Reality Sports

madden screenshotThis is an interesting post about testing the “reality” of video games:

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2010/10/back-now-with-100-more-broken.html

After running numerous computer v. computer matchups in Madden football (at various coaching settings), statistical averages from the video games were compared to real NFL averages.  For example, total points were 4.4% lower in the computer games; there were 11.3% fewer interceptions, but 10.4% more fumbles.  Based on his analysis, the author concludes that the game-play is not realistic enough.

The majority of the post is actually a rant about the abundance of advertising in this particular video game.  By that measure, I’d say the game is very realistic.

Octomatics — The New New Math

octomatics 1It’s hard to tell how serious these people are about creating a new number system, but the effort is worthy of a little appreciation:  introducing Octomatics!

www.infoverse.org/octomatics/

Octomatics offers a new numeral systems that enjoys  a visual addition method and  a smaller  multiplication table.   They’ve also defined a new clock, a new calendar, and they’ve prototyped a new calculator!

octomatics 2

Truth be told, I’ve always secretly desired a new clock and calendar system–one that wasn’t so archaic and contrived.  I’m not getting my hopes up, though; Octomatics looks less like a paradigm shift and more like Esperanto to me.

Today in Triangle Appreciation

As it’s 10/12/10, I thought it would be the appropriate day to appreciate the 10-10-12 triangle!

10-10-12 Triangle

Of course, it’s nice that the 10-10-12 triangle is isosceles.  But what’s really cool is what happens when you drop the altitude from the top vertex!

10-10-12 Triangle 2

It’s well known that in an isosceles triangle, the median and the altitude from the vertex are the same–this means that not only does this segment make a right angle (it’s the altitude), but it also divides the opposite side at its midpoint (it’s the median).  So that segment creates two right triangles with hypotenuse 10 and side 6.  Of course, the other side must be eight, since

6^2 + 8^2 = 10^2

Thank you, Pythagorean Theorem.  So the 10-10-12 triangle is just two right triangles pasted together.

It’s not quite equilateral, but the 10-10-12 triangle is still pretty cool.

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More Math and Vegetables

I picked the wrong pot while preparing potatoes, and found the pot a little full.

Potatoes

I had to slice up the potatoes into smaller chunks so that they could all fit in my pot.  Predictably, my poorly planned pot of potatoes prompted me to ponder the packing problem.

In a simple form, the packing problem asks “What’s the best way to pack oranges in a rectangular box?”  Should the oranges be in columns (sitting right on top of each other?), or should you try to fit oranges into the gaps created when you make an orange-square (more like a pyramid?).

The packing problem, despite its seemingly modest statement, leads to very complicated and deep ideas.  My potatoes led to a very delicious side dish. 

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