Cultured Views

Finding the 13th root - Voila!

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Are you a whizz at mathematics?.  How about this; you have to work out the answer to a mathematical problem and the correct answer is: 2, 407, 899, 893, o32, 210…whatever the question is it just has to be a whopper. And not only that, but you have to work it out without the help of a calculator, a mechanical one that is, you have to use the ‘calculator’ that god gave you.

A Frenchman, Alexis Lemaire, had to work out the 13th root of a computer generated 200-digit number; to make it even easier it had a possibility of 393 TRILLION answers. Whilst many of us, myself included at times, still use the ten finger abacus to add up, this guy didn’t even need a paper and pencil. He used his brain and would you believe he solved the problem in 70.2 seconds later!. I wouldn’t have solved it 70 YEARS later!.

Those of us who use a crossword to stretch the brain matter and keep it active might be interested to know that guys like Mr Lemaire exercise their brains by working out problems using the 13th root. Highly impressive. But I don’t think I’ll bother challenging him to a duel just yet. Obviously I don’t have enough fingers or toes…

Above photo courtesy of the Daily Mail.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Give the gift of reading this Xmas

If there is one thing I would love for Santa to place in my Xmas stocking on Xmas Day it is something for me to relax and read. I love reading; magazines, books, even the newspapers. And it is a good thing to encourage the kids to do the same thing rather than sit on the computer all day. Reading a good ‘mag’ is my favourite way of winding down, especially at the weekend.

A great Xmas gift, in my opinion, would be a subscription to any of the magazines from the magazine group. They have a fantastic range of mags that will please any member of the family so no matter who you are buying for there will be something for everybody. Food, fashion, football, current affairs or the music lover; everyone has someone they know that would love a years worth of magazines as a gift. I certainly would!.

Certainly saves going up to the shops each week or month in the hope that there is a copy of your favourite magazine left in stock. A magazine subscription would make a great gift for anyone who loves to sit and read.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Facebook and MySpace - meet you there!

Apparently British women are the biggest users of social networking websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, than other women in Europe. Interesting. But then again, ’social networking’ has become the new way to meet people and make contact with new friends. But why are British women uploading their profiles in such greater numbers than those in Europe?.

I am wondering if it has something to do with the fact that sites like FaceBook offer an individual the chance to ‘meet’ new people in the safety of their own home. When you consider how dangerous the UK has become (and it has) it sure beats the old method of sitting in a pub or going from barstool to barstool in the hope of meeting someone. I’m not saying these pastimes are a deathwish; you only have to see how busy the nightclubs and bars are on a Friday and Saturday night to see that people still go out and about in their social lives.

But at least you are in control of who you contact; as long as you are willing to take the risk that someone is actually who they say they are when you meet up.

Of course, there is the ‘excitement’ element as well. I wonder how many husbands know their wives are ‘live’ online and ‘wanting to meet new people/friends/relationship’?. These internet sites offer people the chance to live a double life and many people are doing just that. They say that Friends Reunited has caused a great increase in marriage breakups through people recontacting their teenage sweethearts after so many years; I have a friend in Australia who is a psychotherapist specialising in marriage guidance and she believes that the internet certainly has played a huge role in the increasing numbers of divorces.

Such a shame. This great technological innovation that has, in so many ways brought the world together is, in another way, pushing so many people apart.

Just play it safe girls.

Popularity: 5% [?]