-set iffs and irrevocable deduction, always manages to surprise me. … More Valentine Confession
Thanksgiving
November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving is upon us, and although my ancestors did not brutally massacre thousands of Native Americans in colonial ecstasy, and although I do not believe in the Christian god, perhaps it would be a good time to say thanks, in general. If there is some sort creator to this universe, lets call it Nature, know … More Thanksgiving
The Chicken or the Egg?
September 9, 2010
For some obscure reason, it seems that one of the questions which humanity as a whole has taken a profound interest in, is the famous “which came first; the chicken, or the egg?” How answering this question affects our lives and the technological or spiritual endeavours we pursue, I do not know. Personally, I would … More The Chicken or the Egg?
The Officer’s Paradox
June 9, 2010
לאחרונה עלה במוחי ניסוי מחשבתי, אשר כל אדם עם נסיון צבאי יתפסוהו כמעניין ובעל משמעות. נניח שבוקר אחד, קצין בצה”ל, לצורך העניין סגן, קם, פשט את הפיג’מה, ולבש את מדיו. הוא דיגם את עצמו, נעץ את סיכת המ”מ, הלך לראות במראה כיצד הוא יפה וחביב, ובהליצות דעת וסיפוק עצמי, הצדיע לעצמו במראה. או אז, הוא … More The Officer’s Paradox
Sarcastic Resonance 