Monthly Archives: July 2011

Rejected Jokes #1

Posted on July 31, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetI actually didn’t reject this one for being overly geeky. I actually couldn’t get it geeky enough – time doesn’t really make sense here. I also considered “length of x axis.” The problem is it isn’t REALLY recursive. Carnot cycles, … Continue reading →

Posted in Graphs, Rejected Jokes | 10 Comments

Calculus! #5: Early Transcendentals 1.2C

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetWOOH. The function party ROLLS ON. Next stop – polynomials. If you want a completely rigorous definition, here ya go. Go over that for a sec and make sure you get the idea. Got it? Okay, here’s a less rigorous … Continue reading →

Posted in calculus | 3 Comments

Physics! #14: University Physics 2.2

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetSection 2.2: Instantaneous Velocity In this section we’re going to touch on the mathematical concept of derivatives. We won’t get into a rigorous sense of it until quite a few more Calc sections, but this is a good opportunity to … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction | 5 Comments

Unfounded Speculation #1 – Language as Neoteny?

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetI was listening to Matt Ridley’s “The Rational Optimist” on audiobook during SDCC when I had a funny idea. I wonder if the evolutionary development of language could be explained as neoteny, as least in part. Etymologically, Neoteny means something … Continue reading →

Posted in speculation | 9 Comments

Calculus! #4 Early Transcendentals: 1.2B

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetOkay, let’s talk linear equations. A linear equation is called “linear” because it’s shaped like a line. This simple observation can have big consequences. I’ll give you an example from my own life: I have detailed stats on my traffic … Continue reading →

Posted in calculus | 7 Comments

Calculus! #3: Early Transcendentals 1.2A

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetSection 1.2: Mathematical Models: A Catalog of Essential Functions Honestly, I don’t like jumping into models this quick. It seems to be that you should have a good grasp of what the math actually means (as I like to say, … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction, calculus | Leave a comment

Physics! #13: University Physics 2.1

Posted on July 30, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetWhee! Sorry for the lack of updates, but I was fighting the good fight at San Diego Comicon. Christina snapped some great photos. Since this section is fairly straightforward (though there are some important things to note), I want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction | 2 Comments

Physics! #12: University Physics Chapter 1 Recap

Posted on July 14, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetWe did it! 1 down, 43 to go… for basics. One of the tough things in physics is that almost every book kicks off with some pure math. Pure math is fun, but when you get a new book you … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction | 4 Comments

Physics! #11: University Physics 1.10B

Posted on July 14, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetBefore I dive in, there was some excellent discussion on 1.10A as to intuitive approaches to dot products. I highly recommend checking out the comments. All right, let’s talk about cross products. First off, cross products are also called “vector … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction | 7 Comments

Calculus! #2: Early Transcendentals 1.1B

Posted on July 10, 2011 by ZachWeiner

TweetSection 1.1: Four Ways to Represent a Function (cont’d) Symmetry Continuing with functions, the book talks about certain relations between functions called symmetry. There are two kinds  of symmetry discussed here – even functions and odd functions. An even function … Continue reading →

Posted in Autodidaction, calculus | 20 Comments