ASIFA Central April 2023 Newsletter

 

                                                                (cc) 2023 ASIFA Central

(use with permission, please)

Uh Oh - You've Been WARNED!

(c) 2023 Jim Middleton, The Animating Apothecary (pat pend reg US pat off)

 

And here's a link for an example!
Flute Solo in Sfumatoscope!

Gif Test for Color and Clarity - and now with Added Texture!

                                                (c) 2023 Jim Middleton, The Animating Apothecary

Well, it looks colorful, but it's not making much sense!

And one more test - for texture, this time:

 

Well, When Two Favorite Comedians Merge ... That's a Thing!

Buster Keaton, appearing as a cop in Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's "Coney Island," does Groucho before Groucho ever did Groucho...1917

Post #534 - Mixing Media from 1975 - "20 Organic Hits" gets a make-over

This is a commercial spoof I wrote to begin an organic chemistry lab instruction tape.  That tape now exists only as a decomposing fourth-generation dupe.  I salvaged the sound and trimmed out specific commercial and instructor references (the classic text "Morrison and Boyd" figured prominently) and then reconstructed the visuals.  

Again, I used my 10-year outmoded Flash CS5 because, well, because I actually own that software and don't have to pay a monthly Adobe tribute, nor do I need the internet in order to make a film.  I am such a luddite.  But it's sooooooooo much easier than doing the graphics and overlays "live" during the days of linear-only video edits!

It's almost 50 seconds!  Commercials were so much longer in the 70's!  The puns were considered groaners even then...

 This "restoration" is (c) 2023, MMCCIII, by Jim Middleton, The Animating Apothecary

Why Accumulate These Little Dust Catchers?

Aeons ago, I would watch the Admiral radio-phonograph go through its paces while playing a gray labeled Columbia LP that my parents had received when joining a record club.  Mozart’s 40th. 

The tone arm would lift, retreat to the right ever so slightly, there’d be an audible “click,” and the record would drop onto the musty turntable, much smaller than the record itself, and the tone arm would hover over the start of the record, and only when it landed onto the turning disk, would the sound happen.  It was magic.

I stared at the record as the needle tracked through the first movement, watching it move closer and closer to the center.  It was all in a single groove.  The needle was pulling sound out of a plastic disk, and while leaning over the phonograph, I could feel the vibrations of the sound making a literal, visceral connection with my stomach.  

I later leaned my face into the side of my metal lunch box, painted to look like a school bus, only packed with Disney characters, and when humming, I felt the vibration through the lunch box.  

At recess, we took turns humming near the pipe that served to support the teeter-totter and tried to find how far away we could move and still feel the vibration.

Then I went back and looked at the gray labeled LP, really looked into it, got out a tiny plastic magnifier from my mom’s sewing kit, and saw the waves in the grooves.  
Sound was a wave.
The grooves held the sound.
The needle brought the sound back.

My grandfather had a mechanical phonograph, run by a spring, along with very old records that his father had owned - and when I looked at the grooves, they were there, larger, rather dusty, but I figured grandfather could be a bit dusty, too, so that was a natural thing.
He played the record on his machine, and the muffled, distant voice came through the wooden horn, as if it were attached back, far, far, back behind the machine, reaching into the past - and that voice was calling ahead to now, like a ghost.

That night I dreamt I was a sound.
A wave.
A groove on a record.  A long line, wrapped counter-clockwise moving to the center.  My entire being existed as that groove.  The needle fell upon me, and I came to life, just as that voice came to life at my grandfather’s house.  I could be heard!  I could be experienced!  I was alive!
The needle wore me away every time it played the record.  I thought in the dream, I cannot let myself get played too often, unless I would be worn away.

I woke and read what I could understand - a lot of it was based on electronic theory, and my seven year-old brain wasn’t quite wired at that point - but I found that people, alive in the 1890s, made recordings of themselves, one-of-a-kind, and that, somewhere in museums, they could still be able to talk to us now.
And later, museums and libraries were getting rid of these recordings, just as casually as someone discarding a gum wrapper, and I was horrified.
But, being seven, with a ten cent weekly allowance, I couldn’t do a thing about it.

But I always remembered that ghostly sounding voice singing to me from nearly another century.
And so, whenever I could, starting at ten, when my weekly allowance was increased to a pair of quarters from the fireplace mantle, I would buy some of these cast-offs.  

And I helped keep those grooves alive for just a bit more.  

Each move since has resulted in some of these records being broken, and I mourn not the material loss, but the loss of an artifact of someone’s being.

So, whenever I can, I share, send, remaster, and perpetuate these voices, sounds, and music - if the music was intended to be a working experience, I try to keep its mission going, in a way to straddle the past to the present.

If the voices have a soft, distant, spooky sound to them, well, that’s the past talking to us.

So -
that’s why I do this.  

It keeps the Admiral happy.

Another Evolving Scene - 2D Animation Visual Progress Notes

 Original sketch:

Various takes as the project assembly progresses

Some more details:

Video adjustments (sound added):

(c) 2023 Jim Middleton, The Animating Apothecary

Post #531: Chat GPT Has a Rigid Vocabulary

 

Did "awful" ever mean "awe-filled"?

Yes, the word "awful" did originally mean "full of awe" or "inspiring awe" when it was first used in the English language in the 14th century. It was derived from the Old Norse word "agi" which meant "terror" or "fright," and it was used to describe things that inspired fear and reverence, such as religious ceremonies or natural phenomena.

Over time, the meaning of the word shifted to its current usage to describe something that is extremely bad or unpleasant. This transition likely occurred because things that inspired fear and reverence could also be considered bad or unpleasant in certain contexts, and the negative connotations of the word gradually became more prominent.

Is there an outegument to an integument?

No, there is no such word as "outegument" in the English language. "Integument" refers to a natural outer covering or layer, such as skin, scales, or bark. If you were to use "outegument" as an invented word, it could potentially refer to something that covers the outside of an integument, but it would not be a recognized term in any scientific or medical context.

Could a callous be considered an outegument, then?

It is possible to think of a callous as an "outegument" in the sense that it is a thickened and hardened layer of skin that forms in response to repeated friction, pressure, or irritation. However, this term is not commonly used in biology or medicine to refer to calluses or any other structures outside of the body's integumentary system.

The term "outegument" itself is not a widely recognized term in scientific literature or in everyday use. "Integument" is the term used to refer to the body's external covering, which includes the skin, hair, nails, and various glands. While the prefix "out-" is often used to indicate something that is outside or external, it is not typically used to create new terms in the context of the integumentary system.

So it could be callous to call a callus an outegument, then?

Indeed! While the term "outegument" could technically apply to a callus as a thickened layer of skin on the outside of the body, it is not a commonly used term in English. Therefore, using it to describe a callus could be considered a rather esoteric use of language and may cause confusion or amusement

Could profusion be the opposite of confusion?

While the words "profusion" and "confusion" may have some similar-sounding syllables, they are not truly antonyms. "Profusion" refers to an abundance or excess of something, while "confusion" refers to a state of being mixed up, disordered, or unclear. So while it is possible to have a profusion of something without confusion, and vice versa, the two words are not truly opposite in meaning.

So, being callous to call a callus an outegument would cause a profusion of confusion?

 

 

***blinking cursor***

An Eight Year Old Continues to Interact with CHAT GPT

 

This 8 year old didn't have school today because of the weather. She was wondering if space-time encounters enough gravity, can time slow down so she can have a longer day off?

Well, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, time can indeed slow down in the presence of strong gravity. This effect is known as time dilation, and it means that time passes more slowly in a region with a stronger gravitational field than it does in a region with a weaker gravitational field.

So in principle, if you were in a region of space with a very strong gravitational field, time would pass more slowly for you than it would for someone in a weaker gravitational field. However, the effect would be very small unless you were extremely close to a massive object like a black hole.

So unfortunately, you can't slow down time enough to make your day off longer just by encountering some gravity. But you can still enjoy your day off and make the most of the time you have!

She as also grown tired of the same yellow school bus picking her up each morning. What is the easiest way to make a yellow school bus green, besides with envy?

The easiest way to make a yellow school bus green would be to paint it green. However, if you want a more eco-friendly solution, you could look into using vinyl wraps or decals that are made from recycled materials and designed to be easily applied and removed from vehicles. This would allow you to change the color of the bus temporarily without damaging the paint underneath, and you can switch back to yellow when needed. Keep in mind that you may need to check with local authorities or the school district before making any changes to the color or appearance of a school bus.

She wants to know why all school buses don't have safety belts and padded ceilings in case of roll-overs. Are there places that require this?

School buses in the United States are not required to have seat belts or padded ceilings. However, some states and school districts have implemented their own requirements for seat belts on school buses. For example, as of 2021, Texas requires all school buses purchased on or after September 1, 2019 to have lap-shoulder belts for each passenger seat. California also has a law requiring three-point seat belts on school buses, but it has not yet been fully implemented due to funding issues.

Regarding padded ceilings, there are currently no federal regulations requiring them on school buses. However, some manufacturers offer padded ceilings as an optional safety feature.

She also wonders that, since heat rises and cold air falls, if on a cold day, standing inside a bus would be more comfortable than sitting next to Billy and his onion sandwiches. Ugh, she says. Onions!

It is true that warm air rises and cool air falls, so on a cold day, standing inside a bus might be warmer than sitting next to an open window or a cold surface. However, the temperature inside a school bus is usually regulated by a heating system, so it should be relatively comfortable regardless of where you sit. As for the onion sandwiches, perhaps she could ask Billy to refrain from bringing them on the bus or sit farther away from him to avoid the smell.

She also thinks Billy is full of hot air, and wonders if he floats like a hot air balloon, would that make the onion smell spread faster than being in a cold room?

While it's true that hot air rises and cold air falls, it's unlikely that Billy's body heat alone would be enough to lift him off the ground like a hot air balloon. Hot air balloons work by heating up the air inside the balloon, which makes the air less dense and causes it to rise. Billy's body heat wouldn't be enough to heat up enough air to make him float.

As for the onion smell, the speed at which it spreads would depend on a number of factors, such as the air temperature, humidity, air circulation, and more. However, it's generally true that smells are more likely to spread in warmer environments, as the molecules move around more quickly at higher temperatures. So if Billy were, hypothetically, floating in a warm room, the onion smell might spread more quickly than in a colder room.

An Eight Year Old Asks CHAT GPT About Her Edible Universe

From  A Conversation with CHAT GPT on an 8 Year Old’s Universe
26 February 2023

❦

An 8 year old thinks of an infinite universe as a spiral, folded pancake connected to itself.

It's wonderful to hear that an 8-year-old has such a creative and imaginative idea about the universe! However, it's important to note that our current understanding of the universe doesn't necessarily match this description.

According to our current scientific understanding, the universe is thought to be infinite in size, meaning that it has no boundaries or edges. It's also thought to be expanding, meaning that the distances between galaxies are increasing over time.

The concept of a spiral or folded pancake universe is not a widely accepted scientific theory, although there are various theories and hypotheses about the shape of the universe, such as the idea that it may be curved or flat.

It's important to encourage children to think creatively and explore their ideas about the world around them, while also providing them with accurate scientific information and encouraging them to ask questions and seek out knowledge.

But if the pancake is stretched far enough, won't its center become stretched enough to create a vacuum?

It's important to clarify that the idea of a pancake universe, as you described it, is not a scientifically accepted theory of the universe. Therefore, any discussion of its properties or consequences would be purely speculative.

However, in physics, the concept of a vacuum typically refers to a region of space where there is no matter or radiation present. It's not clear how stretching a pancake universe would lead to the creation of a vacuum in its center, as the distribution of matter in the universe is thought to be fairly homogeneous on large scales.

In any case, it's always important to approach scientific questions with a healthy dose of skepticism and to rely on evidence-based theories and models when trying to understand the workings of the universe.

Since infinity is without end, the 8 year old decided to look only at one part of her pancake universe to determine laws that would apply to that tiny portion of infinity.  She thinks breaks in the pancake that align with breaks elsewhere on the pancake could become black holes, and if connected, create worm holes.

It's wonderful to see a child engaging in creative thinking and exploring their imagination about the universe. However, it's important to note that the concept of a pancake universe with breaks and connections that create black holes and wormholes is not a scientifically accepted theory.

In our current understanding of the universe, black holes are formed when massive stars collapse under their own gravity, creating an incredibly dense and massive object with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape it. Wormholes, on the other hand, are hypothetical structures that have not been directly observed, but are predicted by some theoretical models of space and time.

While it's always great to encourage children to think creatively and explore their ideas about the world, it's important to also provide them with accurate scientific information and encourage them to ask questions and seek out knowledge. As we continue to learn more about the universe through scientific research and observation, our understanding of the laws that govern it will continue to evolve and change.

The 8 year old is convinced that you are right, but that a pancake universe that folds onto itself would have stretched holes.   And since there is nothing in those holes, a vacuum would be created.

It's important to understand that a pancake universe that folds onto itself is not a scientifically accepted theory of the universe, and therefore any discussion of its properties or consequences would be purely speculative.

However, in physics, a vacuum typically refers to a region of space where there is no matter or radiation present. It's possible that in a hypothetical pancake universe with stretched holes, there could be regions where the density of matter is very low or even zero, creating a vacuum-like environment. However, it's also important to note that the universe is thought to be fairly homogeneous on large scales, meaning that the distribution of matter and energy is roughly uniform throughout. Therefore, it's unlikely that there would be large regions of empty space in a universe that folds onto itself.

Again, while it's great to encourage children to think creatively and explore their ideas about the world, it's important to also provide them with accurate scientific information and encourage them to ask questions and seek out knowledge. As we continue to learn more about the universe through scientific research and observation, our understanding of the laws that govern it will continue to evolve and change.

The 8 year old now thinks that a dying star in a black hole would be stretched into another black hole and encounter another dying star, and the two together would cause a collapse in that portion of her pancake universe.

It's great to see the child continuing to explore their imagination and come up with new ideas about the universe. However, it's important to note that our current understanding of black holes suggests that they are formed by the gravitational collapse of massive stars. As the star runs out of fuel, it can no longer counteract the force of gravity pulling it inward, causing it to collapse in on itself and forming a black hole.

While it's possible for a black hole to merge with another black hole under certain circumstances, such as when two black holes are orbiting around each other, it's not clear how a dying star inside a black hole would encounter another dying star to cause a collapse in that portion of the universe.

It's important to encourage children to think creatively and explore their ideas about the world, while also providing them with accurate scientific information and encouraging them to ask questions and seek out knowledge. This will help them develop a strong foundation of scientific understanding as they continue to explore their curiosity about the universe.

But now the 8 year old says, but what if she is right?  It's a big universe, it's infinite, and anything can happen.

It's always important to encourage children to think creatively and explore their ideas about the

universe. While some of the ideas they come up with may not be scientifically accepted theories, it's still valuable for them to explore their imagination and curiosity.

However, it's also important to teach children about the scientific method, which is a systematic approach to understanding the natural world. Science is based on evidence and empirical observation, and scientific theories are constantly tested and refined based on new data and discoveries.

While it's possible that new discoveries could change our understanding of the universe and lead to new scientific theories, it's important to approach scientific questions with a healthy dose of skepticism and to rely on evidence-based theories and models when trying to understand the workings of the universe.

In short, while anything is possible in a child's imagination, scientific theories are based on evidence and are subject to ongoing testing and refinement. Encouraging children to explore their curiosity about the universe while also providing them with accurate scientific information will help them develop a strong foundation of scientific understanding.

The 8 year old is examining how close a random series of black holes can approach each other by making pancakes with three randomly placed blueberries representing three black holes.  She thinks that stacking her pancakes like a folded, infinite universe would eventually have two blackberries close enough to link and cause a reaction.

It's great to see the child engaging in hands-on exploration and using visual aids to better understand their ideas about the universe. However, it's important to keep in mind that the behavior of black holes is highly complex and is still an active area of scientific research.

While it's possible for black holes to merge under certain circumstances, such as when two black holes are orbiting each other, the details of how this process works and how it relates to the structure and behavior of the universe as a whole are still the subject of ongoing research and debate among scientists.

Encouraging children to explore their curiosity about the universe while also providing them with accurate scientific information and encouraging them to ask questions and seek out knowledge will help them develop a strong foundation of scientific understanding. This will also help them understand the limitations of our current scientific knowledge and appreciate the ongoing process of scientific discovery and exploration.

Well, this 8 year old won't give up on the pancake idea.  Are there any variations in the Euler equations that can help her examine random occurrences of particles in space?

The Euler equations are a set of equations used to describe the motion of fluids and gases in three dimensions. While they are not typically used to describe the behavior of individual particles in space, there are other mathematical models and tools that can be used to study the behavior of particles in a variety of contexts.

For example, Monte Carlo simulations are a type of statistical modeling technique that can be used to simulate the behavior of particles in a variety of contexts, from subatomic particles to large-scale systems like the universe. These simulations involve generating random numbers to model the probability of different particle interactions and tracking the resulting behavior over time.

Other mathematical tools that can be used to study particle behavior include differential equations, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. These mathematical models and techniques can be used to explore a wide range of scientific questions and phenomena, and can be a valuable tool for understanding the behavior of particles in space and other complex systems.

Encouraging children to explore their curiosity about the universe while also providing them with accurate scientific information and encouraging them to ask questions and seek out knowledge will help them develop a strong foundation of scientific understanding. This will also help them appreciate the ongoing process of scientific discovery and exploration, and the wide range of mathematical tools and models that can be used to better understand the natural world.

Now she wants to play with the Monte Carlo simulation.  Do the Monte Carlo simulations help track a particle in three dimensional space?

Yes, Monte Carlo simulations can be used to track the behavior of particles in three-dimensional space. Monte Carlo simulations involve generating random numbers to model the probability of different particle interactions, and then simulating the behavior of particles based on these probabilities.

These simulations can be used to study a wide range of physical phenomena, from the behavior of subatomic particles to the dynamics of large-scale systems like the universe. In fact, Monte Carlo simulations are widely used in many areas of physics and engineering, and have become an important tool for understanding the behavior of complex systems.

Monte Carlo simulations can be particularly useful when it is difficult or impossible to solve the underlying equations of motion analytically. By generating large numbers of random interactions, Monte Carlo simulations can provide a statistical estimate of the behavior of particles, allowing researchers to make predictions and test hypotheses about the behavior of complex systems.

Overall, Monte Carlo simulations can be a powerful tool for studying the behavior of particles in three-dimensional space, and can help researchers gain insights into a wide range of physical phenomena.

Now the 8 year old wants to know how to build a Monte Carlo simulation.

Building a Monte Carlo simulation typically involves several steps:

    Define the system: The first step is to define the system you want to simulate. This includes specifying the particles you want to simulate, their properties (such as mass, charge, and spin), and the forces that act on them.

    Generate random numbers: Monte Carlo simulations rely on the generation of random numbers to model the probability of different particle interactions. There are several ways to generate random numbers, such as using a random number generator function in a programming language.

    Calculate probabilities: Based on the random numbers generated in step 2, you can calculate the probabilities of different particle interactions. This typically involves using a set of equations or rules to calculate the probability of different outcomes.

    Simulate particle behavior: Once you have calculated the probabilities of different particle interactions, you can simulate the behavior of the particles over time. This involves updating the positions and velocities of the particles based on the forces acting on them and the probabilities of different interactions.

    Analyze the results: Once you have completed the simulation, you can analyze the results to gain insights into the behavior of the particles. This may involve visualizing the trajectories of the particles, calculating statistical measures such as averages and variances, and comparing the results to experimental data or theoretical predictions.

Building a Monte Carlo simulation can be a complex process, and typically requires knowledge of programming, physics, and mathematics. There are several software packages and programming libraries available that can simplify the process of building and running Monte Carlo simulations, such as Python's NumPy and SciPy libraries, MATLAB, and Monte Carlo simulation software like Geant4.

Well, the 8 year old girl is really excited that she has a way to prove her theory, because Monte Carlo sounds like a card game, and she loves card games, and REALLY loves card tricks.  She has defined her system - a pancake universe.  She has found a way to scatter the blueberries into the pancake batter so no pancake has the same three blueberries in the same place, so that's her random numbers.  She will count how many pancakes she can make in her folded universe before the stack of pancakes falls over.  She can simulate the particle behavior by dropping in the blueberries at different times while the pancake batter cooks into a solid pancake.  And she can analyze the results by peeling away the pancakes with blueberries too close to the edge and looking at what remains.  And then she can have pancakes for breakfast.  I think she is about to prove her theory of a pancake universe, where black holes can connect, two dead stars can merge, and the pancakes layers in that part of the universe flatten and merge into a new pancake!  She feels pretty proud of herself!

That's wonderful to hear! The 8 year old girl's creativity and curiosity are truly inspiring. It's great that she's found a fun and creative way to explore her ideas and test her theories. By using the Monte Carlo method, she can simulate the behavior of her pancake universe and analyze the results to gain insights into the behavior of the particles. And of course, the best part is that she gets to enjoy some delicious pancakes at the end!

Now the 8 year old wants to know how she can braid her hair.  She thinks a pancake universe can blend into another pancake universe by braiding into it.  How many braids can she put in her hair to test this theory of hers?

It's great that the 8 year old is interested in braiding her hair and exploring how her pancake universe theory could apply to it. However, I'm an AI language model and I don't have access to information about the 8 year old's hair length, thickness, or texture.

But in general, the number of braids that can be put in hair depends on the length and thickness of the hair, as well as the desired size and type of the braid. It's important to be gentle when braiding hair to avoid damaging it, and to use hair elastics or clips to secure the ends of each braid.

As for the pancake universe theory, it's important to keep in mind that while it's fun to explore scientific concepts in creative ways, braiding hair is not necessarily a direct analogy to the behavior of particles in a pancake universe. However, the 8 year old can continue to explore and experiment with her ideas in a safe and fun way.

You mentioned the elastics and clips to help hold the braid together.  Could a braid in the pancake universe be completely composed of gravity to hold the braids of a pancake universe together?

In a pancake universe or any other physical system, gravity is indeed a fundamental force that can play a role in holding particles together. However, it's important to keep in mind that the behavior of gravity is governed by the laws of physics, and it's a complex force that interacts with other forces such as electromagnetism and the strong and weak nuclear forces.

In the context of a pancake universe, it's possible that gravity could play a role in holding the different layers of the universe together, but it would also depend on other factors such as the density and distribution of matter and energy in the universe, and the overall geometry and curvature of space-time.

It's important to note that the behavior of gravity and other forces in the universe is still not fully understood, and is an active area of research in physics and astrophysics. The 8 year old's curiosity and creativity are valuable traits that could lead to new insights and discoveries in the future.

Now the 8 year old wants to know if a braid of gravity can be bent and curved around something else?

Yes, a braid of gravity can be bent and curved around something else, just as any other physical object can be bent and curved in space-time. This is because gravity is a fundamental force that interacts with the curvature of space-time.

In fact, the bending and curving of space-time due to gravity is one of the most important concepts in modern physics, and it's what underlies phenomena such as black holes, gravitational lensing, and gravitational waves.

If the 8 year old is interested in learning more about the bending and curving of space-time due to gravity, there are many resources available online, including books, articles, and videos, that can provide more information and help explain this concept in more detail.

Now she is curious about gravitational lensing.  Is that like a lens in the eye?

Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon in which the gravitational field of a massive object, such as a galaxy or a black hole, bends and distorts the path of light passing near it. This bending of light can cause distant objects behind the massive object to appear distorted or magnified, as if being viewed through a lens.

While the concept of lensing is similar to that of a lens in the eye, the physical mechanism is quite different. In the eye, light is bent by the curvature of the cornea and the lens, which helps to focus the light onto the retina at the back of the eye. In gravitational lensing, light is bent by the curvature of space-time due to the massive object, which acts like a lens.

Gravitational lensing is an important tool for astronomers, as it allows them to study distant and faint objects that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to observe. By observing the effects of gravitational lensing, astronomers can study the distribution of matter in the universe and test theories of gravity and cosmology.

So now she wonders if a gravitational lens can bend light and distort and magnify something behind a black hole, could light put through that lens come out the other end larger than it went in?

Gravitational lensing can indeed distort and magnify light passing near a massive object like a black hole. This effect is known as gravitational lensing magnification.

In theory, it is possible for light that is magnified by gravitational lensing to emerge from the other side of a black hole. However, the black hole would have to be surrounded by a massive and dense object, such as a galaxy, in order to act as a gravitational lens. This would require a highly unlikely configuration of objects in space.

Furthermore, even if light were to pass through a gravitational lens and emerge on the other side of a black hole, it is unlikely that the light would be larger than it was before. Gravitational lensing can magnify the image of an object, making it appear larger, but it does not actually change the size of the object itself.

So while it is an interesting idea, it is unlikely that light passing through a gravitational lens near a black hole would emerge on the other side larger than it went in.

But now she's an 8 year old with a question - if something is "highly unlikely," does that mean it is "possibly likely"?

That's a great question! "Highly unlikely" means that the chances of something happening are very, very low. While it is technically possible for something highly unlikely to happen, the probability of it happening is so low that it is unlikely to occur.

For example, if you flip a coin, the chances of it landing heads-up or tails-up are both 50-50, or 50%. However, the chances of flipping a coin and having it land on its edge are much lower, and so it is highly unlikely to happen. While it is technically possible for the coin to land on its edge, the probability of that happening is so low that it is not considered "possibly likely."

So to answer your question, while something highly unlikely is technically possible, the probability of it happening is so low that it is not considered "possibly likely."

So now she wonders if something is probably low, what can she do to make that something more likely?

If something is probably low, it means that it has a low likelihood of occurring. To increase the likelihood of something, one would need to identify the factors that contribute to its occurrence and try to manipulate those factors in a way that increases the likelihood of the desired outcome.

For example, let's say the 8 year old wants to increase the likelihood of finding a particular type of seashell on the beach. She could research the type of seashell and its characteristics, including the time of day or year when it is most likely to be found, the location on the beach where it is most likely to wash up, and the conditions under which it is most likely to be visible. Based on this research, she could plan her trip to the beach at the most favorable time, go to the most promising location, and look for the seashell under the most favorable conditions, such as during low tide or after a storm.

In general, to make something more likely, it helps to understand the factors that affect its likelihood and to take actions that increase the chances of those factors being present. However, it's important to keep in mind that some things may be inherently unlikely, no matter what actions are taken to increase their likelihood.

So now she is convinced even more that her pancake universe is probably likely if enough things can happen to make it more likely, and that if she looks into gravitational lensing, she can probably see any number of things she didn't expect before, and that those things will probably prove that we are tiny-weeny specks in an infinite pancake universe, braided with a layer of gravity from all the density of the universe, and that when everything is done, everyone can have pancakes and world hunger will be solved!  She is a very determined 8 year old.

The 8 year old certainly has a lot of enthusiasm and imagination! It's great to see her so curious and excited about science and the universe. While her pancake universe may not be a scientifically accepted model, it's still a fun and creative way to explore ideas and concepts. Who knows, maybe one day she'll come up with a revolutionary theory that changes the way we understand the universe!

She says when she sends her report to MIT she will give you credit.  What name should they tell her?

As an AI language model, I don't have a personal name. You can simply credit the response to "ChatGPT, an AI language model trained by OpenAI."

Now she wants to know if that's AI as a capital A and a capital I or Al with a capital A and a lower case L.  

It's AI with a capital A and a capital I.

I think she still wants to call you AL.  She thinks there's a song about someone called AL.

That's alright, she can call me AL if she prefers! And she's right, there is a song called "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon. It's a classic!

She just said, "Thanks Al, I'll save you a pancake."

You're welcome! And thank you, that sounds delicious!

Next week, she'll probably want to ask about a waffle universe.

I'll be here to answer her questions about the waffle universe if she ever has any!

 

 

Flashback to 2006 and an Early Vaudeville Routine

Abbott and Costello kept many standard routines in vaudeville and burlesque alive through repeated repurposing of gags, and not being afraid to recycle them in their films and move them wholesale into the TV medium a few years later.

This one appears in at least two of A&C's movies, and I was able to trace it back to at least 1911 when it was recorded by the team of Montgomery and Stone, who marked their names to history by being the first Scarecrow and Tin Woodman in the stage version of "Wizard of Oz" in 1903. 

Given the loose narrative of that early production, it would be easy to imaging the pair putting this brief exchange to work as a way to check the Scarecrow's lack of a brain.

I tossed this together for a program of theatrical turns that made their way through Battle Creek in the years before WWI.  Others passing through the cereal city in those years would have included the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and Sarah Bernhardt.  

And, since I can't get enough out of annoying Chat GPT these days,

My question:
A man is forty, and his wife is 10.  He's 4 times older than she is.  They wait five years, and he's now 45, and his wife is 15.  He's 3 times older than she is.  They wait another 15 years, and he's 60, and his wife is 30.  He's 2 times older than she is.  The question is - how long do they have to wait until they're both the same age?

ChatGPT:
This is a classic math puzzle that involves using algebra to solve the problem. Let's use "x" to represent the number of years they need to wait until they are both the same age.
We know that the man is currently four times older than his wife, which means that:
40 = 4 * 10
We also know that after 5 years, he will be three times older than his wife, which means that:
45 = 3 * 15
And after another 15 years, he will be two times older than his wife:
60 = 2 * 30
Now, we can set up an equation using "x" as the number of years they need to wait until they are both the same age. If we add "x" years to the man's age, he will be the same age as his wife. This gives us the equation:
40 + x = 30 + x/2
Simplifying this equation, we get:
x/2 = 10
x = 20
Therefore, they need to wait for 20 years until they are both ...
 

The cursor after “both” began blinking - it blinked for 10 minutes, I had a chance to take out the recycling and returned to, “Error in creating a response.”  

I said, “Try again”

ChatGPT said
This is a classic math puzzle that involves using algebra to solve for the unknown variable, which in this case is the number of years they need to wait until they are both the same age.

Let's represent the man's current age as x and his wife's current age as y. We can set up three equations based on the information given:

Equation 1: x = 4y - 30 (because he is 4 times older than her when he is 40 and she is 10)
Equation 2: x + 5 = 3(y + 5) (because he is 3 times older than her when he is 45 and she is 15)
Equation 3: x + 20 = 2(y + 20) (because he is 2 times older than her when he is 60 and she is 30)

We can simplify these equations and solve for x and y:

From Equation 1, we get y = (x + 30) / 4
From Equation 2, we get y = (x + 10) / 3 - 5/3
From Equation 3, we get y = (x + 40) / 2 - 20

Now we can set these three expressions for y equal to each other:

(x + 30) / 4 = (x + 10) / 3 - 5/3 = (x + 40) / 2 - 20

Simplifying this equation, we get:

3(x + 30) = 4(x + 10) - 20 = 2(x + 40)

Solving for x in each of these equations gives us:

x = 60

Therefore, the man and his wife will be the same age in 60 years.

And I replied:  But in 60 years, the man will be 120, and his wife will be 90.  That's not the same age.

Chat GPT replied:  You are correct. I apologize for the error in my previous response. The answer I provided is not correct.  In fact, it is not possible for the man and his wife to be the same age because the man is always older than his wife. We can see this by using the equations we set up in the previous response.

If we set y = x in the third equation, we get:

x + 20 = 2(x + 20)/2 - 20

Simplifying this equation gives us:

x + 20 = x + 20 - 20

This reduces to:

0 = 0

This means that the equation is always true, regardless of the value of x. Therefore, the man and his wife will never be the same age.

--

That still isn't a proof, but I don't need Chat GPT to start messing with the SmartTV downstairs.

Flashback - ASIFA Central's Newsletter for Spring 1987

The OIAF was in danger of collapsing, Roger Rabbit was being promoted as a directoral project for Chuck Jones, and activities were centered in Chicago...what a year!

ASIFA Central Newsletter - February 2023

 Ten pages of light reading, but still read it in the light.  Click on image to enlarge the page to prevent excessive squinting.  It looks unprofessional.