The Libloggery: blogging creative writing, photography, opinion, and random fun. -

The Libloggery
. . . blogging creative writing, photography, opinion, and random fun.

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December 21, 2006

Oobleck: Demonstration of a Non-Newtonian Fluid

Here's a video Judy and I made demonstrating (well, more like playing with) a non-Newtonian fluid we made from corn starch and water. It's sometimes called oobleck.

Oobleck: A Non-Newtonian Fluid - video powered by Metacafe

posted at 11:00 by Alvin | permalink | | Comments - 0

Actual Letter Sent by a Congressman

US House of Represenatives Congressman Virgil Goode (R-VA) recently sent this letter full of bigotry and inane logic. It is shameful that such people actually hold elected office and hold political power in this country. I think it just goes to show the undercurrent of hidden motives in the Republican party as whole. He is also giving a bad name to people with the name Virgil everywhere. The people of his district should demand his recall from office.

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-4605

December 7, 2006

Mr. John Cruickshank
7** S** Dr.
Earlysville, VA 22936

Dear Mr. Cruickshank:

Thank you for your recent communication. When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

The Ten Commandments and "In God We Trust" are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran. My response was clear, "As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office." Thank you again for your email and thoughts.

Sincerely yours,
Virgil H. Goode, Jr.
70 East Court Street
Suite 215
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151

posted at 01:16 by Alvin | permalink | | Comments - 2

December 07, 2006

Hearing Lips and Seeing Voices

Here's another video I made, this time demonstrating the McGurk effect, an audio visual illusion.

Hearing Lips And Seeing Voices : The Mcgurk Effect - video powered by Metacafe

posted at 03:12 by Alvin | permalink | | Comments - 0

December 05, 2006

Does 1 = 0.999...?

Here's a video I made in the wee hours while in the lab last night. It explores the question of whether or not 1 = 0.999..., where there are an infinite number of 9s following the decimal point, by demonstrating three proofs.

Does 1 = 0.999. . .? - video powered by Metacafe
As to whether you accept the proof depends your intuition and beliefs about real numbers. Can you operate on integers the same way you operation on fractions? This problem arises from applying mathematical operations to an infinite series (0.999 = 9/10 + 9/100 + 9/1000 . . .). The best counter argument I've heard against the demonstrated proofs is that there should be an infinite number of points between 0.999... and 1. The debate is by no means settled, and as a amateur mathematician I certainly can't provide much more insight than I already have.

posted at 16:35 by Alvin | permalink | | Comments - 0

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