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kc11415
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 21st, 2021, 8:26 pm

bit of non-sequitur from the happy little posts on this thread...
...the title of this thread made me think of the meme going around of an Anti-vaxxers Advent Calendar.
All standard disclaimers apply, and then some.
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 21st, 2021, 8:38 pm

bit of non-sequitur from the happy little posts on this thread...
...the title of this thread made me think of the meme going around of an Anti-vaxxers Advent Calendar.
Haha! I looked it up and that is grim indeed. We have a Gallows Humor thread buried in the OT from earlier this year.

However, I decided to lay off the dark humor, as well as most parodies, seditious rom-com, satire, and sarcasm for 2021.

It really can be hard to tell which is which and what is what online, and why stress people out even more these days? The Global Financial Crisis was different - easier give and take and just laugh it off back then.

Anyway, my sister sends me some very funny memes - my favorites are what FB luminaries and the Twitterati do to art history and masterpieces.

One Advent relevant example:

Black Friday a la Bruegel:
blackfridayalaBruegel.jpg
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 21st, 2021, 8:57 pm

Here it is: Gallows Humor and one more meme - also relevant for life (and the Advent) here on the Forum. : D
youguysarethebest.jpg
I will post the answers to the evolution questions shortly. I expect vigorous debate.
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 21st, 2021, 9:42 pm

December 22, 2021
One Million Years BC: An Epochrypha

Far back to the lands that time forgot!
 
1.     List these eras in chronological order: Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Cenozoic


Most recent era first:
 
Cenozoic
Mesozoic
Paleozoic
 
2.     Place each set of Periods within the proper era (no tricks here – these are grouped correctly):
 
SET 1- Paleozoic
Permian          
Carboniferous 
Devonian         
Silurian            
Ordovician      
Cambrian
 
SET 2 - Cenozoic
Quaternary (Pleistocene/Holocene)  
Neogene (Miocene/Pliocene)
Paleogene (Paleocene/Eocene/Oligocene)
 
SET 3 - Mesozoic
Cretaceous      
Jurassic            
Triassic
 
3.     Time spans in geochronology are classified in the following way:
 
Eon -    4 total Eons, each half a billion years or more
Era -     10 defined Eras, several hundred million years
Period - 22 defined Periods, tens to ~one hundred million years
Epoch - 34 defined Epochs, tens of millions of years
Age -    99 defined Ages, millions of years
 
What do these terms refer to on a similar time scale? Segments of rock (strata) in chronostratigraphy

 
Enothem
Erathem
System
Series  
Stage   
 
4.     Is there such a thing as the Hadean Eon and, if so, what happened then?

 
Yes, the Hadean Eon is the first Eon. It is not officially divided into eras or periods, but it marked the formation of Earth approximately 4.5 billion years ago. It is estimated that it lasted about 540 million years, and is followed in the Geologic Time Scale system by the Archean Eon.
 
5.     The term “transitional fossil” refers to the remains of a life form that exhibits traits common to both an ancestral group and its derived descendant group. Four examples are listed below. What kind of transition did each of them exhibit and which one does not belong in this group?
 
a) Tiktaalik - a genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period, with many features similar to those of four-legged animals


b) Australopithecus afarensis –  from quadrupedal ape ancestors to modern bipedal humans 


c) Archaeopteryx - a genus of theropod dinosaur closely related to birds


d) Papio hamadryas – This one does not belong. It is the Hamadryas Baboon.


e) Amphistium - an early relative of the flatfish
 
6.     Approximately when did life begin on earth?
 
a)     8 billion years ago
b)    6 billion years ago
c)     4 billion years ago - est. 3.5-3.7 billion 
d)    2 billion years ago
e)    1 billion years ago
 
7.     What are the earliest known life forms and where were they found?

 
Microorganisms found in hydrothermal vent precipitates, discovered in Australian Apex chert rocks (~3.5 billion years old). 

8.     Name one of the most primitive arthropods, which might be seen scuttling along the ocean floor.

 
Trilobite
 
9.     When did the first “great apes” appear?
 
a)     60 million years ago
b)    40 million years ago
c)     20 million years ago - for the Great apes. Primates in various forms came much earlier, 60-100 million years ago, and Supraprimates as early as 125 million years ago.
d)    10 million years ago
e)    2 million years ago
 
10.  Which of these is not considered a great ape?
 
a)     Gorilla
b)    Orangutan
c)     Human
d)    Monkey 
e)    Chimpanzee 
 
11.  Extra credit: Are lemurs part of your family tree? 
Well…????
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 22nd, 2021, 12:07 am

For the final entry here - 3 in 1. 

December 23, 2021

Lessons and Carols at KIng's College Cambridge

[/b]

December 24, 2021
treeinsnow2.jpg
December 25, 2021
Earth.jpg
And that's all there is. Best wishes to all for the new year. 
 
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Paul
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 22nd, 2021, 6:48 am

I'm managing one or two questions right every day!
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 22nd, 2021, 2:33 pm

Great! It was fun constructing these puzzles and quizzes.

Before I go, here's something in advance for New Year's Eve (no right or wrong answers here, at least not that can be proven yet).

December 31, 2021

The Big Picture

1. How old is the Universe?

a) It has always been here - there was no beginning.
b) There was a beginning, but I don't know when.
c) The Universe is approximately 14 billion years old.

2. How large is the Universe?

a) It goes on to infinity.
b) It is finite, but I don't know where the end is.
c) The observable Universe is approximately 93 billion light years across; we can extrapolate from there.

3. Is the Universe:

a) Expanding
b) Contracting
c) Pulsing, like a heart beat
d) None of the above.

4. Will the Universe ever come to an end? 

a) No
b) Yes
c) Need time to think it over.

Please elaborate.
cosmic.jpg
And finally, some presents - this is my winter plan and some would make great gifts for Quants. Some for the mind, some for the soul, some for your work, and a cookbook to nourish you for reading (and skiing!) You see a bit of yarn there too - some soft warm scarves in the works these rainy/snowy days.

For those new to machine learning and AI, The Emperor's New Mind is an older book (1989), but it gives a detailed historical view and does not shy away from equations. 

Please note that Introduction to Algorithms, by Corman, Leiserson, Rivest, (and Stein) 4th edition is coming out in March 2022. I have the 2nd edition and will upgrade this spring. Introduction to Algorithms - CLRS 4th

Take care and happy holidays!
 
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Marsden
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 22nd, 2021, 3:20 pm

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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 31st, 2021, 1:38 am

New Year's Resolutions

Always books.  Something for everyone in this big pile. : D

and when not reading - wandering in the forest.

Happy New Year, everyone.
 
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bearish
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 31st, 2021, 4:39 am

First - that Champagne bottle looks too small! Second, you are really trying to tease Cuch out of retirement, aren’t you? And last, but not least, Happy New Year!
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

December 31st, 2021, 2:25 pm

Quadrantids for Quants

The Quantrid meteor shower is set to peak on January 2-3 and visible from the Northern hemisphere - a nice way to start the year.

2022 Quadrantid meteor shower to peak January 2-3 - EarthSky December 29 for time and viewing information.

bearish: a) It's a perfect split. b) No. Escaping is good! c) Thanks!
 
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Paul
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

January 1st, 2022, 9:00 am

Happy New Year! (Although I wish it started at about 9:30pm.)
 
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Re: Advent Calendar 2021 (for the OT)

January 1st, 2022, 9:40 am

Bonne année 2022. Que tous vos voeux se réalisent!.
Good news: my 2021 xmas wishlist will be available upon simple request throughout Jan-22. Don't be shy this year again!

First sunrise of the year over Mont-Blanc. Enjoy, friends!
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