This post describes an issue with Blogger software that has been resolved.
Several readers have identified issues with the comment form. In one case, arrow keys (or CTRL combinations), and in the other, the form was missing altogether. I have replicated the first error (in Firefox) and the second (in Chrome), but after restarting the browsers, both errors appear to have been fixed.
If you are having issues with commenting, please email metaist.blog@gmail.com with a brief description of the problem and how it can be reproduced.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Zeno's Paradox
Summary
Zeno's Paradox involves a race between a tortoise and Achilles that suggests that motion is an illusion.
Commentary
I remember when I was first introduced to this paradox in 8th grade; it was utterly puzzling (until I heard a solution). A simplified version goes something like this:
Fun fact: Zeno's paradoxes are considered some of the earliest examples of reductio ad absurdum, also known as proof by contradiction.
Zeno's Paradox involves a race between a tortoise and Achilles that suggests that motion is an illusion.
Commentary
I remember when I was first introduced to this paradox in 8th grade; it was utterly puzzling (until I heard a solution). A simplified version goes something like this:
Achilles and the tortoise are having a 1000 paces race, but the tortoise has a head start of 800 paces (Achilles is much faster than the tortoise). As the tortoise inches forward, Achilles makes a plan.When viewed abstractly, the problem seems to show that nothing can ever pass anything else-- that is the motion is an illusion. Until the early 20th century, there wasn't really a way to handle this paradox appropriately. However, with the advent of infinite series, we can say that the reason Achilles does pass the tortoise is because if you add up all the little pieces (1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 ...) you get 1 (which represents the total distance between Achilles and the tortoise).
First, he'll get to the halfway point (let's call it Bob) between himself and the tortoise. Of course, to get to Bob, Achilles realizes, he has to get to the halfway point between himself and Bob (let's call it Jane). And before he can consider anything else, he must first get to the halfway point between himself and Jane (called Sam). [...]
As Achilles continues to think through his plan, he realizes he can never even catch up to the tortoise, let alone win the race.
Fun fact: Zeno's paradoxes are considered some of the earliest examples of reductio ad absurdum, also known as proof by contradiction.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Reader Question: What is Google Wave?
This post is a response to a reader question. Please email your questions to metaist.blog@gmail.com. Not all questions will be answered.
Question
An anonymous reader asks: What is Google Wave and why would I want to use it?
Summary
Google Wave is a new technology that is supposed to combine three existing technologies:
Most of us are familiar with email. Briefly, it's static distributed content. In other words, one person can send out some information to a bunch of other people.
Instant Messaging
Instant messaging, however, is dynamic-- you interact with another person (or multiple people) at once.
Wikis
Wikis are collaboratively editable documents. The most famous example is Wikipedia, but there are others (including private wikis such as those found within corporations). Wikis are basically "dynamic content". So now, the content itself can change over time, but everyone can see previous version of the content if they choose.
Wave
Google's conception of a Wave, therefore, is a wiki where you see the changes in real-time (sort of like Google Documents). Here's how it works:
Uses
So where would you use a wave? The answer largely depends on how you handle collaboration. Nature has a write-up about how scientists could use waves to collaborate and use robot collaborators to comb through papers and cross-reference, for example, gene names in databases. More mundane uses might include organizing a camping trip, but you're really only limited by your imagination.
Meta
Have you used Google Wave? Did you find it useful? What did you like / dislike?
Question
An anonymous reader asks: What is Google Wave and why would I want to use it?
Summary
Google Wave is a new technology that is supposed to combine three existing technologies:
- Instant Messaging (IM), and
- Wikis.
Most of us are familiar with email. Briefly, it's static distributed content. In other words, one person can send out some information to a bunch of other people.
Instant Messaging
Instant messaging, however, is dynamic-- you interact with another person (or multiple people) at once.
Wikis
Wikis are collaboratively editable documents. The most famous example is Wikipedia, but there are others (including private wikis such as those found within corporations). Wikis are basically "dynamic content". So now, the content itself can change over time, but everyone can see previous version of the content if they choose.
Wave
Google's conception of a Wave, therefore, is a wiki where you see the changes in real-time (sort of like Google Documents). Here's how it works:
- You create a new wave and add some collaborators.
- The new wave appears in the collaborators "inbox".
- Any collaborator (including you, the creator) can start to edit the wave.
- Anyone looking at the wave (i.e. one of the collaborators) can see who's editing (and where on the page they're editing) in real time.
- The wave can have robot collaborators who perform menial tasks (like "replace all the YouTube links with YouTube videos").
- The wave can also have "gadgets" that collaborators interact with (such as a "survey gadget" that surveys people).
- At any time, you can scroll back to see previous states of the wave all the way back to its creation.
Uses
So where would you use a wave? The answer largely depends on how you handle collaboration. Nature has a write-up about how scientists could use waves to collaborate and use robot collaborators to comb through papers and cross-reference, for example, gene names in databases. More mundane uses might include organizing a camping trip, but you're really only limited by your imagination.
Meta
Have you used Google Wave? Did you find it useful? What did you like / dislike?
Friday, December 4, 2009
Feedback Friday: December 2009
The Metaist has been around for almost a month now and, contrary to my welcome notice, posting has been somewhat regular (except this past week; sorry about that).
This past month I was pleasantly surprised to find that about twelve of you read this blog somewhat regularly. I've gotten a bunch of feedback that this blog is "very intense" and doesn't cover subjects such as what I "ate for breakfast this morning". Such reactions are understandable since I typically don't discuss what I had for breakfast on this blog.
Feedback
Yet, I would like to make The Metaist interesting to a (somewhat) wide audience. Technical subjects don't usually lend themselves to wider audiences, but I'd like to try and present interesting explanations of those subjects. To that end, I'd like to know what sorts of things you folks find interesting.
By participating now, you have a chance to help shape the direction of this quirky little blog. While I don't expect it to ever become extremely popular (but I don't rule it out either), the ideas you share here will get exposure to a small, but dedicated, audience-- something that we should leverage. Would anyone like to guest post? About what would you write? What do you get from reading this blog?
Please submit your ideas in the comments below.
Thanks.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Dan Bull Sings Open Letters
Summary
Dan Bull, a musician, has written an interesting open letter to Lord Mandelson on the subject of disconnecting people from the Internet on the basis of alleged copyright violations. Below that, I include his previous open letter to Lilly Allen on a similar subject.
Enjoy.
Dan Bull, a musician, has written an interesting open letter to Lord Mandelson on the subject of disconnecting people from the Internet on the basis of alleged copyright violations. Below that, I include his previous open letter to Lilly Allen on a similar subject.
Enjoy.
(Video: YouTube)
(Video: YouTube)
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