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    Angel of Lightning Brilliand's Avatar
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    Default A little nonsense

    I originally posted this on the Gamma forum, where it was somewhat on-topic, but it really would [del]make more sense[/del] be more appropriate here.

    An answer without a problem:

    Now, I may as well solve the more difficult problem of making that problem unsolveable, but still allowing the line to hit edges of the cube. The naive answer is to change the 5 or the 7 to Pi, thus making the light only hit four vertices. And in fact, that is the only answer, because in order to hit an edge, two elements of the vector...

    Ah, I'd better explain the vector. The light beam's direction is [12,5,7] - the distance the line travels in each direction.

    ...must be multiplied by the same number X (rational or irrational) to become divisible by 12. Any such number X can be converted to any other such number X by multiplication by a rational number. Thus, given any such number for one pair of edges X and any such number for the other pair of edges Y, both X and Y will be divisible by the same real number Z, and multiplying the vector by the value X*Y/Z will cause it to reach a vertex. Thus, if the light ray cannot reach a vertex, it cannot reach more than four edges of the cube (proof by contradiction).

    A problem without an answer:

    Given a cactus farm in Minnesota guarded by a horde of rabid beagles, how would you go about rescuing a mule trapped in said cactus farm?



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
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    Angel of Lightning Brilliand's Avatar
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    Oooh... good question...

    It depends on your definition of nonsense, but I think the second part (the question without an answer) is nonsense, while the answer without a question is simply out of context.



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
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    Johari

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    Angel of Lightning Brilliand's Avatar
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    Oh... well, in another sense, things taken out of context become nonsense if they depend on the context for their meaning. The second part is very random, but it doesn't need any outside context.

    In this sort of situation, it's best to go with a rigid definition. "I'd better explain the vector" means something, so it isn't nonsense. "A cactus farm in Minnesota guarded by a horde of rabid beagles" also has a meaning, so it isn't nonsense either. That means I had better provide some real nonsense.

    Latupito nipa maphisto filt bwimp Calaterum!

    There. Now rescue the mule.



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brilliand View Post
    Latupito nipa maphisto filt bwimp Calaterum!
    What did you just call my mama!?
    Quote Originally Posted by Logos
    Holy mud-wrestling bipolar donkeys, Batman!

    Retired from posting and drawing Social Security. E-mail or PM to contact.


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    Dibs on the platypus.

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    Um... does that still count as nonsense? Or do I need to make some more to keep the thread title true?



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
    - Blair Houghton

    Johari

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    i like cheese

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    Aha! I get it now: it's because it's a cube (symmetrical with parallel sides).

    And as for the mule, teleportation is obviously the most practical solution.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brilliand View Post
    A problem without an answer:

    Given a cactus farm in Minnesota guarded by a horde of rabid beagles, how would you go about rescuing a mule trapped in said cactus farm?
    It's not my f-ing problem in the first place. Problem solved!
    “I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.” --- Pippi Longstocking

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    Quote Originally Posted by anamericancer View Post
    What is the mule wearing?
    A teleportation device, of course.



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
    - Blair Houghton

    Johari

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    OK, there's a dragon raiding a village. There is only one warrior in the village - a muscular knight for some reason encased in diamond armor. The armor blocks his eyesight, but fortunately the dragon is blind as well, so that's no big deal. Both the knight and the dragon and the knight have a phobia for rabbits. Suddenly the dragon happens to bust open a rabbit hutch... and the rabbits are frightened of the dragon, of course. Is the village saved or not?



    LII-Ne

    "Come to think of it, there are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and the Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare!"
    - Blair Houghton

    Johari

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