Comments on: Yard Sales! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:41:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cynthia http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/comment-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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-page-1/#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.

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/comment-page-1/#comment-16673 Clifford Sat, 27 May 2006 19:58:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16673 spyder:- Yes, it is a great subculture. I have visions of someone now driving around Hollywood trying to find those Western Union slippers or the Nevermore Thing, to complete a collection! The other weekend one I love here is the Sunday "open-house", where you can wander around in people's houses that are for sale. I have not done that since I actually was interested in the market as a buyer, but I must get into doing it as entertainment. Thanks for the information about DG. I won't feel so bad if I fall asleep then. -cvj spyder:- Yes, it is a great subculture. I have visions of someone now driving around Hollywood trying to find those Western Union slippers or the Nevermore Thing, to complete a collection! The other weekend one I love here is the Sunday “open-house”, where you can wander around in people’s houses that are for sale. I have not done that since I actually was interested in the market as a buyer, but I must get into doing it as entertainment.

Thanks for the information about DG. I won’t feel so bad if I fall asleep then.

-cvj

]]> By: Say Lee http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/comment-page-1/#comment-16676 Say Lee Sat, 27 May 2006 19:54:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16676 Yes, a yard sale of half-baked ideas may spur fresh leads in someone else's pursuits. 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!. (from Meta Math! The Quest for Omega by Gregory Chaitin). Yes, a yard sale of half-baked ideas may spur fresh leads in someone else’s pursuits. 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!. (from Meta Math! The Quest for Omega by Gregory Chaitin).

]]> By: spyder http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/comment-page-1/#comment-16677 spyder Sat, 27 May 2006 19:51:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/27/yard-sales/#comment-16677 One of the weird quirks of yard sales is the people who show up first, maybe even the day before, who essentially are officianados of the hidden treasures. They spend their non-buying time studying various areas of artifactual lexicons: rare and/or first edition books, porcelain and fine china histories and pedigrees, special music boxes--the whole range and gambit of items that are out there in garage sales. Because of course, people don't know what everything they have might mean or at least what it might be worth. These are culture vultures, carrion crows, eagle-eyed leeches preying on the less knowledgeable, the ignorant, and gleening the treasures for literally pennies. It is fascinating to watch them as a sub-culture, when i lived in a neighborhood populated by elderly and seniors who had stayed living in the homes of their parents or grandparents. btw: lots of people fall asleep at the <i>Directors Guild</i> screening, or get up and leave, and sometimes express overt disgust and boo. It is sort of for that purpose. One of the weird quirks of yard sales is the people who show up first, maybe even the day before, who essentially are officianados of the hidden treasures. They spend their non-buying time studying various areas of artifactual lexicons: rare and/or first edition books, porcelain and fine china histories and pedigrees, special music boxes–the whole range and gambit of items that are out there in garage sales. Because of course, people don’t know what everything they have might mean or at least what it might be worth. These are culture vultures, carrion crows, eagle-eyed leeches preying on the less knowledgeable, the ignorant, and gleening the treasures for literally pennies. It is fascinating to watch them as a sub-culture, when i lived in a neighborhood populated by elderly and seniors who had stayed living in the homes of their parents or grandparents.

btw: lots of people fall asleep at the Directors Guild screening, or get up and leave, and sometimes express overt disgust and boo. It is sort of for that purpose.

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