Comments on: Conversations with The Fiancee – To Infinity and Beyond

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:51:49 +0000

Well, for once, I’m with Thomas and not the Fiancée, there. Maths is not the devil, it just gets plain awesome when it doesn’t make any intuitive sense anymore. It just opens up the doors of imagination. Geeky much? Maybe :-).

By: Eve

Eve — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:20:01 +0000

Brian – re: stupid names for serving sizes: same thing at Starbucks where the smallest size is “tall” and the other sizes are not in English. Come on already fast food places, just say small, medium, large. Or better yet, dispense with the ambiguity and say 8 ounces, 12 ounces, whatever.

By: Kelly Lane

Kelly Lane — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:14:59 +0000

Try discussing the infinity concept with a young child….

My first grader: Mommy, what’s the highest number?
Me: Well, conceptually speaking you might say “infinity”, but the real answer is that there is no such thing as a “highest number” because anything can get bigger. Infinity may seem like as high as you can go, but if you add one to it then you have “infinity plus one” which is a bigger number.
1st grader: So, “infinity plus one” is the highest number?
Me: No, because you can add one to that and have “infinity plus 2″. See?
1st grader: So, “infinity plus 2″ is the highest number.
Me: Um, no. Why don’t you let me explain the birds and the bees and we’ll tackle this when you’re older.

By: Brian in Shortsville

Brian in Shortsville — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:04:40 +0000

Uh-oh. Sorry, been playing a lot of music lately. I’m right-brain-dominant today.

Have to side with the wimminfolk on this one, Jefe.

On a line graph, you can divide and subdivide the space between zero and one into an infinite number of subdivisions, but the space between zero and one is finite.

On a related subject, who exactly changed the definition of the word ‘medium,’ which I’ve always understood to represent ‘a point between two extremes.’

Oh yeah? Try to order a combo meal “small” from Speakergirl. She’ll earn every cent of her $8/hr arguing that they don’t HAVE a “small,” they only have medium, large and extra large (super-size or biggie-size – depending on the flavor of cholesterol and saturated fat you prefer). “Medium,” according to my trusty Funk and Wagnalls, can NOT, itself, BE the extreme (i.e. the smallest size drink and fries).(/rant)

By: Alicia

Alicia — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:16:37 +0000

Thanks Fiancee, still laughing hysterically at the triangles bit, lol, yes those dumb math teachers were all blind and minions of some math devil…my head still hurts from 10th grade geometry, lol. Math is evil, indeed :)

By: Fajen

Fajen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:34:30 +0000

I still remember my 11th grade math teacher complaining about the class she was taking on degrees of infinity. In fact, that’s all I can remember from that class – two minutes of complaining about the only interesting things that ever came out of her mouth.

By: Eve

Eve — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:17:41 +0000

Lol! I like math and Thomas, I like your argument. It makes (1) No sense whatsoever that there can be “more” infinity and yet (2) Your argument still makes sense. Perfect irony. I love it.

By: Dayna Barter

Dayna Barter — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:50:06 +0000

Aw! mutual admiration society with The Fiancee powers activate!

But even if you keep going with the decimal points, your just dividing the finite numbers into tinier and tinier pieces, it’s not truly infinite…

Ugh. Not only is math stupid, it leads into whole philosophical debates and shit. >:-P

By: Sofia

Sofia — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:00:36 +0000

I’ll never understand people (those not mathematically challanged) who clame math is beautiful, ordered and doesn’t lie. Math is confusing, literally proves impossible things and it makes my head hurt. But it IS fascinating, I have to concede that. And infinity is a truly scary concept. In any context. And, yeah, what’s up with those triangles? Seriously?

By: Jess

Jess — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:04:38 +0000

/agree with the fiancee haha