The Interesting Facts Thread

[CopperTop]

Are we talking British billion, or that tiny little American billion?

1000,000,000

I think that's the American version isn't it?

 

[jacco vermeulen]

What ridiculous, sad, shallow people they must be, to have kept on going beyond the first few miles.

Curious me, how many miles do you own ?

 

[CopperTop]

Curious me, how many miles do you own ?

A couple of yards!

For me, it's the thought that these people don't know that they're not going to drop dead tomorrow, and they'll certainly be old in a few years. But they'd rather spend what's left of their precious time in a crappy office, fiddling about with the minutiae of making even more money and then coming home in the dark - like ordinary people have to.

One person can't spend a fraction of a billion pounds in a lifetime, so it must be that if a billionaire gets up at 6 am to be driven through rush hour to a culturally bereft building where he spends the day answering emails and phone calls, and talking to people in shiny suits, then he cannot think of anything he would rather be doing.

 

[Cassiel]

They can't stop. They love making money - it gives them a boner.

 

[Cal Weldon]

0.999 recurring is equal to one because the difference is infinitely small.
Isn't that obvious?

So is an infinitely small difference identically equal to zero, or only equal as a limit?

Oh yes, that they are functionally equivalent for any practical purpose is evident.
But they are not the same thing.

Read the wiki link that KnightofAwesome gave you in post 28 if you are unclear.

 

[jacco vermeulen]

then he cannot think of anything he would rather be doing.

You don't think :
A - Quite a large percentage scores the B-thing through inheritance.
B - Or pass the mark within a decade through a stock buy-out, in a global market situation of too much excess cash. (that turns sour within a couple of years)
C - Or write Harry Rotter books.
D - Or are scam artists. (Mr Chelsea)

 

[SY]

One person can't spend a fraction of a billion pounds in a lifetime

You never met my ex-wife.


When you're a billionaire, the office commutes to YOU.

 

[digits]

Curious me, how many miles do you own ?

x=0
x(x-1)=0
x-1=0
x=1
1=0​

Trying to think now when the last time I actualy handled any cash notes were....

 

[digits]

x=2¶
sin(x)=0
x=arcsin(0)
x=0
2¶=0​

 

[jlsem]

A couple of yards!

For me, it's the thought that these people don't know that they're not going to drop dead tomorrow, and they'll certainly be old in a few years. But they'd rather spend what's left of their precious time in a crappy office, fiddling about with the minutiae of making even more money and then coming home in the dark - like ordinary people have to.

One person can't spend a fraction of a billion pounds in a lifetime, so it must be that if a billionaire gets up at 6 am to be driven through rush hour to a culturally bereft building where he spends the day answering emails and phone calls, and talking to people in shiny suits, then he cannot think of anything he would rather be doing.

Is defining wealthy people as necessarily unhappy a way of absolving jealousy or what?

John

 

[jacco vermeulen]

The couple of TX crude B$ good ol'boys i've met seemed a happier bunch than CT.

Those who barely pass the 0.1B$ mark are likely the ones living on the fast lane.
Example : a real estate guy overhere had two yachts on sale, totalling +300ft of length and $70M. (one just withdrawn from sale for the charter season)
He even made a special deal with the IRS to make it the largest registered sailing yacht overhere.
Interesting part is that the entire family business assets amount to barely three times that number.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp5y_eyp9i8/Tb9AcbnO2qI/AAAAAAAAAek/_ANNSsYGsZk/s1600/100_3393.JPG

 

[wg_ski]

x=2¶
sin(x)=0
x=arcsin(0)
x=0
2¶=0​

But 2 pi does equal zero.... more or less. Except in Hornresp, where 2-pi shows the low end drooping a bit.

 

[wg_ski]

x=0
x(x-1)=0
x-1=0
x=1
1=0​

There *are* two solutions to the second equation. Nah... who pays attention in Algebra class anymore?

 

[planet10]

The difirent sizes of infinity will drive you mad.

A good book to help try to get a handle on this is Rudy Rucker's White Light (in his other job, as Rudolf Rucker, he is a math professor and author of a number of text books)

dave

 

[PeterDupont]

You simply can't sneeze with your eyes open!

 

[Cal Weldon]

False.

 

[PeterDupont]

If I start sneezing in my car I have to pull over! It's just like driving and watching bill-boards from Victoria's Secrets or Aubade! It's a crash.

 

[jan.didden]

Nebraska is the only US state with a unicameral government.

Isn't that interesting?

jan didden

 

[jlsem]

Nebraska is also home to the world's largest railroad marshaling yard.

John

 

[SY]

Nebraska is the only US state with a unicameral government.

Isn't that interesting?

jan didden

If you have ever been there, you will quickly realize that "interesting" and "Nebraska" are rarely in the same sentence.