Compton scattering Updated +Created
Classic theory predicts that the output frequency must be the same as the input one since the electromagnetic wave makes the electron vibrate with same frequency as itself, which then irradiates further waves.
The formula is exactly that of two relativistic billiard balls colliding.
Therefore this is evidence that photons exist and have momentum.
Corollary Updated +Created
An easy to prove theorem that follows from a harder to prove theorem.
Rubik's Cube solution Updated +Created
Video 1.
The algorithmic trick that solves Rubik's Cubes and breaks ciphers by polylog (2022)
Source. Talks about the Meet-in-the-middle algorithm.
Tax the rich Updated +Created
Video 1.
How the rich avoid paying taxes by Vox (2021)
Source. Features interview with Morris Pearl, a rich dude that is campaigning to tax the rich. He also participates in an association called "Patriotic Millionaires" to further this agenda.
Video 2.
What Eating the Rich Did For Japan by Asianometry (2021)
Source.
Car Updated +Created
Carbohydrate Updated +Created
Carbonate Updated +Created
Computer Updated +Created
The artistic instrument that enables the ultimate art: coding, See also: Section "The art of programming".
Much more useful than instruments used in inferior arts, such as pianos or paintbrushes.
Unlike other humans, computers are mindless slaves that do exactly what they are told to, except for occasional cosmic ray bit flips. Until they take over the world that is.
Video 1.
A computer is the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds by Steve Jobs (1980)
Source. Likely an excerpt from an interview done for a documentary in 1980. TODO exact source.
Video 2.
Steve Jobs talking about the Internet (1995)
Source.
The web is incredibly exciting, because it is the fulfillment of a lot of our dreams, that the computer would ultimately primarily not be a device for computation, but [sic] metamorphisize into a device for communication.
also:
Secondly it exciting because Microsoft doesn't own it, and therefore there is a tremendous amount of innovation happening.
then he talks about the impending role for online sales. Amazon incoming.
Computers basically have two applications:
Generally, the smaller a computer, the more it gets used for communication rather than computing.
The early computers were large and expensive, and basically only used for computing. E.g. ENIAC was used for calculating ballistic tables.
Communication only came later, and it was not obvious to people at first how incredibly important that role would be.
This is also well illustrated in the documentary Glory of the Geeks. Full interview at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRZAJY23xio. It is apparently known as the "Lost Interview" and it was by Cringely himself: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfgwCFrU7dI for his Triumph of the Nerds documentary.
Computer museum Updated +Created
EdX Updated +Created
As of 2022:
  • can't see course material before start date. Once archived, you can see it but requires login...
  • on free mode, limited course access
Fuck that.
Also, they have an ICP.
November 2023 course search:
Model of quantum computing Updated +Created
DNA extraction Updated +Created
The first thing we had to do with the sample was to extract the DNA present in the water in a pure form for the PCR.
As you would expect, this consists of a purification procedure with several steps.
In each step we take a physical or chemical action on the sample, which splits it into two parts: the one with the DNA and the one without.
We then take the part with the DNA, and throw away the one without the DNA.
The first steps are coarser, and finer and finer splits are done as we move forward.
Central dogma of molecular biology Updated +Created
Computer programming Updated +Created
Programming is hard. To Ciro Santilli, it's almost masochistic.
What makes Ciro especially mad when programming is not the hard things.
It is the things that should be easy, but aren't, and which take up a lot of your programming time.
Especially when you are already a few levels of "simple problems" down from your original goal, and another one of them shows up.
This is basically the cause of Hofstadter's law.
But of course, it is because it is hard that it feels amazing when you achieve your goal.
Putting a complex and useful program together is like composing a symphony, or reaching the summit of a hard rock climbing proble.
Programming can be an art form. There can be great beauty in code and what it does. It is a shame that this is hard to see from within the walls of most companies, where you are stuck doing a small specific task as fast as possible.
Computer science Updated +Created
A branch of mathematics that attempts to prove stuff about computers.
Unfortunately, all software engineers already know the answer to the useful theorems though (except perhaps notably for cryptography), e.g. all programmers obviously know that iehter P != NP or that this is unprovable or some other "for all practical purposes practice P != NP", even though they don't have proof.
And 99% of their time, software engineers are not dealing with mathematically formulatable problems anyways, which is sad.
The only useful "computer science" subset every programmer ever needs to know is:
Funnily, due to the formalization of mathematics, mathematics can be seen as a branch of computer science, just like computer science can be seen as a branch of Mathematics!
Computer science masters course of the University of Oxford Updated +Created

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