The birthday paradox in action: calculating the probability of a hash collision
If you haven't seen this before then I urge you to have a guess now. Is it 180 people? More than that? Fewer than that? What do you think?
Hasnain says:
In the above calculations there were at least three occasions where I recognised things because I was familiar with them, had used them, had played with them, and they were, in a sense, my "friends."
People often ask "Why did you make that approximation?" or "How did you know that would work?" The short answer is often "I didn't, but it felt right."
People often ask why they need to memorise formulas, or why they need to practice solving equations, when they can simply look stuff up whenever they need it, and on-line computer algebra systems can solve equations faster than they can, and more reliably.
But this is an example of why the ability simply to look stuff up is near useless on its own. Searches are deep and wide, and you need intuition to guide you. You need to recognise what might work, things you've seen before, directions to take that are more likely to be fruitful.
Or profitable.
The day probably will come when computers can do all of that better that we can, but that day isn't here yet. We still need human intuition, built from experience and practice, to guide the computer searches, to know what is more likely to work.
If you already know how to do this sort of calculation then you're probably nodding. If you don't, and you can't see how someone can possibly do this kind of stuff, this comment is for you. Practice and experience.
Play.
Once you play with things, the ability to invent and improvise is unleashed.
Posted on 2012-11-07T20:04:42+0000
Why are people so mean to single people?
In a world that celebrates romance and finding The One, people can be rather rude to single people, writes James Friel.
Hasnain has not yet written a summary for this.
Posted on 2012-11-07T19:06:31+0000
The Mathematics Behind xkcd: A Conversation with Randall Munroe
MAA publications for students, professors, and anyone interested in math
Rethinking the Computer at 80
Dr. Neumann, an 80-year-old computer scientist at SRI International, is leading an effort to redesign computers and software from a “clean slate” to make them more secure.
Hasnain says:
It's always good to step back, count my blessings, realize how good life is; and realize how lucky I am to have the chance to work in the same department as Dr. Neumann and other extremely smart and wise people.
Posted on 2012-11-03T04:35:45+0000
[hep-th/0310077] A dialog on quantum gravity
arxiv.org
Hasnain says:
I'm no physicist, but this was certainly an enjoyable read. [2003, so it's a bit dated]
Posted on 2012-11-01T04:19:42+0000
The Mysterious, Mutant, Civilizing Power of Milk
To repurpose a handy metaphor, let's call two of the first Homo sapiens Adam and Eve. By the time they welcomed their firstborn, that rascal Cain, into the world, 2 million centuries of evolution had established how his infancy would play out. For the first few years of his life,...
The Island Where People Forget to Die
Unraveling the mystery of why the inhabitants of Ikaria live so long and so well.
2012 Startup School
Are you ahackerwho has thought about one day starting a startup? Have you already started it? Then you're invited to a free, one-day startup school this October 20 at Stanford. We'll have a range ofexpertsspeaking about startups from their own experience.
Most functional
This program celebrates the close connection between obfuscation and conciseness, by implementing the most concise language known, Binary Lambda Calculus (BLC).
Hasnain says:
So, not only did this guy win the international obfuscated C code contest; he won it by writing an interpreter for "implementing the most concise language known, Binary Lambda Calculus (BLC)". Need I say he's also the inventor of BLC?
Mind = blown.
Posted on 2012-10-18T03:57:59+0000
Why I Hired A Girl On Craigslist to Slap Me In The Face — And Why It Quadrupled My Productivity
Last week, I talked about the power of precommitment — I spoke of how Odysseus prevented himself from the temptation of the Sirens by tying himself to his ship mast. Precommitment is the most effective way to change behavior. Essentially, you make a promise—an irrevocable promise—to complete an acti...
Hasnain has not yet written a summary for this.
Posted on 2012-10-16T23:41:07+0000