Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So I tried flipping a coin and for the longest time (17,453 tries) I got just heads and tails. But then the 17,454th time it landed on it's side and stayed there.
I published the first paragraph in Facebook and I wonder how many of my friends think I reaLLy flipped a coin 17,454 times. Of course the people who reaLLy know me would have realized that I would have built a huge bank of multiple coin flipping machines or robots and then I would have used video surveillence with optical scanning, looking for something besides heads or tails, aLL of it completely automated with a reporting system that sent me an email complete with the photo of the coin on its side.
And then the winning robot would have informed the other robots that they could stop. Then the losing robots would give their coins to the winning robot, after examining the photographic evidence. And that is basicaLLy how the Roman Empire got started.
I published the first paragraph in Facebook and I wonder how many of my friends think I reaLLy flipped a coin 17,454 times. Of course the people who reaLLy know me would have realized that I would have built a huge bank of multiple coin flipping machines or robots and then I would have used video surveillence with optical scanning, looking for something besides heads or tails, aLL of it completely automated with a reporting system that sent me an email complete with the photo of the coin on its side.
And then the winning robot would have informed the other robots that they could stop. Then the losing robots would give their coins to the winning robot, after examining the photographic evidence. And that is basicaLLy how the Roman Empire got started.
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8 comments:
I think there is a flaw in your thinking Mr ESB because if you make robots that flip the coins it is possible that each robot will flip the coins in a different way. So it is possible that a particular coin flipping robot may be more inclined to flip a coin onto its edge.
It may mean that the robot that can flip a coin onto its edge is a slightly maverick machine, and more likely to be capable of independent thought. You may have inadvertently solved one of the key problems in the pursuit of artificial intelligence.
The Roman army of course did this in reverse because acting as a unit in a robotic way meant they could defeat the marauding hoards who would tend to act as individuals, but they were not very good at flipping coins onto their side. Which is why in the end the Roman empire was lost on the flip of a coin.
Rob: Yes, you are correct. I would give a longer answer but I must go make breakfast right now. I have invented a better way of eating pancakes. I keep placing the older pancakes on top of the newer pancakes as soon as I flip them over in the pan so the old pancakes stay warmer. Then I put my cold blueberry pe fiLLing in the syrup and heat the mixture in the microwave, so everything is wonderful. Darnsies, I must hurry up and make pancakes instead of typing. Hope you are feeling better, okay today, no sense being sick on a Saturday in the U K.
I know a man who flipped a coin once; a wheat penny he was given for his collection. It hit the wall and slid behind the baseboard. When his family left the house the penny was still behind the basboard. He still thinks, "What if I never flipped it?"
Joanne: What a strange coin accident. It has inspired me to make sure aLL my future baseboard installations are penny tight. If my carpenter objects, I wiLL say, "You neVer know when you might lose a sculpture of Abraham Lincoln."
I am never quite sure WHAT to believe with you, ESB. But it's all fun!
Marianne: Yes, an emphasis on fun for sure. There is definitely a lot of that around me. We just got our first snow a few minutes ago, yea! We don't get much here, nor does it usuaLLy stay long. I hope your Chicagoness is going okay today. We just finished watching the final episode of season 4 of Breaking Bad, that was a wild ride.
I know you are just teasing us. You would have used a computer simulation!
You are weirdly wonderful in your thinking habits, my friend.
I would give anything to see a flipped coin land on its edge...
Pearl
p.s. Of COURSE you can order a book and have it sent somewhere else. :-) I practically insist upon it... Via PayPal on my site or drop me an e-mail. Spent all weekend getting ready for the blizzard and then shoveling my way OUT of the blizzard but am back online...
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