 Professor Aziz Inan has a passion for palindromes. There will be 12 dates this century that can be read in two directions; today's is the second. (December 31, 2009) |
January 02, 2010
Professor Aziz Inan has a passion for palindromes. There will be 12 dates this century that can be read in two directions; today's is the second. (December 31, 2009)
Some people are into cars. Some people dig the ocean. Aziz Inan, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland in Oregon, loves numbers.
"I can relate to them," Inan said. "Each number has its own personality."
With this adoration in mind, consider today, Jan. 2, 2010. The day is a palindromic date, meaning the number can be read the same way in either direction: 01-02-2010.
There will be 12 palindromic days this century, Inan said, and today is the second. The first was 10-02-2001. (His complete list is here.)
A native of Istanbul, Inan creates math puzzles in his spare time. So it was a big day when he looked closely at his own name and saw a pattern. His first and last names are both vowel-consonant-vowel-same consonant -- and, if you write the names in all caps, switch the vowels and turn one set of consonants 90 degrees, both names are the same.
"I jumped in my chair," he said of the day two years ago when the connection hit him. "My parents had no idea."
Despite Inan's excitement about numbers, he dismisses the notion that mysticism and magic are connected to such dates.
He doesn't, for example, fear Dec. 21, 2012, the date the Mayan "Long Count" calendar marks as the end of a 5,126-year era. Some folks think the date portends a revolution or an apocalypse.
Jan. 2, 2010, and Dec. 21, 2012, he said, just happen to be really cool dates.
There's something backward about this date
01-02-2010 can be read the same way in both directions. One math geek's really got its number. Professor Aziz Inan has a passion for palindromes. There will be 12 dates this ce…
01-02-2010 can be read the same way in both directions. One math geek's really got its number.Some people are into cars. Some people dig the ocean. Aziz Inan, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland in Oregon, loves numbers.
"I can relate to them," Inan said. "Each number has its own personality."
With this adoration in mind, consider today, Jan. 2, 2010. The day is a palindromic date, meaning the number can be read the same way in either direction: 01-02-2010.
There will be 12 palindromic days this century, Inan said, and today is the second. The first was 10-02-2001. (His complete list is here.)
A native of Istanbul, Inan creates math puzzles in his spare time. So it was a big day when he looked closely at his own name and saw a pattern. His first and last names are both vowel-consonant-vowel-same consonant -- and, if you write the names in all caps, switch the vowels and turn one set of consonants 90 degrees, both names are the same.
"I jumped in my chair," he said of the day two years ago when the connection hit him. "My parents had no idea."
Despite Inan's excitement about numbers, he dismisses the notion that mysticism and magic are connected to such dates.
He doesn't, for example, fear Dec. 21, 2012, the date the Mayan "Long Count" calendar marks as the end of a 5,126-year era. Some folks think the date portends a revolution or an apocalypse.
Jan. 2, 2010, and Dec. 21, 2012, he said, just happen to be really cool dates.
2010
2012
apocalypse
November 22, 2009
We might forget how much fun a search engine is, and how much time it saves us in doing everyday things, until the internet connection is interrupted and we’re left without Google. (Or, and this happens more rarely, when Google itself is down.) But usually after some minutes, things are back to normal – and we got our extended memory, our library of more books we could ever read, our information center, and our universal answer machine. And now, for just a moment, I would like you to imagine what today’s life would be without all that. What life would be without Google... and how much more time we’d be spending on solving our problems.
Finding Your Lost Keys
With Google: You enter “How to find lost keys” into Google, and the pages you find suggest to search every place again. Time spent: 10 minutes.
Without Google: You search your rooms. You start to get angry, then desperate. You search for a second time, and find your keys. Time spent: 10 minutes.
Time saved using Google: none.
Opening a Coconut
With Google: You search for “How to open a coconut.” A video tutorial explains you should hold a coconut over a bowl, and use the blunt side of a cleaver to whack the coconut until it cracks open in two halves. Time spent: 5 minutes.
Without Google: You ask your neighbor, and she tells you she doesn’t know either, but invites you to check her cookbooks collection. On that day, you fall in love with her, and she with you. You discover the solution to the coconut problem in her books the next morning. Time spent: 1 day.
Time saved using Google: around 1 day, but love life suffers.
Checking If Tonight’s Date Is Trustworthy
With Google: You enter “Frank Simmonz” into Google. His criminal records turn up, and you stay away from him. Time spent: 5 minutes.
Without Google: You meet Frank Simmonz. He seems to be a nice guy, not poor either, and he’s elegantly dressed. You meet him again at a restaurant a week later. Another week after that, you notice Frank has
blood on his shirt but you try to not mention it. Later, while you two watch a mafia movie together, Frank says, “People in that business talk differently, and I should know!” You leave the cinema in a hurry. Time spent: 2 weeks.
Time saved using Google: 1 week, 6 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes.
Creating a Revolutionary Method of Transportation
With Google: You enter “how to speed up transportation” into Google and stumble upon a tutorial on wheels construction. Time spent:1 minute.
Without Google: You go out and watch nature. You also analyze people, and animals, trying to figure out how and why they move. You make sketches, you observe, and you remain patient. You dabble with
rocks, wood, and water. You teach your children about what you learned during your lifetime, sparking their curiosity. After that, your children take over the task you began and try finding a revolutionary method of transportation. And their children, too. The idea spreads to neighbors, friends and family, and it spans generations. Then, a whole culture becomes infested with the problem, and everyone everywhere is trying to crack their head solving it. Many, many years later, the wheel is invented. Time spent: 12,600 years.
Time saved using Google: Around 12,600 years, give or take a minute.
How Much Time Google Saves Us
I have been reading a book called 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google and found the section below under chapter 9 and I thought I'd share it with you guys. You can download the wh…
I have been reading a book called 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google and found the section below under chapter 9 and I thought I'd share it with you guys. You can download the whole book here.
We might forget how much fun a search engine is, and how much time it saves us in doing everyday things, until the internet connection is interrupted and we’re left without Google. (Or, and this happens more rarely, when Google itself is down.) But usually after some minutes, things are back to normal – and we got our extended memory, our library of more books we could ever read, our information center, and our universal answer machine. And now, for just a moment, I would like you to imagine what today’s life would be without all that. What life would be without Google... and how much more time we’d be spending on solving our problems.
Finding Your Lost Keys
With Google: You enter “How to find lost keys” into Google, and the pages you find suggest to search every place again. Time spent: 10 minutes.
Without Google: You search your rooms. You start to get angry, then desperate. You search for a second time, and find your keys. Time spent: 10 minutes.
Time saved using Google: none.
Opening a Coconut
Without Google: You ask your neighbor, and she tells you she doesn’t know either, but invites you to check her cookbooks collection. On that day, you fall in love with her, and she with you. You discover the solution to the coconut problem in her books the next morning. Time spent: 1 day.
Time saved using Google: around 1 day, but love life suffers.
Checking If Tonight’s Date Is Trustworthy
With Google: You enter “Frank Simmonz” into Google. His criminal records turn up, and you stay away from him. Time spent: 5 minutes.
Without Google: You meet Frank Simmonz. He seems to be a nice guy, not poor either, and he’s elegantly dressed. You meet him again at a restaurant a week later. Another week after that, you notice Frank has
blood on his shirt but you try to not mention it. Later, while you two watch a mafia movie together, Frank says, “People in that business talk differently, and I should know!” You leave the cinema in a hurry. Time spent: 2 weeks.
Time saved using Google: 1 week, 6 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes.
With Google: You enter “how to speed up transportation” into Google and stumble upon a tutorial on wheels construction. Time spent:1 minute.
Without Google: You go out and watch nature. You also analyze people, and animals, trying to figure out how and why they move. You make sketches, you observe, and you remain patient. You dabble with
rocks, wood, and water. You teach your children about what you learned during your lifetime, sparking their curiosity. After that, your children take over the task you began and try finding a revolutionary method of transportation. And their children, too. The idea spreads to neighbors, friends and family, and it spans generations. Then, a whole culture becomes infested with the problem, and everyone everywhere is trying to crack their head solving it. Many, many years later, the wheel is invented. Time spent: 12,600 years.
Time saved using Google: Around 12,600 years, give or take a minute.
airplane
boys
cars
September 18, 2009
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4 Awkward Moments in Facebook "Likes"
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accidents
date
death
September 08, 2009
15 Reasons to date a Biologist!
1. We are experts on sexual selection and reproduction 2 .We know anatomy well.(know what works and where) 3. We believe that if you take U and I out of EVOLUTION, you get a TON of …
1. We are experts on sexual selection and reproduction
2 .We know anatomy well.(know what works and where)
3. We believe that if you take U and I out of EVOLUTION, you get a TON of LOVE
4. We are always willing to experiment
5. We certainly have a way with words.
6. We do everything 10x 40x 100x bigger and better
7. We're trained to follow instructions with flawless accuracy!
8. Can go through a 300 page book in a day.
9. We believe that only seeing is believing.
10. We're smart.
11.We’ll find genetic, physiological and evolutionary excuse(explanation) for every panic attack or strange behavior
12. We are used to working long hours
13. We're not afraid of organic liquids of all sorts, or of anything alive for that matter.
14. We believe that any kind of organism and (almost)every action is normal and acceptable.
15. We believe that most of the times simplicity brings out perfection.
2 .We know anatomy well.(know what works and where)
3. We believe that if you take U and I out of EVOLUTION, you get a TON of LOVE
4. We are always willing to experiment
5. We certainly have a way with words.
6. We do everything 10x 40x 100x bigger and better
7. We're trained to follow instructions with flawless accuracy!
8. Can go through a 300 page book in a day.
9. We believe that only seeing is believing.
10. We're smart.
11.We’ll find genetic, physiological and evolutionary excuse(explanation) for every panic attack or strange behavior
12. We are used to working long hours
13. We're not afraid of organic liquids of all sorts, or of anything alive for that matter.
14. We believe that any kind of organism and (almost)every action is normal and acceptable.
15. We believe that most of the times simplicity brings out perfection.
biologist
date
list