Text 629, 59 rader
Skriven 2013-10-28 20:02:18 av BOB KLAHN (1:135/382)
     Kommentar till en text av ED VANCE
Ärende: Camera Battery
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 EV>> ... 0000000000010000000000000  Always one in every crowd.

 BK>>  Another good one. To those of us who have ever programmed in
 BK>>  binary, that is.

 EV> Bob,

 EV> I had to figure out the Binary Code in that Tagline.
 EV> It equals 16384 Decimal, 40000 Octal and 4000 Hexidecimal.

 Nice thing about being an old computerist, I can do those
 numbers in my head. Which really impressed a cashier when my
 daughter, standing in line at the store, asked me how much 2
 times 16 was, she was quite young then. I answered immediately.
 Then she asked how much 2 times 32 was. When I answered that she
 started to ask how much 2 times 64 was. I answered before she
 finished the question. When she started to ask 2 time I
 immediately said 256. She got as far as 2 and I said 512. From
 then on I just started giving the appropriate result without
 asking for her to even begin. I believe I got to 16384 before
 she said "stop".

 When I looked at the cashier she was pretty much open mouthed.

 Do you remember the story of the man who invented chess?
 Supposedly the emporer of India offered him any reward he
 desired. He asked for one grain of rice for the first square of
 the chess board, then double that number for each succeeding
 square. Before he was done the total was more than all the rice
 in India.

 Do you have any idea how many grains would be on just the last
 square alone?

 It's easy, just calculate out 2 to the 63rd power. The easy way
 is, you start with 2 time 2, then square the result until you
 square 2 to the 32nd. That's two to the 64th. OK, you need 2 to
 the 23rd? Just divide 2 to the 64th by 2.

 See how easy it is?

 I can calculate the number of grains on tht 64th square in my
 head, in about a minute or so. Ok, I cheated. I memorized 2^64
 and then I just divide that by 2 in my head.

 I really am calculating it, just not from zero.

 Ever heard of Harry Lorayne?




BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... "Would you like to feed my dragon?"..."Ok, in you go!"
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