Wednesday, January 15, 2014

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind!" Bob Dylan

                                             Who knows the final answer?
 
Here's another bender for you; the total of this sum:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + ... to infinity is?

What would you say? It tends to infinity? Certainly it gets larger and
larger, right?
Right, it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger...google and googleplex etc.

The answer is: -1/12 (negative a twelfth)
:O
 
: O

I kid you not. There are two mathematical proofs and the number is used
in quantum physics as well as string theory. It comports to actual
experimental data; i.e. it is a real part of the facts of reality.
I believe you but whoa!

What worries me most about this is just how wrong my intuitions can be.
I would never have thought an endless positive sum could be negative!
How does one even make "gut feel" decisions if simple stuff like that is
bound to surprise?
Make gut feel decisions about things other than mathematical sums; stuff you can find an answer to, get the answer first and don't assume (hard to do). Stuff where no answer is available and time is short, use logic as well as gut. Apparently, sometimes gut is right and sometimes it's wrong.

Brain hurts now, have to rest.
You probably depleted glucose levels in the brain by doing too much thinking - have a hot chocolate or some sweet treat : )

Imagine if the growing knowledge of the Universe is like that Sum...your gut feel tells you we're understanding more and more; and one day (tending to infinity) we'll have total understanding and mastery of the Multiverse...but...scroll down...
 
 
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keep on going
 
 
 
 
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The answer is: 42
 
 : )
 
actually, I'm joshing with you, the real answer is....scroll down...
 
 
 
 
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KEEP ON GOING
 
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VVVVVVVV
 
the real answer is:
 
 
 
 
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A little suspense never hurt anyone!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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an exception has occured, error, please start again at the beginning....we can be of no further assistance to you.
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

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