A Day in the Bush

Today we had a picnic in the bush just outside the little town of Crowsnest.  This was a delightful setting on a clear windless day.  There was a small camping ground nearby with just the most basic amenities, and one can only imagine the peaceful solitude in that setting in the twilight hours.

Overs and Unders

At my maths class today, we looked at probabilities, and I recalled a simple boyhood gambling game called Overs and Unders.

It involved tossing 2 dice simultaneously, and we could bet on:-
- "OVERS" where the sum was over seven. (which paid even money 2:1)
- "UNDERS" where the sum was under seven. (which paid even money 2:1)
- "SEVENS" where the sum was exactly seven. (which paid 3:1)
According to my primitive calculations there are 36 possible outcomes from tossing 2 dice - 15 of these will be "overs" and 15 will be "unders" and 6 will be exactly "seven".
This would mean that it is better to bet on sevens because the expected return is better than on either overs or unders.
Am I on the right track?  Does it mean that you have a 50% chance of winning on "sevens" as opposed to only a 42% chance of winning on either overs or unders?

The Building Extension

Another drawing project more or less complete - now it is over to Joanne and Craig to see if they can get a favourable quote.

On completion of this extension, they intend to demolish the wall between the dining area and Nick's room, and move him into the new bedroom, so that they can use his current room as a lounge in the future.  Now it only remains for the work to be done.

Spring is here (almost)

I have just finished watching another episode of Northern Exposure.  It is a truely unique series, and it is such a change from the over-played dramas of the current era.  Here we have a set of lovable characters who all share different measures of eccentricity, set in the for north Alaskan fictional town of Cicely, bordering on the wilderness.
The episode I just watched was centred on the changes that Springtime brings to us all after the harsh winter. This changing season is one of renewal and optimism and the various characters played out the differing ways that if affected them, while Chris (the radio diskjockey) narrated the stories that run in time with the activities of the cast.  Here he is in the studio with his boss Maurice Minnyfield the ex astronaut

This episode was typically wholesome and inspirational, so different to the fighting and deceit and corruption that we mostly see on modern serial dramas.
Have a look at this snip from the popular "Throwing the Cow" episode..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lygv4IAZPKc

Memory Secrets

I have finally found the secret to retaining a good memory.  All I need is a major transplant to insert a few pieces of wire into my brain. It should be quite easy to do.
Have a look at the attached videos which show the amazing properties of the metal alloy NITINOL, which is an alloy of Nickel and Titanium.  Just copy this link and paste it into the command line of your browser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKBM9my5eOA
And also an example of a small Nitinol engine that runs on hot water. (just the thing I need for my bike)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVCX5BfPn6A

Pilot Sam

A Red letter day today - Sam had his first official flight from Clifton to Stanthorpe.

For the computer Gurus out there - this image contains a secret message. Maybe you can figure out how to unpack it???

The Grain Silo

I came across an interesting problem this week, which will definitely confound my maths class at U3A.
The problem involved a massive stockpile of grain (wheat) in a 60 meter diameter cone shaped stockpile. It is easy to calculate the volume and hence the tonnage, but the real tricky bit is to calculate the maximum amount that can be extracted from a single outlet located 3.3 meters inside the perimeter wall.  This means that I have to calculate the difference in volume between 2 intersecting non-concentric cones.
The following diagram shows the situation, and I invite anyone to give me the formula because I am completely stumped.