The course is two credits, and is not graded. However, with 4 full-scale GUI projects and an entire new language to learn, it promises to be one of the most difficult. At least there aren't going to be any tests. Plus, our teacher is pretty cool. She works at Google, and likes to talk very fast. Here is her website: http://www.glaak.com
Also, if you program and do not have Visual Studio. Get it.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
A Quote
"There is no sin except stupidity"
Oscar Wilde
Before I explain this quote, let me first define 'sin' and 'stupidity' for my purposes so that you, kind reader, and I may be on the same page. Although it formally indicates 'the lack of conformity to the will of god', sin is by and large considered to be an action which is generally looked down upon in society. This is most often because it in the either hurts the sinner, or persons of value around the sinner. For example, gluttony harms not only the sinner (by making them unhealthy), but also the people around the sinner who could benefit by the unnecessary food the sinner consumed. Similarly, stupidity is partially defined on wikipedia as "unwitting self-destruction, the ability to act against one's best wishes." Since acting in the interest of others also benefits oneself, we can extend this definition to state that stupidity is also acting against the well-being of others.
Notice how similar these two definitions are. A sin, just like stupidity is an action that causes self harm and acts against the wishes of others. In fact, the whole definition of stupidity encompasses the definition of sin. So, logically there is no sin that cannot be accredited to stupidity. Intuitively this is clear: any sinful action is of course stupid (for example, betraying your best friend is stupid because it harms you emotionally). Just think: would God really want you to do something stupid? If not, then any stupid action is a sin, and every sin is a stupid action.
Since these two definitions are so similar and encompass each other, the statement, "there is no sin except stupidity" is more general and also far more powerful than all the bible's listings of sins because it concisely describes any sin possible.
That's what I think, anyway.
Oscar Wilde
Before I explain this quote, let me first define 'sin' and 'stupidity' for my purposes so that you, kind reader, and I may be on the same page. Although it formally indicates 'the lack of conformity to the will of god', sin is by and large considered to be an action which is generally looked down upon in society. This is most often because it in the either hurts the sinner, or persons of value around the sinner. For example, gluttony harms not only the sinner (by making them unhealthy), but also the people around the sinner who could benefit by the unnecessary food the sinner consumed. Similarly, stupidity is partially defined on wikipedia as "unwitting self-destruction, the ability to act against one's best wishes." Since acting in the interest of others also benefits oneself, we can extend this definition to state that stupidity is also acting against the well-being of others.
Notice how similar these two definitions are. A sin, just like stupidity is an action that causes self harm and acts against the wishes of others. In fact, the whole definition of stupidity encompasses the definition of sin. So, logically there is no sin that cannot be accredited to stupidity. Intuitively this is clear: any sinful action is of course stupid (for example, betraying your best friend is stupid because it harms you emotionally). Just think: would God really want you to do something stupid? If not, then any stupid action is a sin, and every sin is a stupid action.
Since these two definitions are so similar and encompass each other, the statement, "there is no sin except stupidity" is more general and also far more powerful than all the bible's listings of sins because it concisely describes any sin possible.
That's what I think, anyway.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Easy Puzzle
I heard this one in my computer science 321 class:
4 people want to cross a bridge at night, but they only have one flashlight. The bridge can only hold two people at once, and in order to cross the a person must have a flashlight, or be walking next to someone who does. The four people can cross the bridge in 1, 2, 5, and 10 minutes. If a 10 minute person walks with a 1 minute person, the trip takes 10 minutes. Can all four people cross in 17 minutes?
4 people want to cross a bridge at night, but they only have one flashlight. The bridge can only hold two people at once, and in order to cross the a person must have a flashlight, or be walking next to someone who does. The four people can cross the bridge in 1, 2, 5, and 10 minutes. If a 10 minute person walks with a 1 minute person, the trip takes 10 minutes. Can all four people cross in 17 minutes?
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Things to Look Forward to in Spring Quarter
Spring Break is far too short. Five days of complete relaxation and a Whistler trip ago I was sitting in my room studying for what seemed to be endless exams. Hardly a heart beat later I am again in the same room on the doorstep of yet another quarter. Well, I have no time to complain because before I know it, I'll be sitting in stuffy old lecture hall listening to my physics teacher make mistakes.
Speaking of which, here are a few things to look forward to:
1. Correcting my physics teacher's mistakes on the midterms and final.
2. Writing programs for my CSE 490 class.
3. The blossoms in the quad.
4. CSE 321 (Jonathan's in my class! We should have lots of fun.)
5. Taking a math class again.
6. Dinner with Nate and Alex.
7. Pho on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
8. Learning something every day.
9. NOT lazing around.
10. Doing research.
Another quarter awaits one sunrise away. I better go pack.
Speaking of which, here are a few things to look forward to:
1. Correcting my physics teacher's mistakes on the midterms and final.
2. Writing programs for my CSE 490 class.
3. The blossoms in the quad.
4. CSE 321 (Jonathan's in my class! We should have lots of fun.)
5. Taking a math class again.
6. Dinner with Nate and Alex.
7. Pho on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
8. Learning something every day.
9. NOT lazing around.
10. Doing research.
Another quarter awaits one sunrise away. I better go pack.
otolaryngology
In case you didn't know:
Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine that deals with the ears, nose and throat.
An interesting word, if you can pronounce it.
Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine that deals with the ears, nose and throat.
An interesting word, if you can pronounce it.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Writing for the Sake of Writing?
Don't you hate those one line posts that are completely pointless? Next time you see one, ask the poster to not waste his/her time writing such a useless post.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Whistler
For those of you who have never been to Whistler, I have two things to share.
1. The Whistler/Blackcomb area is HUGE. To put it in perspective, it takes about 45 minutes to get up one of the mountains on a high speed chair. You have to take three chairs in order to get to the top of blackcomb, and when you do, you can go down any side of the mountain. I spent two days there, and didn't uncover one twentieth of what was there.
2. The Whistler village area is like a very expensive shopping mall complete with expensive shops and little dogs. I had the pleasure of visiting every one of those little shops in whistler when I was following Rohan (our host) around during his shopping excursion.
Don't go to Whistler for the shops. You can just go to any mall for that. Go to Whistler for the mountain. There isn't another one like it.
Photos:
http://students.washington.edu/julenka/Whistler
1. The Whistler/Blackcomb area is HUGE. To put it in perspective, it takes about 45 minutes to get up one of the mountains on a high speed chair. You have to take three chairs in order to get to the top of blackcomb, and when you do, you can go down any side of the mountain. I spent two days there, and didn't uncover one twentieth of what was there.
2. The Whistler village area is like a very expensive shopping mall complete with expensive shops and little dogs. I had the pleasure of visiting every one of those little shops in whistler when I was following Rohan (our host) around during his shopping excursion.
Don't go to Whistler for the shops. You can just go to any mall for that. Go to Whistler for the mountain. There isn't another one like it.
Photos:
http://students.washington.edu/julenka/Whistler
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Birthdays
It is my birthday tommorow. I remember when my birthday was the most important day of the year. I'd stay up late, anxiously awaiting that would signify that I was officially one year older. In the morning, I would eagerly open the presents my parents lined up around my room. Later that evening, we would celebrate with a huge party with a homemade dinner and my favorite strawberry cake.
Nowadays, I hardly even remember my birthday. I stay up the night before chatting or reading, not in anticipation. My birthday is usually on or one day after finals. I look forward to it more as the day after finals, not the day I was born. One year doesn't seem all that much when you're 16, and by that time you don't want to get older anyway. I don't get presents anymore on my birthday. They usually come later, and I don't want much anyway. Instead of a large party, I just go to a nice restaraunt with my parents, if I'm even with my parents.
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis.
(Times change, and we change in them).
Nowadays, I hardly even remember my birthday. I stay up the night before chatting or reading, not in anticipation. My birthday is usually on or one day after finals. I look forward to it more as the day after finals, not the day I was born. One year doesn't seem all that much when you're 16, and by that time you don't want to get older anyway. I don't get presents anymore on my birthday. They usually come later, and I don't want much anyway. Instead of a large party, I just go to a nice restaraunt with my parents, if I'm even with my parents.
Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis.
(Times change, and we change in them).
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Before The Physics Test...
Yet again, I have a physics test tommorow. This final has been unbelievably difficult to study for. First, because the new topics we've covered are very formulaic, and require much computation. Second, we pretty much need to study for all of electromagnetism, which is a lot. Third, studying for physics is the last thing I want to do when the sun is out and the mountains beg to be skied on. Studying for physics this quarter was literally painful. My head hurts from thinking so much. What'll be even worse is the dismal results I get, regardless of how much I studied.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Meta Test
With all these finals on my mind, I've been thinking of a sort of meta-test I'd like to create: a test that tests your ability to take tests!
The test's ultimate goal is to determine whether you underperform or overperform on tests. What makes this test difficult is it must be very personalized. That is, geared toward a person's ability level. To avoid this, I'm hoping to test in an area so removed from any possible previous knowledge that it would purely examine your reasoning in coming up with solutions.
The test would examine cases when you are either unsure of, or do not know the answer to a question.
Possible ways of Measuring ability to take tests:
1. How well you can eliminate choices.
2. Your ability to make educated guesses based on what you think a person would put as the answer.
3. How quickly you answer questions.
4. Whether you second guess yourself.
5. How much time you spend making difficult choices.
The concept is still in its very early stages. If anyone has any links to references about meta-tests, please send me the URL (either comment, or email).
Thanks.
The test's ultimate goal is to determine whether you underperform or overperform on tests. What makes this test difficult is it must be very personalized. That is, geared toward a person's ability level. To avoid this, I'm hoping to test in an area so removed from any possible previous knowledge that it would purely examine your reasoning in coming up with solutions.
The test would examine cases when you are either unsure of, or do not know the answer to a question.
Possible ways of Measuring ability to take tests:
1. How well you can eliminate choices.
2. Your ability to make educated guesses based on what you think a person would put as the answer.
3. How quickly you answer questions.
4. Whether you second guess yourself.
5. How much time you spend making difficult choices.
The concept is still in its very early stages. If anyone has any links to references about meta-tests, please send me the URL (either comment, or email).
Thanks.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Things I've gotten used to...
10 Things I've gotten used to:
1. Staying up until midnight either juggling or chatting or (occasionally) doing homework.
2. Getting a maximum of 7 hours of sleep (result of 1.)
3. Visiting google news, reading the New Yorker.
4. Studying for 3-6 hours a night without even noticing it.
5. Correcting my physics professor's mistakes on the exam.
6. Riding the metro bus every day.
7. The smelly, dirty, filthy, often unpleasant EEP lounge (where a bunch of "Washington's brightest" hang out).
8. Pho, teriyaki, pizza.
9. Using degrees instead of radians.
10. Skipping parts of texts I don't understand.
#10 bothers me the most. This is mostly a result of physics--there's just so much I need to learn that I don't have time to pore over and understand everything.
1. Staying up until midnight either juggling or chatting or (occasionally) doing homework.
2. Getting a maximum of 7 hours of sleep (result of 1.)
3. Visiting google news, reading the New Yorker.
4. Studying for 3-6 hours a night without even noticing it.
5. Correcting my physics professor's mistakes on the exam.
6. Riding the metro bus every day.
7. The smelly, dirty, filthy, often unpleasant EEP lounge (where a bunch of "Washington's brightest" hang out).
8. Pho, teriyaki, pizza.
9. Using degrees instead of radians.
10. Skipping parts of texts I don't understand.
#10 bothers me the most. This is mostly a result of physics--there's just so much I need to learn that I don't have time to pore over and understand everything.
Solution to Weights Problem (Finally!)
A while back I posted an interesting problem:
A genie walks up to you and says, "Hey you, can you help me figure out which of my magic lamps is fake? I have 12 here, and know 11 of them are genuine. The one fake lamp doesn't weigh the same as the other 11 lamps, but I don't know whether it's heavier or lighter. I also have this pair of scales, but they're weird. They can lean either to one side or the other, or stay even, but that's it. And they can only weigh stuff 3 times. Can you devise a method to figure out which lamp is the odd one out using just three measurements? Hurry, Survivor's on, and I only have a few minutes to spare.
I finally put up the solution. You can view it here.
It's quite a long solution, and I put a lot of effort into it, so you should check it out.
A genie walks up to you and says, "Hey you, can you help me figure out which of my magic lamps is fake? I have 12 here, and know 11 of them are genuine. The one fake lamp doesn't weigh the same as the other 11 lamps, but I don't know whether it's heavier or lighter. I also have this pair of scales, but they're weird. They can lean either to one side or the other, or stay even, but that's it. And they can only weigh stuff 3 times. Can you devise a method to figure out which lamp is the odd one out using just three measurements? Hurry, Survivor's on, and I only have a few minutes to spare.
I finally put up the solution. You can view it here.
It's quite a long solution, and I put a lot of effort into it, so you should check it out.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Labs
Labs are so much easier alone. I finished a lab about 1.5 times fater by myself than I would have with a partner. Another sign that I'm getting increasingly anti-social.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Wow, what a terrible week
So, I just got a 76% on my physics exam. This is very bad. Why is it bad? Because it means that I missed at least 2 key concepts in electromagnetism. The worst part is, I came out of that test knowing that I applied my understanding of physics to the best of my abilities. I didn't panic, took my time, and thought pretty clearly through each problem. And I came out with a 76%. What does this mean? It means some of the fundamental concepts that I base my entire understanding of physics on is wrong.
That's the worst feeling ever. It doesn't matter that I did OK relative to the rest of the class. I'd be just as sad if I got a 76% and was the best in the class, and would be overjoyed if I got a 95% on an exam, even if 95% was average.
What's even worse is that I studied for this test pretty seriously for two days. By seriously I mean I didn't do anything but study. I talked to nobody, didn't chat, didn't do any other homework. For two days, I devoted my entire life to physics. And this is my payback. A slightly above-average score. What a bitter result.
Nevertheless, I look forward to finding out exactly what I did wrong, and perhaps fixing all the mistakes that my physics professor inevitably made on his exam key.
That's the worst feeling ever. It doesn't matter that I did OK relative to the rest of the class. I'd be just as sad if I got a 76% and was the best in the class, and would be overjoyed if I got a 95% on an exam, even if 95% was average.
What's even worse is that I studied for this test pretty seriously for two days. By seriously I mean I didn't do anything but study. I talked to nobody, didn't chat, didn't do any other homework. For two days, I devoted my entire life to physics. And this is my payback. A slightly above-average score. What a bitter result.
Nevertheless, I look forward to finding out exactly what I did wrong, and perhaps fixing all the mistakes that my physics professor inevitably made on his exam key.
Monday, March 06, 2006
The Woes Of Juggling, Continued
So, we had our weekly juggling meeting today. The place where we usually meet was taken, so we decided to go in the physics building instead. They kicked us out after 30 minutes. So we went to juggle in Kane Hall (an enourmous lecture hall). The janitor less-than-graciously asked us to leave after just 15 minutes. So, we headed over to the Quad (open grassy area with lots of pretty trees). We didn't get kicked out, but it was muddly, cold, windy and wet.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
The Woes Of Juggling
40 minutes spent working on a trick that I should be able to do with my eyes closed.
30 minutes trying to finish a five club practice that I could get last week.
Dry hands, bruised thumbs, and a sea of frustration washing over me with every collision.
An entire day wasted because I couldn't quite get the tricks right.
These are the woes of juggling.
30 minutes trying to finish a five club practice that I could get last week.
Dry hands, bruised thumbs, and a sea of frustration washing over me with every collision.
An entire day wasted because I couldn't quite get the tricks right.
These are the woes of juggling.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
This is just to say...
I have eaten
the pie
that was in
the refrigerator
and which
topped off
the perfect
weekend
Forgive me
it was delicious
so tart
and so creamy
Forgive me William Carlos Williams, I have just butchered your poem.
the pie
that was in
the refrigerator
and which
topped off
the perfect
weekend
Forgive me
it was delicious
so tart
and so creamy
Forgive me William Carlos Williams, I have just butchered your poem.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
This is why physics is bad.
It's 11:30 at night, I have to go to bed in order to wake up reasonably sane tommorow, and I still feel as if I know no physics. What really worries me is that the professor will spring a question on us that I hadn't thought about. In fact, this is pretty much a given, since it always happens. I always feel terrible going into physics tests. I should just stop worrying and live up to the carefree ideals that I keep telling everyone else to live up to. Okay, now I must drag myself off to bed and face the physics test tommorow.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Woes of Physics
Studying for physics is an extremely stressful process. There is a lot of material which you have to learn quite thoroughly in a short amount of time because you obviously couldn't understand anything in lecture or homework. The amount of equations you have to derive, and techniques you have to learn is mind-boggling. This is probably why most people do poorly on physics tests: there's just so much you need to learn, and so little time. Most people simply end up plugging and chugging. Of course, this works wonders on tests, but I refuse to do this actively. So, I guess I'll have to continue suffering, trying to learn most of electrodynamics in the 4 hours of study time I have tommorow.
I'm not sure who to blame: myself for not learning the material well enough, or my teachers for teaching it very poorly (after all, if I am not the only one struggling in this class). I think I'll blame it on myself.
I'm not sure who to blame: myself for not learning the material well enough, or my teachers for teaching it very poorly (after all, if I am not the only one struggling in this class). I think I'll blame it on myself.
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