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user54412

02:33

@Qmechanic I agree with the others - it's off-topic here. No idea why math rejected it, though. I didn't think they closed anything.

user54412

@aufkag I feel everyone but me has. Is it worth seeing?

user54412

The NRC is soliciting opinions on the future of human spaceflight, from everyone, via Twitter, over the next day or so: sites.nationalacademies.org/deps/aseb/deps_085240

user54412

^ @ManishEarth @RhysW @CrazyBuddy you may be interested in this yourselves, or in spreading this to the other space-y sites

NowIGetToLearnWhatAHeadIs

02:54

I wonder why aufkag didn't just ask his question. And I didn't really think it was worth seeing.

Crazy Buddy

@ChrisWhite I can do that ;-)

@ChrisWhite: Shared everywhere... Thanks :)

2 hours later…

tpg2114

04:46

@ChrisWhite I have a python riddle for you if you're around

Somehow it's decided that Identiy*A /= A

Sigh

Burned by shallow copies once again

user54412

@tpg2114 Python shallow copies have burned me far, far too many times

tpg2114

So annoyed

What a ridiculous "feature" to make default

user54412

did the designers of the language really think if I type B = A and then B[0] = 0 I wanted to alter A, ever??

tpg2114

I lost like an entire day to shallow copy

And to the subtle differences between numpy.matrix and numpy.array

Which do not play nicely together

user54412

yeah - I rarely use the matrix class simply because it's such a pain to treat it as an array

tpg2114

04:54

I didn't know I was using it

I was using numpy.matlib.randn to generate random matrix of numbers

And weird things were happening, like linalg.norm() had a shape of (1,1)

And so I was having to index things to get scalars when it should have been a scalar already

And flatten() wouldn't get rid of the extra dimension and I couldn't figure out why

Should have started this project earlier... can't seem to code anything correctly

ManishEarth

05:28

@ChrisWhite you clearly have never used Java :P

The issue with Python is that many folks approach it like they approach C (Me included, unfortunately), when it's a different paradigm. Python is the opposite of "data being stored in variables", it's "stickers being stuck on variables". Once you get that things become clearer. But I bet you already knew that :P

2 hours later…

user54412

07:14

@ManishEarth well, my expectation for all languages is that = means "assign what is on the right to what is on the left" or, in pseudocode, `<-'

user54412

in C I understand that the RHS is often just a pointer, so there's no problem

user54412

but in Python, an object-oriented scripting language, the RHS should be an object, not a pointer

user54412

that said, I still prefer Python to all other scripting language :)

ManishEarth

07:27

@ChrisWhite In Java objects are pointers

Me too

user54412

pointy things >.<

ManishEarth

Yes, pointy things >.<

user54412

Q: How do the experts here deal with low-level questions?

I'm seeking input from this community with regard to a developing discussion over at Physics Stackexchange. Background Yesterday one of our more notable users on Physics asked Have we lost the necessary critical mass of professional physicists? This put into words what I think a number of o...

user54412

Let's see what the math folks have to say

ManishEarth

@ChrisWhite they allow most of it :P

good idea though

user54412

07:35

indeed - but why is it not a problem

user54412

we could give up trying to keep out the undesirable stuff, but I'm pretty sure we'd lose all our experts instantly

ManishEarth

@ChrisWhite Not too sure of that

The experts on math just tag filter

user54412

well, one can tag filter homework...

user54412

but that doesn't seem to catch all of it

ManishEarth

07:37

@ChrisWhite So, how does the universe inflate, again? :>

user54412

It doesn't - you're just getting smaller :P

ManishEarth

Here's one important thing our community isn't doing: Downvoting homework. It still appears on the front page if closed but with a >-3 score

@ChrisWhite haha

ManishEarth

08:02

@Qmechanic /cc @jinawee @DavidZ Apparently the OP deleted it without it getting closed, which rejected the migration. Huh.

2 hours later…

Anonymous

10:06

math.stackexchange.com/questions/542915/divergence-of-series yup.

Physics Meta

12:51

Q: WHAT??? Where is the WHOLE question "Do we agree with Ron Maimon's suspension?" gone?

There was a very long discussion here under the question "Do we agree with Ron Maimon's suspension?" What was the reason for whipping out of existence that question, with all the answers? I need an explanation! There were a lot of answers there. A lot of members gave our answers and our opinio...

support

1 hour later…

Physics Meta

13:52

Q: I leave Physics SE. This is my good-bye note

The vanishing of the whole thread "Do we agree with Ron's Suspension?" has been for me the straw that broke the camel's back. I had shared my thoughts there, together with other physicists, and we deserve some respect. I can't remember the slightest thing that could be wrong there, no rude langua...

discussion

2 hours later…

Crazy Buddy

15:54

Today, I went to Khan academy (for the first time) and finally realized that I can't even plot a graph :D

RhysW

16:17

@CrazyBuddy woo hoo, graphs!

3 hours later…

user54412

19:29

So I just approved an edit in the queue, but it still needs another approval, and then the question came up in the close vote queue, and I voted to close. Now I wonder: if it is closed before the edit is approved, will the edit then put the question in the reopen queue?

ManishEarth

@ChrisWhite I think so

maybe not. I forgot if the history entry is for the edit or the approval

easy enough to verify

@ChrisWhite it would get bumped back

user54412

ManishEarth

21:04

Does physics not explain everything in some way? — user31903 7 mins ago

Epic comment

2 hours later…

jinawee

23:21

Trolling again...

-2

Q: Why does physics use math?

I like the way this person's post is spelled out: http://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/1/was-mathematics-invented-or-discovered/8310#8310 To what degree does actual math model the realistic observations, and how well does it stand against falling short of inaccuracies? One thing I hav...