11.16.06
Good illustration of relative efficiency of sorting algorithms
I actually wrote something like this in Forth, though not for all these sorts. I sorted a screenful of random characters. This demonstration sorts lines according to length (shortest to the top, longest to the bottom). By clicking on the box containing the lines, you get to see the sort in motion. Some sorts are faster than others, as you no doubt know.
WordPress having problems
There’s a duplicate post I can’t delete, and putting up new posts triggers error messages in BlogDesk, so not much posting today. Sorry. More posts tomorrow, and kitty photos to make it all better.
UPDATE: Seems to be fixed for now.
Time-lapse of cicada molting
Here’s a cool video, although it does have a slight ‘creepy’ factor. Wonder what it feels like to the cicada? Probably feels quite good, since it’s something that it’s important that it do.
Steve Gilliard explains Iraq
In words of few syllables, so everyone will understand.
Something for The Grandsons
Don’t you just love non-Newtonian fluids?
A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid in which the viscosity changes with the applied strain rate. As a result, non-Newtonian fluids may not have a well-defined viscosity.
The implications may not be readily apparent, so prepare a large pool of cornstarch and water…
Psychologists don’t understand “sharing is fun”
Here’s an interesting study: how often do psychologists share their data, upon request, to a qualified professional? Answer: not often, despite a clear rule that mandates sharing:
The APA has an important rule that all authors of APA-sponsored journal articles must agree to before publication:
“After research results are published, psychologists do not withhold the data on which their conclusions are based from other competent professionals who seek to verify the substantive claims through reanalysis and who intend to use such data only for that purpose, provided that the confidentiality of the participants can be protected and unless legal rights concerning proprietary data preclude their release.”
Makes one wonder about the validity of the study results, doesn’t it?
That extra touch for Thanksgiving: homemade bread
The Amateur Gourmet provides a recipe for a quick homemade bread, with photos. Try this at home, folks.
I know the family readers include some dedicated bakers, so let me know how it goes…
Thinkature: collaborative on-line workspace
I’m a sucker for software tools that assist in collaborative work, especially those with on-line connections. Thinkature is a new one that I stumbled across when I went to MetaFilter Projects to see whether I had any votes for my “improve your prose style” project (1 vote—and I know what you’re thinking, but one can’t vote for his own project, so there).
Thinkature’s author says:
Thinkature brings rich communication to the web by combining an instant messaging system with shared, visual workspace. Use it as a collaboration environment, a meeting room, a personal web-based whiteboard, or something entirely new. My co-founder and I have been working on this for about five months and we’ve now reached a point where we’d like to share it with the world and see what people think. You can also check out our blog where we talk about technology and design issues we face.
I haven’t tried Thinkature, but it looks interesting… Using version 1.0 of software usually means that you’ll encounter the occasional problem or infelicity, but OTOH you also get to provide feedback that can shape the product to better meet your needs, and at version 1.0 the authors are likely to be much more receptive to such feedback than at, say, version 5.7.
So why not give it a go?
File-hosting tsuris and vegan recipes
I discovered that the site I had been using for file hosting, FileLodge, has turned nasty. It not only tries to install spyware without your permission, it has some deceptive layout: last night when I went to download a file, I got a page with the link to download the file inconspicuously positioned at the very top and, in the center of the page, “Click here,” which would install more softeare on your computer. Bad, bad, bad. My spyware package, Webroot Spy Sweeper, detected and protected, as it should, but I don’t like the neighborhood now.
So I’ve switched to MediaFire.com, which has a better layout and seems much safer. This morning I’ve been uploading past files to MediaFire and deleting them from FileLodge, and the transition is now complete.
To celebrate, here are some vegan recipes (PDF file) that you can download—safely, from MediaFire.
Thursday morning shave
Another wonderful start to the day. Col. Conk Amber shaving soap, Simpsons Emperor 1 Super, lathered on my face. The Emperor 1 has a small knot, about the size of the Simpsons Major turnback travel brush, so it’s very good for lathering on the face. Good lather, and used a Schick Eversharp razor with a Ted Pella PTFE-coated stainless blade. Three passes, smooth shave, no nicks. Finished with l’Occitane shea butter aftershave balm. It’s very nice to have a little pleasurable time early in the morning, isn’t it? Makes the day go better.
