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

Is this a coincidence or are they linked?

Can there be a number conspiracy against us? For example, I always see the number 48 bus where-ever I go, yet it has no bus-stops and isn't on the timetable, is it following me? Or is it related to radians?

I think this is completely bogus...

Well, maybe I did get kinda carried away....

No it is not coincidence. A parsec is defined as the distance an object would have to be from earth for it to have a PARallax of one arcSECond.

A parallax angle one half the apparent angle an object in the sky moves due to the orbit of the earth. That sounds convoluted so let me explain it further. You have the orbit of the earth (which has a radius of one Astronomical Unit). If you were to look at a star from one side of the earth's orbit and then from the other, you would be looking at it from 2 different positions so it would appear to move in relation to something farther away. That movement can be described by an angle.

OK so now set up the triangle. Fortunately it is a right triangle (that's why it's one half the angle). An astronomical unit is one of the legs, and 1/206265 radians ( an arcsecond) is the opposite angle. The tangent of an angle is equal to the ratio of the opposite side over the adjacent side. The adjacent side is the distance to the star. A little algebra will show you that the distance to the star (adjacent side) is equal to an astronomical unit (opposite side) over the tangent of 1/206265. Now the tangent of a very small angle (an arcsecond is a very small angle) is very nearly equal to the angle itself. Using that approximation (and it is a good one) you end up with the distance to the star with a parallax of one arcsecond equaling 206265 astronomical units.

That's the long explanation, sorry it was so long winded

Glad that's sorted out... So tell me, can your science help explain the bus?

buses have wheels

and the wheels on the bus go round and round. But wait for it.....

If you measure the distance travelled by a point on the surface of the wheel during one full revolution, and divide this number by that other `magical number` Pi, you end up with a figure which is EXACTLY equal (numerically speaking) to twice the radius of the wheel!!

Surely this can`t be coincidence? Yet more evidence of a massive worldwide conspiracy involving mathematicians, astronomers and bus drivers....

you have forgotten those wiley Communists

And the communists did lots of nasty Communist things in 1948...
Wow! You've explained to me the whole secret take-over thingy plot between buses, wheels and International Communism. If only Toothpaste would save us!

but not any toothpaste with flourine!

Perhaps a cloud-devil of searing toothpaste?

(heard that one in a dream )

I still think this is completely bogus. Oh... one more thing: does anyone here (including me) have a life??

If you´re interested in conspiracies please check my entry on the Roswell Incident and give me some comments...

Perhaps. Dreams are often symbolic of carpets, I find.

How on earth did you get talking about toothpaste, carpets and dreams?

Everyone knows that Monty Python say the best way to defeat International Communism is to use Crelm Toothpaste. It's in "And Now For Something Completely Different" if you haven't seen the series. As for carpets, who knows?

In the python sketch on the threat of international communism, the Red forces flood into a suburban living room and fill it wall to wall with tiny little ********* (nationality hidden to comply with H2G2 rule 1 about defamation). The carpet is therefore the first part of the free world to be obscured. Perhaps this is the link??

And to Rico:-
I do have a life (albeit not a great one) which is why my entries only turn up every 24hrs or so (say once an eblat) whilst everybody else`s seem to pop up all the time. No fair, I`m missing out!!

I couldn't have said it better, my friend. I think you have found the link!
And I too have a life - which is why, although I have entries at all times during the day, I don't have any at the weekend. So, like any other student/worker, I have my week life, and I live for the weekend, where I'm busy as anything.

What is it that you think is bogus?

Of carpets?