The Academics Thread

[Cancer]

On 2/27/2023 at 12:02 AM, Bazza said:

After the Zodiac Killer's '340' Cipher Stumped the FBI, Three Amateurs Made a Breakthrough

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/math/a40601672/zodiac-killer-340-cipher-solution-fbi/

 

...

 

 

If you know something already about cryptanalysis, have some math chops already, and are a comfortable Mathematica user, there's an openly-available discussion of how this was done at https://blog.wolfram.com/2021/03/24/the-solution-of-the-zodiac-killers-340-character-cipher/ .

 

(For a very readable introduction into cryptanalysis, I recommend "The Code Book" by Simon Singh.)

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[unclevlad]

On 3/30/2023 at 9:54 AM, Cancer said:

 

If you know something already about cryptanalysis, have some math chops already, and are a comfortable Mathematica user, there's an openly-available discussion of how this was done at https://blog.wolfram.com/2021/03/24/the-solution-of-the-zodiac-killers-340-character-cipher/ .

 

(For a very readable introduction into cryptanalysis, I recommend "The Code Book" by Simon Singh.)

 

Yes.

Mathematicians are truly, incomprehensibly weird to mere scientists, much less laymen.

 

We think that counts as FUN!

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[L. Marcus]

As if the sugar wasn't bad enough.

[Bazza]

Nikola Tesla’s advice for Walter Russell: 

 

“I would gladly help you if I could, but it would be useless. Science would believe me to be as crazy as it thinks you are. Besides that, if you are right, every text book of science would have to be scrapped - and that would mean millions of dollars lost and every physics professor would have to learn his physics all over again. You are so hopelessly ahead of your time that I believe the only way your knowledge can be saved is to write it down and diagram it, then seal it in a sepulcher with instructions that it be opened in a thousand years.” ~ Nikola Tesla to Lao Russell.

SOURCE: Fulcrum Magazine - Volume 5, Number 3, Page 60

[Cancer]

Spontaneous Human Combustion rules out all standard candidates for Dark Matter

 

First author on that paper is a grad school classmate of mine, and yes, we were co-conspirators on the April Fools' Week joke colloquium schedules.    Second author is a (now retired) faculty member in that department, from whom both of us took classes.

Edited April 5, 2023 by Cancer

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Bazza]

Anyone find it yet? 

[Old Man]

5 hours ago, Bazza said:

Anyone find it yet? 

 

 

 

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

[Cancer]

"In the dark, no one can see you scream."

[Old Man]

4 minutes ago, Cancer said:

"In the dark, no one can see you scream."

 

In space, no one can hear you fart.  And no one can smell it either. 

 

Except you. 

 

You're sealed into a spacesuit marinating in your own fart.

[Cancer]

For Pariah in particular: my ancient backup drive copy of Advice for Undergraduates

advice.txt

[Pariah]

We have state mandated high stakes standardized testing next Friday. My principal sent out an email today offering a $50 stipend to anyone willing to attend an after-school training on the testing.

 

Would it be unethical of me to sign up if I've already scheduled to have the day of testing off...?

[Cancer]

Community college enrollments are cratering, too

[Old Man]

So my kid got accepted to UW, but I discovered that not only does he not qualify for resident tuition for his first year there (duh) but to get residency status for UW purposes you have to live in Washington for a year for reasons unrelated to college.  So he'd never qualify for residency.  And it's not a WUE school.

 

I'm kind of pissed off.  What kind of backdoor tuition hike is this?  No degree is worth what they charge for nonresident tuition.

[Bazza]

What course/program did the Old Man Jr get accepted for?

[Cancer]

9 hours ago, Old Man said:

So my kid got accepted to UW, but I discovered that not only does he not qualify for resident tuition for his first year there (duh) but to get residency status for UW purposes you have to live in Washington for a year for reasons unrelated to college.  So he'd never qualify for residency.  And it's not a WUE school.

 

I'm kind of pissed off.  What kind of backdoor tuition hike is this?  No degree is worth what they charge for nonresident tuition.

 

That "year unrelated to college" has been true ... forever.  It was the case when I applied to UW in 1974.  Now, since we'd been in the state since 1971 I qualified (and in-state tuition was $188 a quarter back then), but I remember people grousing about that gotcha even back then.  That they don't do a better job of making sure you understand that is just as criminal now as it was back then.

[Bazza]

Book that arrived today: bi-lingual edition of the Ratio Studiorum. 

[Cancer]

I wonder if Lovecraft inspired any pedagogical practices that I can adopt .

[L. Marcus]

Do Notte Call Up That Which Youe Cannot Put Downe springs to mind.