Comments on: Yard Sales! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:11:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Cynthia http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16684 Cynthia Mon, 29 May 2006 12:57:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16684 Amara... GREAT IDEA!!! And I naively thought that "only members of the medical set" were the unfortunate recipients to these rather tacky tote-bags! Amara… GREAT IDEA!!! And I naively thought that “only members of the medical set” were the unfortunate recipients to these rather tacky tote-bags!

]]> By: Say Lee http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16683 Say Lee Mon, 29 May 2006 12:30:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16683 Thanks, Jeff, for the link to Dantzig. My first exposure to linear programming was in the mid-80's at Berkeley, but after Dantzig has moved to Stanford. Of course then I treated it just like an algorithm to solving a resource allocation homework problem, hardly aware of its revolutionary role in the scientific development of math programming. Thanks, Jeff, for the link to Dantzig.

My first exposure to linear programming was in the mid-80’s at Berkeley, but after Dantzig has moved to Stanford. Of course then I treated it just like an algorithm to solving a resource allocation homework problem, hardly aware of its revolutionary role in the scientific development of math programming.

]]> By: Amara http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16682 Amara Mon, 29 May 2006 07:48:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16682 >Maybe we should have Yard Sales in science (and, more generally, in academia). To sell all of those conference tote bags? If a really well-known scientist sold his collection of bags, then maybe he could earn enough money to donate one of those science programs that the government is killing off.... (there's a nice recycling idea here, you know!) >Maybe we should have Yard Sales in science (and, more generally, in academia).

To sell all of those conference tote bags? If a really well-known scientist sold his collection of bags, then maybe he could earn enough money to donate one of those science programs that the government is killing off….

(there’s a nice recycling idea here, you know!)

]]> By: Jeff Nuttall http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16678 Jeff Nuttall Mon, 29 May 2006 01:29:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16678 <I>This kind of reminds me of what I just read this morning about the idea of Prof. Jacob Schwartz at the Courant Institute of New York University of including a few famous unsolved math problems in his final exams, in the hope that a brilliant student who was not aware that they were famous problems might in fact manage to solve one of them!</I> Wonder if he was inspired by the story of <a HREF="http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/may25/dantzigobit-052505.html" rel="nofollow">George Bernard Dantzig</A>... As a graduate student at UC Berkeley, Dantzig arrived late to a class, hastily copied down the homework assignment, which consisted of two problems to solve, and after he turned in his solutions discovered that that hadn't been the homework assignment at all, but examples of "unsolvable" statistics problems! This kind of reminds me of what I just read this morning about the idea of Prof. Jacob Schwartz at the Courant Institute of New York University of including a few famous unsolved math problems in his final exams, in the hope that a brilliant student who was not aware that they were famous problems might in fact manage to solve one of them!

Wonder if he was inspired by the story of George Bernard Dantzig…

As a graduate student at UC Berkeley, Dantzig arrived late to a class, hastily copied down the homework assignment, which consisted of two problems to solve, and after he turned in his solutions discovered that that hadn’t been the homework assignment at all, but examples of “unsolvable” statistics problems!

]]> By: Ted http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16679 Ted Sun, 28 May 2006 22:58:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16679 Well, I must say the flowers brighten up my day. Well, I must say the flowers brighten up my day.

]]> By: Poppycock http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16680 Poppycock Sun, 28 May 2006 22:11:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16680 Some of us enjoy Clifford's (not "Cliff's") posts whenever they appear- not just on a coffee break. Please keep pontification cvj - you always lift my spirits! Some of us enjoy Clifford’s (not “Cliff’s”) posts whenever they appear- not just on a coffee break. Please keep pontification cvj - you always lift my spirits!

]]> By: stevem http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16681 stevem Sun, 28 May 2006 15:31:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16681 Seriously, I enjoy your posts, and the others here, each time I have a coffee break. Seriously, I enjoy your posts, and the others here, each time I have a coffee break.

]]> By: stevem http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16672 stevem Sun, 28 May 2006 10:12:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16672 I am with Ted here:). The giant rabbit post was class but this is rubbish :):) The next one better be good :)lol. I am with Ted here:). The giant rabbit post was class but this is rubbish :):) The next one better be good :)lol.

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16675 Clifford Sat, 27 May 2006 20:05:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16675 Ted:- I'm devastated.... LOL!   :-D :-D -cvj Ted:- I’m devastated…. LOL!   :-D :-D

-cvj

]]> By: Ted http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16674 Ted Sat, 27 May 2006 20:03:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16674 I don't like this post, Clifford. I don’t like this post, Clifford.

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