Random Questions curiosity thread ('-' )

Talk about anything under the sun or stars - but keep it civil. This is where we really get to know each other. Everyone is welcome, and invited!
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Postby starlooker » Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:24 pm

What about Carl Jung? What effect has his being Freud's primo pupil had on his modern reputation? (Along with his own ideas.)
His ideas still fall broadly into the area of psychology known as "psychodynamics," and, while we do learn a lot more about him from a historical/theory perspective than Lacan, his theories aren't widely popular among non-psychoanalytic psychologists (for similar reasons as Freud). Except for addded interest value. (That is, people will read his stuff if an interest sparks, but not a lot of people are true-blue practicing Jungians.)

Oh, and we give thanks for the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory which was inspired by his theory.

However, yes, you're right, the influence Freud has had on pop-culture will probably never die. Because it's fun.
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Postby Satya » Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:00 pm

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Postby Jayelle » Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:31 pm

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Postby zeroguy » Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:57 pm

I've studied Computer Sciences in high school (didn't go to college yet) and I've yet to understand: what exactly are pointers, and why the heck do we need them?
I'm probably really bad at explaining this and you should just listen to jota, but I like talking about this stuff so here we go.

An unhelpful answer as to why we need them: most problems in computer science can be solved by just an additional layer of indirection. (I think the actual quote may say "all problems" but whatever). Pointers are a layer of indirection (you see things like that a lot in pretty much all levels of software and even hardware).

As to what they are... everything in memory is, at some level, a number. Assuming C is the language you're dealing with... you say 'int x = 5;', there's a spot in memory with some bits representing "5" in it. "x" just represents an integer, whose value is that spot in memory. When you say "x+2", the number in that spot of memory is retrieved (5), and 2 is added to it, and you get back the result.

Pointers are also just numbers; they happen to represent a location in memory instead of representing an integer. You say "int * ptr = &i;" and there's a spot in memory with some bits representing the spot in memory for "i". But the value of 'ptr' is just a number, probably something like 0xbfd3a288 (in hexadecimal). All pointers are just simple numbers: char**'s, int*'s, void*'s, all of them.

The only thing that is different between them is what datatype you get when you dereference them. A location in memory is not very useful unless you know how to interpret what's there. So, if you dereference a char* to read from it, the compiler knows to look at the first byte, and that it represents a value between -128 and 127. If you dereference an int*, the compiler knows to look at the first four bytes (depending on the architecture), and that they represent a value between -2^16 and 2^16-1. If you dereference a 'struct whatever *' it knows to look at specific locations in memory and what they mean.

A real answer as to why we need them... well, there's many reasons. The answer that deals with how they are used with arrays isn't wrong, but to give a real "correct" explanation for that takes too much detail, in my opinion (memory allocation and such). The simplest way I could say is that it just lets you point to other objects, variables, etc, in a program. A simple example would be how you return more than one value from a C function. If you want to return two integers, you do something like "foo(&var1, &var2)" and somewhere "foo" does "*var1 = somevalue;" etc. Passing in a pointer lets the function set the value of some integers. What integers? The caller of the function decides, based on what pointers it gives "foo".

That may be more confusing than helpful, but I'm trying to prevent bringing out fuller code examples. Oh well, I enjoyed it.
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Postby jotabe » Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:02 am

whoa objects... never got quite there lol :D
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Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Wed Jan 27, 2010 4:16 am

I studied Java; maybe that's the reason I never understood them.

I still only half-get them, but I understand more about them now. Thanks, jota and zero!

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Postby zeroguy » Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:51 pm

whoa objects... never got quite there lol :D
Figure of speech; an object as in a general "thing", not necessarily actual OO objects and stuff.
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Postby CezeN » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:32 pm

Next question:

When some random girl that you don't know, who you only have a connection to through older sisters who are best friends and go to the same University, asks you to prom - do you answer with:

A. Tits or Gtfo
B. No thanks
C. lol desperate much?
D. YES. Thanks!
E. If you're asking someone you don't even know - you must be deformed physically or have a horrible personality
F. ?????
G. PROFIT!
H. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

? ('-' )
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Postby Satya » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:38 pm

i herd u liek mudkipz

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Postby Gravity Defier » Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:52 pm

Next question:

When some random girl that you don't know, who you only have a connection to through older sisters who are best friends and go to the same University, asks you to prom - do you answer with:
Is this a real question? If so, do people not teach their children manners anymore? B or D are the only acceptable face-to-face (or over the phone/email/text/whatever) responses as far as I'm concerned. It can't be helped what you do behind their back but at least be considerate to them.
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Postby Jeesh_girl15 » Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:04 pm

If a girl you don't even know comes up and asks you, at least be polite. If she asked you, either she's desperate, or she really does like you. It is possible to like someone you don't even know, and if you turned her down really rudely in her face, that's just, well, rude. Think before you answer, and remember, she's not just some girl you don't really know, she's a person who has feelings.
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Postby CezeN » Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:12 pm

...

It wasn't really meant as a serious question. I mean, the situation is real, but the answers were a joke. Well, I already answered - so, so was the question kinda.
I mean, that's the only reason I threw in two internet memes/4chanisms into it...

And c'mon, I'm not a douchebag. lol
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Postby CezeN » Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:39 pm

Okay, next question:

I'm struggling hard to understand Equilibrium reactions in AP Chem(even with trying to read the book and googling the information on the internet), and so I'm wondering - is anyone here a beast at Chemistry AND at the same time good at explaining things?

I mean, I know about the RICE tables.
And like, plugging in the Initial concentrations and equilibirum concentrations and using the proportion between them to solve for the Change.
I also know about the whole Concentration of products divided by concentration of reactants thing for finding the Kc(or is it rate?).

What I don't understand is how pH ties into all of that. And wtf is a buffer capacity/solution/whatever? What does the whole telling between a strong acid or base have to do with anything? What does the conjugate acids/bases have to do with anything?
What are the main equations for finding PH or POH? -log of something? Of what? How do you find hydronium ion concentration? WHY CAN'T I UNDERSTAND CHEMISTRY?!?!

@_@

On a more rational note: If you're really good at Chemistry and helping other people understand, please say so. So, I can type out a copy of the type of questions that confuse me, that I don't understand, and you can show me how you would solve it and what steps you take and why.
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Postby human. » Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:05 pm

Equilibrium was one of the few things I really struggled with in chemistry. But I'd like to point you to the site http://www.cramster.com. It's really helpful, and you can join for free. It's a place to ask and answer questions over the math and science fields. I've found it really helpful with physics this year, and I enjoyed answering chemistry questions last year.

I don't remember Equilibrium much at all, but here's a question I answered a while back if it might help. I tried to make it fairly detailed and it answers what equations you were asking for: Equilibrium Problem

I don't want to actually answer you with something now because it's been over a year since I've touched equilibrium problems, and I don't want to say something wrong! But whether a solution is basic or (edit:acidic not acid) acidic indicates how it will react with other compounds. If it makes you feel better, I'd say this is the hardest part of AP chem by far.

Anyway, I hope that can kind of help.
Last edited by human. on Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Postby jotabe » Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:35 pm

I know i could have answered those questions well when i finished high-school, but now it's been like... 13 years XD lol and i haven't touched chemistry since. Well i might have soon get back into it, if i decide about taking the exams to become public high-school teacher... for some reason*, physics and chemistry go together.


*Chemistry is a part of physics XD lol
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Postby LilBee91 » Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:13 pm

You know, I just took a chemistry test over all of that, but I don't think it went very well, so I wouldn't be much help. I was much better thermodynamics. I like equations. =]
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Postby Sonikku13 » Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:33 pm

I'm not in AP chemistry, but I'm in a high-level chemistry class, and I'm getting a 100.8%. Then again, we haven't reached those yet... thanks for giving me something to read up on.
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Postby jotabe » Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:49 pm

100.8%
:shock: how?
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Postby CezeN » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:16 pm

Thanks for the website Human, and the sample problem and explanation, I'll check it out.


I just wish I sucked less at Chemistry.
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Postby zeroguy » Sun Feb 21, 2010 12:50 am

100.8%
:shock: how?
Do you not have things like extra credit, bonus points, et al in spain? It was probably possible to get at least like 110% in some classes I had in high school.
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Postby neo-dragon » Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:00 am

I find that totally absurd.
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Postby jotabe » Sun Feb 21, 2010 5:47 am

*********** warning: spaniard rambling ahead, feel free to skip over *********

100.8%
:shock: how?
Do you not have things like extra credit, bonus points, et al in spain? It was probably possible to get at least like 110% in some classes I had in high school.
I see... but in Spain bonus points help you get to 100%, not going beyond. We respect mathematics over here :lol:
Actually, bonus points have several rules for the "range of appliability", depending on the professor. For example, if you have a score of say 40% and you had got extra 5% from bonus point, you wouldn't be able to use it, because 45% is a pass mark, and you can't pass because of bonus point. So bonus points only help you after you get pass. Also, bonus points won't help you reach perfect score either (perfect score in a subject means you have one less subject to pay in next year tuition).

It just looked funny, because it reminded me how in DKC there was a goal to reach the perfect score of 101% XD
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Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:57 am

It just looked funny, because it reminded me how in DKC there was a goal to reach the perfect score of 101% XD
I keep trying to guess what game is DKC, but I can't come up with any acronyms...

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Postby jotabe » Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:30 am

It just looked funny, because it reminded me how in DKC there was a goal to reach the perfect score of 101% XD
I keep trying to guess what game is DKC, but I can't come up with any acronyms...
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Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:08 am

I figured out it was Donkey Kong, but didn't (and still don't) have any idea what the C meant. So.. Donkey Kong Classic?

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Postby jotabe » Sun Feb 21, 2010 9:25 am

Donkey Kong Country :D it set a quality standard in platforming games... such a beloved classic in the later days of the SNES.
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Postby Syphon the Sun » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:08 am

I'm pretty sure the only time you could get "extra credit" at my high school was when you were failing the class.
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Postby LilBee91 » Sun Feb 21, 2010 12:37 pm

My teachers threw out extra credit like candy. Mainly it was to stop people from failing, but they'd offer it to everyone, so I ended up with some very nice grades over 100%.
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Postby neo-dragon » Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:09 pm

I have students ask me if there's anything they can do for extra credit because their grade isn't where they want it to be. I tell them what they can do is study harder (or at all), hand in future assignments on time, and try coming in for extra help when they don't get something.
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Postby BonitoDeMadrid » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:59 pm

Ironically, in high school, the only place where I could get some extra credit- bonus questions and such- was on Math tests (and one Computer Science test).

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Postby human. » Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:05 pm

My physics teacher is offering extra credit for kids who help work the UIL Academics invitational hosted at my school this weekend, with credit by tutoring credit rates.

If you're in an AP science course at my school, you can get bonus points for tutoring students who are taking the Pre-AP course of that same subject. For AP chem, every two minutes is one bonus point. For AP Physics B and C and for AP Bio every 5 minutes is one bonus point. (Though you can also participate in mole day activities and the physics festival and lectures held at A&M every spring for extra credit, as well in science courses.)

Then we also have a lot of curves and corrections for tests. In Physics C, she likes to give us square root curves, with anyone making a perfect score receiving a 110. That's not on all tests, though. That's just the one she uses most often. In AP Stat and Calculus, we're able to do corrections on our tests for up to 20% of the points we missed. In AP Government, we can do corrections for up to 15% back.

In AP Eco, my teacher gave extra credit per grading period if you read books dealing with economics (his options included Starship Troopers, The Fountainhead, and Super Freakonomics).

AP English has had all sorts of bonus opportunities including saving extend-o-bucks (pieces of paper that you could use to turn in an assignment one day late--one per semester), we had one opportunity to dress up and bring food in The Great Gatsby theme. Another opportunity included memorizing a poem written in Old English, and another was completing an extensive vocabulary list over one of the books we read.

Even outside of AP classes, my school offers a lot of extra credit opportunities. I personally appreciate it because it definitely helps my grades. Our grades are inflated based on the difficulty of the class, as well, though. Currently, for students in AP, Honors, or Pre-AP classes, the course is measured out of 5.0, meaning if you earn say a 96 in the course, it would translate to 4.6 when configuring your GPA. However, the incoming freshman class (I believe) will be subject to a new policy where only AP credit receives the full point boost, and honors and pre-AP credit will receive a half point boost. I sort of wish they had implemented that policy starting with my class, though, as it would definitely give me a better rank...

But I do think some of the extra credit offered at my school is a bit too much. I'm still thankful for it, though.

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Postby neo-dragon » Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:22 pm

No offense, but I think I now understand why the requirements for letter grades and GPAs are 10% higher in the States than they are here.
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Postby Jayelle » Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:09 pm

I have students ask me if there's anything they can do for extra credit because their grade isn't where they want it to be. I tell them what they can do is study harder (or at all), hand in future assignments on time, and try coming in for extra help when they don't get something.
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Postby locke » Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:11 am

that is a lot of extra credit, but par for the course for the college prep track of american education. while this doesn't apply to human, most of that extra credit in American Education is there to keep spoiled and pampered kids from having to be accountable and responsible, it gives them and mommy and daddy the flexibility to game the system somewhat so that a B or an A- in one class isn't going to affect Darling's opportunity to get into Harvard.

That does beg the question though, should screwing up once on one semi largish assignment, in one class, and getting a B or A-, bar students from entrance to Stanford, Princeton, Harvard et al?

in any event, lots of extra credit leads to lots of grade mongering. And lots of extra credit leads to all teachers being nearly required to offer extra credit as well. Once one teacher allows it, the students and parents will bring enormous pressure on the other teachers to add extra credit to their curriculum as well. Which brings to mind the Bio/AP Bio teacher at my public high school who was fired for giving a pair of sisters B, the younger got a B for the semester in Bio, the elder (our year's valedictorian) got a B on a large project, but an A for the semester. Their Dad threw a hissy fit and launched a campaign to get her sacked. She was a semester away from tenure, but away she went. After all, she didn't offer extra credit, and didn't allow students to "correct" percentages of exams after taking exams, so the girls were being treated unfairly, right?

Actually only a few teachers offered extra credit, but that didn't stop the grade monger (like our valedictorian) from scraping and begging for every ounce of partial credit she could get on every assignment, or if extra credit was offered doing everything possible to earn every EC point she could get. :/
So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.

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Postby human. » Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:03 pm

I'm really excited that our current top ranked student as well as last year's valedictorian aren't like that. Though number 2s for both years have both begged for every point they can get. Both the valedictorian last year and the expected one this year have rarely even had the chance to need extra credit, which I like.

I usually do extra credit when it's something I was already planning to do, baking, or it looks fun. I'm really bad at doing work already, so it's hard for me to finish extra credit.. Like this weekend! We're hosting our UIL invitational for academics teams within our area. I've worked it for the past two years, usually announcing awards. And I absolutely love it. And now we get extra credit if we work it? I'm okay with that!


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