Mathematics - 2011-08-14

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J. M.

00:32

König Asaf, heh.

J. M.

01:13

I'm now getting the impression that a good school of elementary mathematics would have Arturo teaching on some days and André on other days....

mixedmath

01:28

I think that would be a very good, and very lucky school

Bogdan Lataianu

@mixedmath he was in the room at that time

this forum is not helpful

mixedmath

01:49

Bogdan, I'm sorry that you feel that way. Is there something in particular about MSE that you don't like, or that you think could be improved?

And I like Asaf, and I like poking at him - I had intended it at him, not at you

But if I offended you, @Bogdan, I'm very sorry.

Bogdan Lataianu

02:09

all right then mixedmath. I may come back later

3 hours later…

Asaf Karagila

05:37

@mixedmath I am strongly against haircuts. Unless, of course, you have no choice. :-)

9 hours later…

Asaf Karagila

14:29

Didn't I ask no questions about cardinals for two days?

J. M.

Huh, why ask us? You ought to know better than us on that matter...

Asaf Karagila

I'm only asking a few days of low cardinals/AC traffic on the site, so I could finish this assignment already!

J. M.

... :D

Asaf Karagila

And look at me, doing 150 reputation today... while trying to avoid work :-P

Also, I tried to bake some bread last night. Didn't go too well.

Hey Martin!

@JM Any tips for baking bread without yeasts?

J. M.

Ah, well there's baking soda or ammonium bicarbonate

Is Calumet available in Israel?

That's the mix I use for biscuits and flat bread

Asaf Karagila

14:42

Baking powder thingie?

J. M.

Yes, that.

For some reason I couldn't get good results with other baking powders...

Asaf Karagila

I don't know. I'll get some baking powder and try.

Should probably buy a rolling pin too.

J. M.

Get a wooden one (but you need to wash thoroughly after each use)

(especially if you're using eggs)

Asaf Karagila

I'm not using eggs, and I would not consider getting anything non-wood.

If you could cook on wooden pots, I would have done that.

J. M.

Just reminding. :) Some people get plastic, and they come bawling to me after I expressly told them to get wood...

Asaf Karagila

14:46

Also, will caustic soda help in baking?

Suppose I add some lemon juice to the dough or something...

J. M.

...um, no. Well there is a traditional cake here, but what's used is wood ash and not lye per se.

Asaf Karagila

Hm. Shame :D

J. M.

so leave the caustic soda for the drains :P

The lemon juice is for what?

Asaf Karagila

To provoke the caustic soda, of course!

@JM Do you have any tip for making them somewhat light? The half-baked result from last night seemed as though it would be quite heavy in one's stomach.

J. M.

15:23

Sorry, I was out. Hmm, heavy... well it's heavy precisely because there's little air trapped.

hence the baking powder. You're trying to put in the air bubbles without the yeast

Jonas Teuwen

15:35

From dating to baking advice. J.M. is multifunctional.

Asaf Karagila

16:02

@JM Sounds tedious. I'll do my best without :D

J. M.

No, not really, just follow the instructions of the packet... ;)

Asaf Karagila

Oh, I thought you say I can try to put the air bubbles without the powder either.

Also I found out that what I was aiming for was Iraqi pita is indeed just flour, water and a dash of salt.

I just didn't flatten the dough enough. In which case I know I can do better the next time!

J. M.

Well I wasn't suggesting blowing through the dough with a straw. ;P

Oh yes, sorry about that, I neglected to ask you about kneading.

That's very important too.

Asaf Karagila

Now when you say kneading... what exactly do you mean?

J. M.

I'll admit having a "feel" for the dough takes practice.

Asaf Karagila

16:09

I have a good sense about how dough needs to feel before it hits the oven.

J. M.

Okay, so I don't have to say anything about it. :) So, what made you think it was the flattening?

Asaf Karagila

Well, the inside was not baked very well, and Iraqi pita is really flat.

J. M.

Mushy?

Asaf Karagila

When I was a kid we would make those in field days (everywhere really).

It is known as taboon bread as well.

J. M.

On another topic... there's something more satisfying about being the last vote to close than with the other positions...

(or last vote to reopen, for that matter)

Asaf Karagila

16:15

Yeah :D

@JM Also the first, actually. Especially when it is a question that was somewhat commented and viewed before.

J. M.

Dunno, not much of a transition happens when you're the first voter...

Asaf Karagila

True. But it's fun to see that in two hours four more people agreed with you.

J. M.

I suppose so. :)

Asaf Karagila

Speaking of inane things that have no actual meaning regarding the site...

I just hate how some days you end up with one or two votes from 200 reputation cap...

J. M.

:D Quite annoying, yes.

I understand the reasons for the cap, don't get me wrong... but it's still annoying.

Asaf Karagila

16:26

So far I have 8 days with 200+ reputation.

142 more to go... :D

J. M.

Matching Arturo is a tall order, y'know...

Asaf Karagila

Haha, yeah. I know.

J. M.

So far, André is the only guy coming close to Arturo...

Asaf Karagila

How?

J. M.

So far, he's managed 12 days of 200+ rep, and it seems unbroken.

...and at his rate of producing polished answers...

Arturo started with a similar streak.

Asaf Karagila

16:32

Oh, that.

Well, some people are just very good.

I liked how he changed his user name from user6325 (or whatever number...)

J. M.

Ditto.

Asaf Karagila

Why are you not asking something about the axiom of choice, or cardinals, or both? I might actually have to work!

J. M.

Would you be fine with an analogy?

Asaf Karagila

Depends on the analogy :D

J. M.

Okay, here goes: you're a brick maker.

You're into making bricks, and tweaking things to add into the bricks

to make them sturdier, nicer-looking, etc.

Me, on the other hand, I build stuff from bricks.

More or less I assume you've done your job well, and I don't have to bug you with what goes into the bricks.

I'm happy with building houses and other things from your bricks.

Well, something like that...

Asaf Karagila

16:39

In this analogy, I don't make the bricks. I supply the sand that will one day form the cement and clay used to build the oven in which the bricks are going to be made in.

J. M.

Okay, see? You've further shrunk the level of abstraction....

So, I'm just happy the damn bricks actually stand up.

Asaf Karagila

lol

J. M.

Don't worry, when I hit into a snag like Zermelo, I'll bug you... :P

Asaf Karagila

I'll remember that.

J. M.

Or, to use the computer analogy: I don't want to be worrying about microchip architecture when all I want is to write a PHP script...

Asaf Karagila

16:46

In this analogy, I make the sand that will one day be used to build bricks from which the factory of the microchips is going to be made of.

:-)

J. M.

*facepalm* XD

Now that I think about it... Asaf, you've the distinction of being one of the 10k+ users that isn't a "Generalist".

...even though you've cloistered yourself to set theory, you still have amassed that much rep.

Asaf Karagila

Well... I am the top dog in [set-theory] both as a questioner and answerer!

Jonas Teuwen

17:14

Very good, Asaf. You deserve a pat on the back. :D.

2 hours later…

J. M.

18:54

Asaf... do you know about the saying "be careful what you wish for"?

Asaf Karagila

19:09

@JM Neat!

J. M.

When m.SE is awash in set theory questions, I know who to point fingers to...

Asaf Karagila

God?

J. M.

I don't think the guy posts here... ;) what I'm getting at is that there's this strange tendency to attract what you strongly desire for some people.

...and since you keep on wishing for more set theory questions...

(I dread the day where all the questions I'll see on the front page are either number or set theory.)

Asaf Karagila

Hehe...

This guy who keeps posting seems to like my writing, too.

J. M.

I'm sleepy as heck; see you guys.

Asaf Karagila

19:20

What's the time there?

And how sleepy is heck?

user19161

@AsafKaragila Not funny!

Asaf Karagila

@JasperLoy I do not claim this to be the funniest joke in the world, in the sense of M. Python, but I reckon it is enough to crack one's face with a small convex shape of the lips... :-)

user19161

@AsafKaragila I do not know anything about m Python, but I like Mr Bean and I hope you have watched him!

Asaf Karagila

@JasperLoy Not to the point of knowing everything by heart. I do know quite a lot from Blackadder though.

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