h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I always found maths difficult to say, having a bit of a lisp I found it really difficult to get from 'th' to 's', so quickly.

Hmmm....you know, I've never thought about the Math Vs. Maths thing.

I suppose in some ways, shortening it to the plural would make more sense.

In other ways, I can't honestly say that in pre-school I studied more than one type of mathematic. In fact, I generally only study one at a time....

I don't know what to believe anymore.

A physicist, biologist and mathematician walk into a bar. Across the street, they see two people enter a building. Shortly after that, three people exit the building. The physicist says, "The original quantities were mismeasured." The biologist says, "The specimens must have reproduced." The mathematician says, "Now if you put another person into that building, it'll be empty."

I've got a bit of a sylabant s myself, Z, so I don't think I'd be terribly fond of the plural of math either.

That reminds me of the 'one cat has three tails' argument!

No cat has two tails.
One cat has one tail more than no cat.
Ergo, one cat has three tails.

Now that's one that I have to remember, Titania. Thanks.

Is it in French that Science is plural? "The Sciences?" It makes a LOT more sence. Physics is plural, and so is mathematics. Chemistry isn't, though arguably should be, and likewise biology.

*burble burble burble*

Ben

Here's another in the same vein, T. Proof that a horse has infinite legs:

1) Horses have an even number of legs
2) They have two legs in back and fore legs in front
3) This makes a total of six legs, which is certainly an odd number of legs for a horse
4) But the only number that is both odd and even is infinity
5) Therefore, horses must have an infinite number of legs

We could go into the fact that England has an infinite coastline too, but that's just .

If you make medicine pural is becomes medicines - which means the study of pharmacy, not the study of medince..

medicine even..

Hmmm...."Alchemies"?

Medicines works. Eastern, Western, Algonquin

I like the horses one as well, but the cat one makes more logical sense.

Then again, I've never been a strong proponent of logic, have I?

a=b
a^2=ab
a^2-b^2=ab-b^2
(a+b)(a-b)=b(a-b)
a+b=b
b+b=b
2b=b
2=1

I've always liked that proof, Affy.

9/10 for me - I forgot how many zeros in a google.

I've heard that there's another way of proving it that involves taking something's limit, but I've not found it yet. It's probably just as well, though, as most people don't know enough about limits to really accept it.

Highschools shouldn't stop teaching math until students are at least a noteable way passed Newton. Just an opinion, mind you.

Anyone out there ever played DNA's Infocom game Beaureaucracy? One of the early puzzles involves depositing a bill with a withdrawal slip into your account, meaning that you effectively subtract a negative amount of money from your account, meaning that you actually put more money in. One of the more creative puzzles in Infocom history, if I may say so.

*continues to fight the urge to post the proof that girls are evil*

Wait, Gw7en, I know this one. I'll post it, but not until I remember all the logical flaws with it.

I like the Moebius' band, proving it has only one side, how it won't turn out the way you imagined when you cut in half, or 1/3:

http://www.math.unh.edu/cgi-bin/generatePage.cgi?moebius

Nice link there, Titania.

In a similar vein, you math nuts out there might want to consider http://www.kleinbottle.com for all of your Klein Bottle needs. I purchased one of their "Baby Classic" models, and I've never regretted it.

And with that, I fear that I must depart for a few hours. Sorry I couldn't get to the GAE proof.

Here, Affy:

Girls = Time X Money
Time = Money
Girls = Money (sq)
Root of Evil = Money
Evil = Money (sq)
Evil = Girls