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

How old am I? Well, I go exactly twice as fast on the inside as I do on the outside.

For my treat to myself, I've just bought a copy of the Concise Encyclopaedia Britannica for my PDA (palm computer).

Are we talking ºC or ºF here? Because that would make you either 49 or 18-ish

If Gnomon's resting pulse rate is 70, which I would expect it to be seeing as he's just been on a health kick, my money's on 35.

B

I don't do numbers, but I can sing!

Happy b-day to yoooooooooooouuuuuuu!!!!!!!!

Happy birthday Gnomon!

Traveller in Time online
"Happy birthday, celebrate it with your Real Life friends first !
42 ? "

Hint: vinyl

78!

Vinyl? Oh yes I remember those Ongrads have a great day

Have a Happy One... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .

Well, I think the oldst records went at 16 - then 78m then 45, then 33 1/3.

Happy birthday, Gnomon!

Happy Birthday Gnomon

Pimms

I've sent a photo of me at h2g2 film premiere to azahar's U220722 h2g2 friends album. It will hopefully be added by azahar in the next few days.

Happy birthday Gnomon!

I haven't worked out the "outside/inside" clue yet; if it's last digit/first digit then that suggests 42, but that's surely not the comment you would make about that iconic figure. By the look of you you're more than 36. Thinks

Happy Birthday, Gnomon - The vinyl reference would suggest that you are 45, and that you are talking about the relative difference in velocity between the outside of a 45rpm single and the inside - ie where the track ends. Just my guess though. You don't look half that age!

Aha, seems like I might be right...

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20021212.html

(3rd paragraph)

Fascinating . . . but Gnomon says he's going faster on the inside. The needle will scrape the groove of a 45rpm record twice as fast on the *outside* track if the inside track is twice as short. In one revolution the outside will travel 7*pi*2 inches (diameter of a 7-inch circle) and the inside will travel 3.5*pi*2 inches: twice as slow.

Boy is my gemoetry rusty. For diameter read circumference. Result stands, though.

But of course twice as much music per inch is packed on the inside track; is that what you mean by going faster? (And don't tell me there is no inside or outside track, there's only one continuous one. You know what I mean.)

. . . and drop the 2s . Radii 3.5 outside,1.75 inside. Result stands.

Well spotted, Woodpigeon! I am indeed 45.

You're right of course, Recumbentman, that the needle goes across the inner groove of a 45 at half the speed of the outside, rather than twice it. But it was only supposed to be a loose analogy. I feel like my brain goes twice as fast as my feet.

Wonderful things, hormones...

B