27 JAN 2021 by ideonexus
Japanese Thumb Game
In this game, all players start by holding out both fists. One player starts the action by yelling “1, 2” (to get the other players ready) and then another number, which is his guess. Right after he yells “2” each player sticks up either 1 thumb, 2 thumbs, or no thumbs. The active player is trying to guess how many total thumbs (including his own) will be up. If he is wrong, the next player takes his turn. If he is right, he removes one of his hands from the game and takes another tur...Folksonomies: games
Folksonomies: games
1 
notes
notes09 NOV 2019 by ideonexus
Variable Ratio Schedule for Getting Kids Addicted to Boar...
In light of the above, here’s a solid Variable Ratio Schedule for playing board games with your kid:
the first time you play a particular game, let the kid win.
thereafter, let the kid win some of the time. 60% of the time is good to start (you can dial it down slowly as the kid improves if you want).
make the sequence of wins and losses as random as possible.
critically, make the outcome as close as you can every time, especially when the kid loses. She should always feel like she bare... 1 notes
notes04 NOV 2018 by ideonexus
Degenerate Strategies and Cheating
Why isn't using a degenerate strategy considered cheating? Degenerate strategies take advantage of weaknesses in the rules of a game, but do not actually violate the rules. What kind of player would play in this way? The answer is both a dedicated player, who is overzealously seeking the perfect strategy, and an unsportsmanlike player, who has found a hole in the rules to exploit, even though he understands that he is not playing the game the way it was intended. These two kinds of players ca... 1 notes
notesIs the same true of memorizing algorithms to solve the rubiks cube?
04 NOV 2018 by ideonexus
Player Types and Rule-Breaking
The Standard Player: This player type is a "standard" and honest game player that plays the game as it was designed to be played, following the rules and respecting their authority.
The Dedicated Player: This close cousin of the standard player studies the formal systems of a game in order to master and perfect his or her play of the game, often finding and exploiting unusual strategies in order to win. Examples: professional athletes, hardcore gamers.
The Unsportsmanlike Player: This third... 1 notes
notes04 MAR 2015 by ideonexus
An Algorithm for Predicting Longevity
For the test, participants exercised on a treadmill at increasing speed and incline. While they were exercising, the researches measured peak heart rate (%MPHR) and their ability to withstand physical exertion. On that latter point, they measured metabolic equivalents, or METs, which gauges how much energy the body expends during exercise. The more intense the exercise, the higher the METs (e.g. slow walking = ~2 METs, whereas running = ~8 METs).
[...]
FIT Treadmill Score = %MPHR 12(M...
1 You can get your MPHR for your age here. I found a chart of METS here for various exercises.
| Activity | METS | Activity | METS |
| Aerobic Dancing | 6.0 | Running 12 min/mile | 8.5 |
| Backpacking | 7.0 | Racquetball | 8.0 |
| Badminton | 7.0 | Rugby | 8.3 |
| Basketball | 6.0 | Skating ice/roller | 7.0 |
| Bicycling - 24mph | 5.0 | Skiing cross country | 8.0 |
| Calisthenics | 4.5 | Soccer | 8.0 |
| Golf | 5.0 | Softball | 5.0 |
| Gymnastics | 5.5 | Swimming | 6.0 |
| Handball | 8.0 | Tennis | 7.0 |
| Hockey | 8.0 | Volleyball | 4.0 |
| Horse riding | 3.5 | Walking | 3.5 |
| Running 8 min/mile | 12.5 | Weight lifting | 4.5 |
| Stage | Minutes | % grade | km/h | MPH | METS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 10 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 5 |
| 2 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 7 |
| 3 | 3 | 14 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 10 |
| 4 | 3 | 16 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 13 |
| 5 | 3 | 18 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 15 |
| 6 | 3 | 20 | 8.8 | 5.5 | 18 |
| 7 | 3 | 22 | 9.6 | 6.0 | 20 |
Total Durations = 21 minutes
So, if I'm understanding this correctly. If I reach a 160 heart rate out of 179.0 MPHR predicted for my 41 years of age while running 12 minute miles worth 8.5 METS. My score would be:
83.7 12(8.5) - 4(41) = 21.7
The same heart rate for my age running 8 minute miles:
83.7 12(8.5) - 4(41) = 69.7
09 AUG 2014 by ideonexus
Greg Epstein Secular Invocation
Mayor-Elect Walsh, and distinguished and honored guests of all backgrounds and beliefs: it is my great honor, on behalf of the Humanist, secular, and nontheistic community, to share this poem, “To Be of Use,” by contemporary Massachusetts poet Marge Piercy, in honor of the important work you and all of us will soon be called to do.
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become ...Folksonomies: secularism
Folksonomies: secularism
1 notes
notesGreg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, was invited to give at the Interfaith Inaugural Celebration for new Boston Mayor Martin Walsh on January 5, 2014, at Old South Church in Boston.
24 JUN 2014 by ideonexus
The Law of Large Numbers
The game is called who’s the best at flipping coins. It’s pretty simple. You flip a bunch of coins and whoever gets the most heads wins. To make this a little more interesting, though, not everybody has the same number of coins. Some people—Team Small—have only ten coins, while the members of Team Big have a hundred each.
If we score by absolute number of heads, one thing’s for almost sure—the winner of this game is going to come from Team Big. The typical Big player is going to ...Folksonomies: mathematics statistics
Folksonomies: mathematics statistics
1 notes
notes27 SEP 2013 by ideonexus
加油 as a Term of Encouragement
The Chinese characters say 加油 (Jia1 you2).加 is composed of 力 (power) and 口 (mouth). It means 'to add'油 is made out of 水 (氵, water) and 由(from/ due). It means oil.加（to add） 油（oil）= add oil or make an extra effort
加油 is a terribly common phrase in day to day life. If you want to encourage someone to carry on great work, or in a sports competition, you say 加油! A bit like 'go on!' in English.
Of course another literal meaning of 加油 is to refuel.ShaoLan explains how the symbols break down.
21 AUG 2013 by ideonexus
Drugs is a Human Construct
The human body is an assembly of chemicals, as is all food & all medicine. So what we label as a drug is a social construct.
Lifting weights changes your bio-physiology in a way that creates performance-enhancing effects on your body.
Drinking coffee changes your metabolism in a way that creates performance-enhancing effects on your body.
Eating breakfast changes your biochemstry in a way that creates performance-enhancing effects on your body.
Practicing in your sport of choice creat... 1 notes
notesEveryone and every substance is chemicals and molecules. How we classify them is purely a social construct.
07 MAY 2012 by ideonexus
History of Science and Religion
Some people want to put warning stickers on biology textbooks, saying that the theory of evolution is just one of many theories, take it or leave it. Now, religion long predates science; it'll be here forever. That's not the issue. The problem comes when religion enters the science classroom. There's no tradition of scientists knocking down the Sunday school door, telling preachers what to teach. Scientists don't picket churches. By and arge—though it may not look this way today—science a... 1 notes
notesHow the Middle East was the center of scientific progress until religious fever took over it, the same is seen in Jewish and Christian cultures.
