Self-Made Space

I was thinking about orthogonal vector spaces today. (why? who knows) Anyway, from any three vectors we can construct an orthogonal vector space (a right angled vector space if we are using unit vectors, called orthonormal, whatever). This is basically akin to saying we can take three vectors and construct a three-dimensional Cartesian Plane. So I was [...]

Father’s Day Ramblings

Another year has come and gone here. Now, as a father of four, I can definitely say that father’s day is meaningless. The thing about becoming a parent is that it is easy. There is no real skill in having children. Raising them, on the other hand, is difficult. So why should we celebrate a [...]

Matrix Algebra brings me back to Alexandria

I just finished a little independent study (more like a brush up) on matrix algebra. After all the theorems, proofs, exercises and chapters, the book ended with an application of matrices to conic sections.
I found this strangely beautiful. Euclidean Geometry, it seems to me, finds its perfection in the conics of Apollonius.  Pascal’s brief mathematical [...]

Summertime

You know it is finally becoming summertime when a variety of natural phenomenon occur. First, we had the cicada swarms hatch out of the ground. Then, a couple of nights ago, the whole lot of the Beitian clan was outside at dusk catching lightning bugs. Then tonight, not five minutes ago, I saw the first [...]

Market Research Anyone?

One of my co-workers was drinking a Gatorade called “Riptide Rush” this morning. Is that the rush you get while being sucked under and drowning? It hydrates as well as water filling your lungs? Why don’t they name all drinks after varieties of death-causing events: “Tropical Tornado” “Flash-Flood Fusion” “Richter-Scale Refreshment” “Western Wildfire” are examples. [...]

Sometimes Nature knows best

Ever seen a child with a naturally occurring mohawk? Neither had I.

I’ve got clearer pictures (of the mohawk) but they’re blurry because he’s moving…

Logic? 101

I have the peculiar misfortune of having married someone who reads lots of blogs. Normally, this wouldn’t irritate me so much, but she also has the habit of finding blogs that irritate her, so the irritation is passed down. One thing I’ve noticed, and perhaps this is the virtue of internet ‘arguments’, is the utter [...]