Useless Arithmetic

By Orrin H. Pilkey & Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, 2006, 221 pages, amazon

Or why environmental scientists can't predict the future?

The answer given by the authors is simple. Because the scientists are trying to find exact answers to quantitative questions using models in which many parameters and interactions are still unknown. They demonstrate this using various examples from fishing industry, sea-level rising, weather prediction to very interesting one about  nuclear waste depository. They also suggest a remedy – ask qualitative questions and adapt the models on the go.

Continue reading Useless Arithmetic

Bejby (1. ultrazvuk)

UltrazvukMy sme sa už dnes zoznámili, zoznámte sa aj vy. Boli sme sa pozrieť, ako sa má naše bejby. Vyzerá, že ok, len sa asi nudí, lebo si stále špáralo v nose (alebo v ústach, ťažko povedať).

Continue reading Bejby (1. ultrazvuk)

Bringing Down the House

By Ben Mezrich, 2002, 257 pages, partial text, amazon

Even tough the book boasts that this is “The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions” and was listed in the non-fiction list when it became a bestseller, large portion of it is indeed fiction. But even knowing this it is a very catchy reading.

“So you guys cheat at cards?” “Absolutely not. We don’t alter any of the rules or … the nature of the game. We use our brains to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities. Blackjack is beatable – so we beat it. We beat the hell out if it.”

Yes, there was an MIT Blackjack Team. Yes, they counted cards. Yes, they made money out of it. That’s what’s true and what the story is based on. Most of the rest is just the fantasy of the author. But a very entertaining fantasy that brings you to the world of MIT and Boston on one hand and shiny, “double layer” world of casinos and Vegas on the other.

Last year there was also a movie made, but it is as far from the book as the book is from the true story.

YouTube Preview Image

Nové sedenie

SedackaTak sme sa dočkali. Vymenili sme našu sedačku lavičkovitého typu za nové sedenie. Nebolo to jednoduché, lebo môj drahý veľmi nevyznáva princíp "vymeň starú za novú", ale keď tá stará už doslúžila, tak veľmi na výber nebolo.
 
Keď ho ešte ukecám na garniže so závesmi, tak to v našej obývačke bude vyzerať ako – v obývačke. Innocent

Zvolili nám prezidenta

Tak už vieme, kto bude americkým prezidentom od 20teho januára. Po maratónskej kampani nám to včera Američania povedali. Nie, že by bol Obama to najlepšie, čo nás mohlo postretnúť, ale horšie ako Bush to hádam nebude a vyhli sme sa aj veteránovi McCainovi s pani Palinovou (voči ktorej som naozaj zaujatá), tak uvidíme, čo sa zmení a či sa zmení.  
 

Continue reading Zvolili nám prezidenta

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...