Mike's World (brain farts and other adventures)Wednesday
There seems to be no agreement about the appearance of Mohammad Bin Musa Al-Khawarizma except that he probably had a beard and a turban.
Thursday
Ceps and porcini mushrooms are the same thing.
Friday
Garfield (US President) knew a neat proof of pythagoras’ theorem.
Saturday
Found a neat proof for the “knot” pentagon construction.
Sunday
Created an inelegant proof of the Pappus property.
Monday
Tony Harrison is not only the name of a tentacled shaman in The Mighty Boosh but is also the name of a playwright and poet.
Tuesday
Chelsea’s 6-0 win at Wigan was only the second top flight english football game with no corners (the first being Newcastle 0-0 Portsmouth in 1931-32).
Wednesday
I learnt how to add youtube videos to our VLE system
Thursday
I learnt how to amend the settings of our VLE in order to use yesterdays lesson.
Friday
I learnt to identify 3 types of edible fungus and made a soup from some of them
Saturday
I learnt a recipe for mushroom pate.
Sunday
The Duckworth Lewis system will sometimes mean a side batting second in a one day cricket game may have a larger target to chase than the first team scored. For example today Surrey needed 292 to beath Somerset’s 290 as the innings had been reduced to 36 overs when Somerset were batting. This meant Somerset had been treating the first part of the innings as if it were a 40 over match not a 36 over match. This needed correcting and resulted in an extra run for the revised target.
Monday
Moles and Gerbils have pups.
Tuesday
Cats are injected in the back of the neck.
* Of course we are all pleased, but mother rhymes. And it has to be said that mothers are generally the proudest at moments like these…
Monday
I learnt how to upgrade my mobile phone system, and the importance of backing up the phonebook when I do!
Tuesday
I learnt that Arnie says “I’ll be back” in 8 films.
Wednesday
I learnt and am experimenting with the Hippopotamus defence in chess. (Where pawns sit back a bit, the pieces lie in wait just under the water like a hippo. But get too close and the hippo is a dangerous beast… as some claim the hippo defence does).
Thursday
I finally learnt the rules of backgammon.
Friday
Bryan Adams video “Everything I do” was filmed partly around Holford and Kilve in Somerset.
Saturday
Asparagus does affect my urine smell (up to now I had not noticed….)
Sunday
I learnt how to spell béarnaise sauce, easier to spell than mayonnaise in many ways.
For more info see https://mikecampworld.com/blog/2010/08/13/good-luck-somerset/
Monday
Asps do not live in Egypt so Cleopatra was more likely killed by an Egyptian cobra.
Most exciting news though is that there is a serious paper published claiming it has proof that P!=NP, which if verified will net Vinay Doelalijar $1000000. Incidently I love the fact that he has annoucned that he has maybe solved one of the 6 most important unsolved mathematics problems under the heading “Basic Research”. I hope he is right as I think life is easier if P≠NP unless you are a travelling salesperson.
Whilst I expect someone will find a flaw I also think that it may well be a serious stepping stone to a final proof.
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Vinay_Deolalikar/
Tuesday
A pedifile is as the name would suggest a file for use on the foot. However in an australian accent it is almost indistinguishable from the word peadophile.
Wednesday
Male pond skaters bully female pond skaters into mating with them. The male pond skaters threaten female pond skaters by making vibrations in the water that will attract predators. They will stop if the females consent to have sex with them.
Thursday
Swiss speeding fines are linked to earnings, this has meant the world record speeding fine of £650000 is a swiss one.
Friday
Terry Butcher was born in Singapore…
Saturday
In cricket if a ball hits a fielders cap it is only 5 runs if the fielder has deliberately discarded it.
Sunday
Today I learnt that I had been ignorant for the last 30 years about the colour of the roses that represent Yorksire and Lancashire (or The House of York and The House of Lancaster). I knew one was red and one was white but I had always pictured York as being the red rose. Very ignorant but in my defence I am a southerner. From this dat onwards I will know that York is white, Lancs are red. As a further note hopefully Somerset will beat the red rose of Lancashire tomorrow…
