Random Answers for Random Idiots with Random Questions

[hyker]

is 28/2(9+3)=2 or 288?

best I could come up with

 

[Ulvai]

Here's one I've only ever gotten one satisfactory answer to:

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's around to hear it, does it make a sound?

The tree will not make a sound unless an animal with working ears is around to convert the vibrations in the air into what is properly determined to be "sound".
It isn't sound until it enters an ear and is converted into such an experience.

"Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations" by wikipedia.
First part. So, yeah, tree does make a sound, even if no-one is there to hear it. Universe is not defined by perception.

is 28/2(9+3)=2 or 288?

best I could come up with

Depends on what compiler you are using. Kekeke.

 

[sir.rutthed]

1. How awesome am I?
2. Duke Nukem vs. Chuck Norris. Result?
3. How is the problem of free will addressed in philosophical determinism, and in what way would this affect every day decision making for the average felon/melon farmer?

 

[SnowyGamester]

The question is this: Given that God is infinite, and that the universe is also infinite... would you like a toasted teacake?

 

[Redingold]

Do all non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function have a real part of 1/2?

Depends, original rule set or Flentillian rule set.

Because the answer is either yes or Neckties.

if a tree falls in the forest and no-one is around to see it fall, does it actually fall?

ayup, because the tree is able to perceive itself falling, and surrounding trees are able to perceive it as well, it invariably passes through all points needed to count as falling.

One more question, then I'm outta here.

I have a spaceship. It travels at lightspeed. I am in a universe that is 1000 lightyears across. Now, it would take me 1000 years to reach the edge of this universe. Except, this universe is expanding. Every year, it instantaneously increases its radius by 1000 lightyears. Now, it might seem that the ship never makes it to the edge, because the edge recedes faster than it can approach, but when the universe expands, everything in it is moved proportionally closer to the edge. To get my point across, after one year of travel the ship has 999 lightyears to go. The universe then expands by 1000 lightyears, doubling it's radius. So the ship is now 2 lightyears from the centre, and has 1998 to go. After another year, it is 3 lightyears from the centre, and has 1995 to go. The universe then expands by 1000 lightyears, multiplying its radius by 1.5. The ship is now 4.5 lightyears away from the centre, and has 2995.5 to go.

Will it ever reach the edge of the universe? If so, how long will this take?

The space ship will not reach the edge until the edge hits the edge of an adjacent universe and begins contracting, at which point it will hit the ship in 4.83 seconds (roughly).
That will all add up to 47 years 2 months 4 days 6 hours 47 minutes (cool right) and 4.83 seconds.

Now try answering it properly, with maths.

sigh, no, it's one of those exponential decay things (with any luck) and will infinitely approach zero, only to never actually reach it.

Wrong. It will reach the edge. See, after 1 year it will have travelled 1/1000 of the total distance. After two years, it will have travelled 1/1000 + 1/2000 of the distance. After three years, it will have travelled 1/1000 + 1/2000 + 1/3000. After n years, it will have travelled 1/1000 * H[sub]n[/sub], where H[sub]n[/sub] is the nth harmonic number. So, all we have to do is find the first harmonic number greater than 1000, so 1/1000 * H[sub]n[/sub] > 1. Harmonic numbers are, especially for large values of n, approximately equal to ln + γ, where γ = 0.577.

So, ln + γ = 1000

n = e[sup]1000 - γ[/sup], which is approximately 1.106 x 10[sup]434[/sup]

So it will reach the edge, after 1.106 x 10[sup]434[/sup] years.

 

[Caulk]

why do men pee while standing even though peeing while sitting is less tiring?

 

[Tsunimo]

Ok, here's a question I got from something called a book.
"Teeth is to Hen, as Nest is to what?"

 

[Pegghead]

What've I missed since I was away from the forums?

 

[DirgeNovak]

is 28/2(9+3)=2 or 288?

best I could come up with

Neither. It's 168.
Parentheses first: 9+3=12
Division & Multiplication in order: 28/2=14, 14(12)=168.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

What's it like being a lady?

 

[Scrubiii]

What is the answer to this?
http://functions.wolfram.com/EllipticFunctions/ArithmeticGeometricMean/introductions/ArithmeticGeometricMean/05/13/imagetext/0058/text58.gif

 

[ultimateownage]

If practise makes perfect, and no one is perfect, what does practice do?

 

[The SettingSun]

Why did the OC have to end? Surely the ratings didn't drop so much in season 3?

 

[weker]

Here's one I've only ever gotten one satisfactory answer to:

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's around to hear it, does it make a sound?

The tree will not make a sound unless an animal with working ears is around to convert the vibrations in the air into what is properly determined to be "sound".
It isn't sound until it enters an ear and is converted into such an experience.

But sound is still yet to be written out as to if it means, vibration or when its received by an ear.

 

[Yossarian1507]

Will St. Louis Blues ever win a Stanley Cup?

 

[seidlet]

Will St. Louis Blues ever win a Stanley Cup?

good god, i hope not. i live in saint louis, and when the cardinals won the world series there were people partying in the street all goddamn night.

 

[restoshammyman]

If practise makes perfect, and no one is perfect, what does practice do?

this simply means that no one ever practices.


is this sentence false?

 

[retterkl]

Are the black bits in bananas tarantula eggs?

When you're upside down what way is up?

What does the scouter really say about his power level?

 

[retterkl]

is 28/2(9+3)=2 or 288?

best I could come up with

Neither. It's 168.
Parentheses first: 9+3=12
Division & Multiplication in order: 28/2=14, 14(12)=168.

You have to times out the brackets first...

28/2(9+3)

28/2(12)

28/24

=7/6 or 1.166666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666...

 

[Scrubiii]

is 28/2(9+3)=2 or 288?

best I could come up with

Neither. It's 168.
Parentheses first: 9+3=12
Division & Multiplication in order: 28/2=14, 14(12)=168.

You have to times out the brackets first...

28/2(9+3)

28/2(12)

28/24

=7/6 or 1.166666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666...

No, Kakulukia's right. You have to divide before you multiply so:
Brackets: 9+3=12
Division: 28/2=14
Multiplication: 14x12=168

Think of it like this if it helps (28/2)(9+3)=168