I think I meant one more dimension. x, y, and t are already covered. Now we need z.
Of course if you make a cylindrical or spherical LCD TV, you may have a different set of dimensions. Just don't start talking about String Theory TV. There has been a constant "string" of lousy TV shows going on for years and we don't need physicists to make it even worse.
If you want him to learn object oriented programming, I would suggest Python (Java as a second choice). Python is how I learned the meaning and usefulness of OO programming, mainly because it was not as arcane as C++, and not strongly typed as Java.
the Olympics, and with the same levels of sulphuric acid and other noxious substances in the air. I'd move to Venus right now, unless they expect a sub-prime house financing problem there.
great strides are being made in the use of 3-D DRM. Says Chester Smith of the MPAA, we are now faced with 2 more dimensions to the problem, but I am certain we will prevail.
First, like the other poster said, start him out with an easy to learn language like Python. Then as he gets more experienced, he can use the innumerable Python add-on packages to do all sorts of things. Remember, the O'Reilly Python quick reference book is the thinnest of all of them. I use Python and various incarnations of Numeric Python as the language doesn't get in the way of prototyping algorithms. Later they can be ported into C or FORTRAN.
You don't say what age he is but do ask for the opinions of those in high school so I am assuming he has already learned quite a bit about math (although this is 2008, not 1975, so who knows what crap they are teaching kids?) I was always bored with math especially in high school. Thus he might be at a stage where he could find out where applied mathematics is really done- on a computer.
The real world doesn't boil down to simple closed loop equations, as many simply cannot be solved in practice on a piece of paper or an exam. They require iteration to some tolerable error function, so that a very close approximation of the answer can be found. That requires the very high speed of the computer in order to do the iterationa in some reasonable amount of time.
Moreover, topics like integral calculus are very easy to explain on a computer, since the computer performs it just like is done in the first week of classes, by breaking the area under a curve into very small parts, and adding up all of the resultant parts of the function. Thats a lot more intuitive than some obscure looking equation.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the general idea where math is concerned. In science, where many calculations might be needed to solve a problem, he could just write a simple program to do the same in a microsecond. A great example of how a computer can speed up productivity and research. It would probably be great for homework, although he would still need to know the curriculum of the class in order to pass an exam- unless they now use computers in math exams, which I doubt.
I really wish I had a computer in high school, as I was already doing quite a bit of electronics. But alas it took a few more years for the PC to be invented. In my days, just having a hand-held calculator was quite a luxury.
knob many years ago- recently listed as one of the top ten inventions of the 20th century I would think the mouse ranks up pretty high on the list as well. I don't think its going away very soon. In the case of the knob, modern equipment that uses computer menus and such for the same function has been judged by many people to be unwieldy and doesn't easily provide feedback to the user in real time.
US ISP's are throttling (oh, excuse me- giving the customer a "better experience") ordinary BT now. What are they going to do when this comes around to fruition? Will only Europeans be able to use it?
When I was administering a small network in Marin, every time we had a small earthquake, all of the AppleTalk connectors would come loose. Took hours to find the faults and push them together. I guess we should have used duct tape.
I suppose at an airport as each jet came in creating vibrations, those same connectors would have dislodged.
1. sits in basement all day 2. eats nothing but junk food 3. consumes "energy drinks" 4. is an expert in Perl and hates Python 5. belongs to many mailing lists 6. has an excellent Slashdot Karma 7. Runs Slashdot
all the cables are MADE IN CHINA, and have all sorts of warning labels on them like: "Do not overload with data, may cause fire," "never expose to water." "do not use in bathtub, " "strangulation risk," etc.
with the cellphone turned off. Witness the long times that phones take to turn on / reboot the uP, and you know that nothing is going on inside there unless someone physically gets a hold of your phone and installs some electronics in it. But working in the handset industry for years I can tell you there is not enough room in the phones for anything extra, no matter how compact.
Now that Google and other companies are planning to use the Columbia River dams by locating here for cheaper power, its going to put even more stress on the government to keep those dams going. Basically they are contributing to the extinction of the species- salmon
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with disk encryption. Just buy a lighter- burn current memory, pull another DIMM off the pad, insert, you're back in business.
I think I meant one more dimension. x, y, and t are already covered. Now we need z.
Of course if you make a cylindrical or spherical LCD TV, you may have a different set of dimensions. Just don't start talking about String Theory TV. There has been a constant "string" of lousy TV shows going on for years and we don't need physicists to make it even worse.
If you want him to learn object oriented programming, I would suggest Python (Java as a second choice). Python is how I learned the meaning and usefulness of OO programming, mainly because it was not as arcane as C++, and not strongly typed as Java.
the Olympics, and with the same levels of sulphuric acid and other noxious substances in the air. I'd move to Venus right now, unless they expect a sub-prime house financing problem there.
great strides are being made in the use of 3-D DRM. Says Chester Smith of the MPAA, we are now faced with 2 more dimensions to the problem, but I am certain we will prevail.
First, like the other poster said, start him out with an easy to learn language like Python. Then as he gets more experienced, he can use the innumerable Python add-on packages to do all sorts of things. Remember, the O'Reilly Python quick reference book is the thinnest of all of them. I use Python and various incarnations of Numeric Python as the language doesn't get in the way of prototyping algorithms. Later they can be ported into C or FORTRAN.
You don't say what age he is but do ask for the opinions of those in high school so I am assuming he has already learned quite a bit about math (although this is 2008, not 1975, so who knows what crap they are teaching kids?) I was always bored with math especially in high school. Thus he might be at a stage where he could find out where applied mathematics is really done- on a computer.
The real world doesn't boil down to simple closed loop equations, as many simply cannot be solved in practice on a piece of paper or an exam. They require iteration to some tolerable error function, so that a very close approximation of the answer can be found. That requires the very high speed of the computer in order to do the iterationa in some reasonable amount of time.
Moreover, topics like integral calculus are very easy to explain on a computer, since the computer performs it just like is done in the first week of classes, by breaking the area under a curve into very small parts, and adding up all of the resultant parts of the function. Thats a lot more intuitive than some obscure looking equation.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the general idea where math is concerned. In science, where many calculations might be needed to solve a problem, he could just write a simple program to do the same in a microsecond. A great example of how a computer can speed up productivity and research. It would probably be great for homework, although he would still need to know the curriculum of the class in order to pass an exam- unless they now use computers in math exams, which I doubt.
I really wish I had a computer in high school, as I was already doing quite a bit of electronics. But alas it took a few more years for the PC to be invented. In my days, just having a hand-held calculator was quite a luxury.
"I propose that you cannot prove that we aren't increasing the temperature of the planet"
I propose that you cannot prove that there is no god who will miraculously get us out of this mess!"
knob many years ago- recently listed as one of the top ten inventions of the 20th century I would think the mouse ranks up pretty high on the list as well. I don't think its going away very soon. In the case of the knob, modern equipment that uses computer menus and such for the same function has been judged by many people to be unwieldy and doesn't easily provide feedback to the user in real time.
because they aren't going to exist much longer into the future. http://www.idtechex.com/products/en/articles/00000591.asp
I also find it ironic that everyone seems to love that mercury is not contained in LED's, yet is it essential to the extraction of gallium from ore.
They really have a phobia about LEDs there- especially if there are wires attached like an AC cord.
US ISP's are throttling (oh, excuse me- giving the customer a "better experience") ordinary BT now. What are they going to do when this comes around to fruition? Will only Europeans be able to use it?
12 Al Qaeda operatives caught trying to buy SSL certificates. Film at 11.
We need many more mental asylums.
When I was administering a small network in Marin, every time we had a small earthquake, all of the AppleTalk connectors would come loose. Took hours to find the faults and push them together. I guess we should have used duct tape.
I suppose at an airport as each jet came in creating vibrations, those same connectors would have dislodged.
So how do I go about testing this on myself? (as 100 posts reply with my real name.... Scrooge McDuck)
the web is definitely not going to get any disease- at least the transmitted ones.
First I needed a tinfoil hat, now I need a tinfoil collar or armband. Tinfoil is getting expensive with all the Patriot Act created demand for it.
1. sits in basement all day
2. eats nothing but junk food
3. consumes "energy drinks"
4. is an expert in Perl and hates Python
5. belongs to many mailing lists
6. has an excellent Slashdot Karma
7. Runs Slashdot
Isn't that what the Starship Enterprise used to destroy enemy ships?
all the cables are MADE IN CHINA, and have all sorts of warning labels on them like: "Do not overload with data, may cause fire," "never expose to water." "do not use in bathtub, " "strangulation risk," etc.
with the cellphone turned off. Witness the long times that phones take to turn on / reboot the uP, and you know that nothing is going on inside there unless someone physically gets a hold of your phone and installs some electronics in it. But working in the handset industry for years I can tell you there is not enough room in the phones for anything extra, no matter how compact.
Now that Google and other companies are planning to use the Columbia River dams by locating here for cheaper power, its going to put even more stress on the government to keep those dams going. Basically they are contributing to the extinction of the species- salmon
"Bend over and cough please"
that Apple still made computers. Thought they were in the online music business or something.
I already have a triple boot computer- Vista, OpenBSD, Ubuntu.