Mathematics For The Blind

I have a fun hypothetical question for all you freethinkers out there -- especially the hard scientific-positivist atheist types. ;-) Here it is:

In another solar system, there is a thick cloud-covered planet (picture Jupiter), such that the sun never penetrates to the surface, which is an ocean of opaque muddy colloid. Below the depths of this opaque ocean is a solid crust and core, much like ours, that generates heat. From this heat flux, a breed of large complex thermophilic worms evolve, along with millions of other species. Primary production is chemoautotrophic. After evolving transmorphic prolegs, with which they can build tools, they develop complex acoustic communication. Their acoustic perception is as keen as our sight, yet, with no evolutionary need to sense light, they are completely blind. These worms eventually develop mathematics, science, and complex technology.

Question: Could this species ever "discover" the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (light)?
For those who cite our discovery of radiation wavelengths outside our perception as analogy, I'm not sure that's right. UV, infrared, or gamma radiations are simply extensions of a dimension (light) that we already perceive. The problem of heat might be more significant, but heat transfer through a solid or colloidal medium is almost exclusively through conduction, not radiation. So it's not essential for a high-tech worm to know anything about warm body radiation. To the suggestion that some forms of radiation pass through clouds and liquid, the attenuation is great enough (even on portions of the earth's crust -- deep caves) that again, it may become an insignificant footnote to their reality.

So here's another question...without an incling about light radiation, would they ever conceive an equivalent to the theory of relativity? And what dimension are we as humans utterly lacking? Perhaps in that dimension -- that thing we can never imagine -- is the key to the universe.

Good question. I would say yes. Part of the spectrum is infrared which we generally experience as "heat" on a day-to-day level. I'm sure if they got that sophisticated and understood "heat", they'd make some instrument that could convert the spectrum into acoustic energy to simulate it for them.

Another intersting question though, would they ever have a sense of their place in the universe? If the gravity were very strong and the sky were always cloud-covered, would they have inclination/ability to get something over the cloud cover? They would never see stars or moons for their entire existence.

It would be quite a big day if they ever did manage it.

2007-02-20 08:43:40 by fluvial_shell

www.usfca.edu Professor Art Karshmer, of the University of San Francisco School of Management (formerly School of Business and Professional ...

Many on here profess to be atheists and only believe in scientific means or explanations.
Mathematics is a science.
Mathematics is accepted as being correct.
Mathematics is accepted because the book says it is so.
Mathematics is accepted on blind faith.
Applying some corelation:
God is accepted on blind faith.
God is accepted because the book says it is so.
God is accepted as being correct.
God is science
Therefore Atheist believe in God.

Now, where does the reasoning break down? I am hoping for serious answers, not just shrill trite inane ramblings.
Only one or two real answers so far. Still getting the argument that math is provable. How about if someone says God is provable. They don't believe in your math. Than what?
Chris, you almost made a point, until you resorted to bad mouthing.

Along the same lines ...

Man will accept that a star is millions of light years away, but won't believe a "wet paint" sign on a bench.

How can you expect atheists to accept God?

2007-02-13 10:18:46 by Jim R

Price: $25.00

3.Twelve popular brands of beer are to be used in a blind taste study for consumer recognition.
a.If 4 distinct brands are chosen at random from the 12 and if a consumer is not allowed to repeat any answers, what is the probability that all 4 brands could be identified by just guessing?
b.If repeats are allowed in the 4 brands chosen at random from the 12 and if the consumer is allowed to repeat answers, what is the probability of correct identification of all 4 by just guessing?

qa
ways of selecting 4 brands from 12 w/o repetition = 12C4 = 495
but only 1 way of correctly identifying all, so
reqd. probability = 1 /495
------------------------------------

qb
repeats allowed, so 12 ways of selecting each of the 4 = 12*12*12*12 = 20,736
but only 1 way of correctly identifying all, so
reqd. probability = 1 / 20,736
-----------------------------------------

2010-02-09 19:01:43 by ZECHARIAH DAVID ALEXANDER KENT

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I'm a student and I see Christmas just looming over the hill, and I'm wanting to formulate some ideas that would be great for a teacher that I have who I would like to show my appreciation to by giving him a gift. Yet, he's legally blind and although he can read dark lettering, see figures and faintly see faces, I'm afraid he won't appreciate something aesthetically pleasing (i.e a snowglobe) compared to someone who is able to fully see.

That in mind, any ideas? Gift cost ranging from 5-30 dollars. He is also a mathematics teacher.

As a person with low vision, I would appreciate a gift card to a bookstore like Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, where I could go online and find a great book or CD. I would also appreciate a gift card to Audible.com. I can empathize with you about the difficulty of buying gifts for the blind. I'm sure he will appreciate whatever you choose to give (and remember, there is a tactile side to beautiful objects as well!).

Oh, and food is great too! There are a lot of restaurant gift cards out there to choose from!

2009-11-18 20:54:33 by Empathist

USA: 301'000'000 people, one million Persians in USA that get 800 billion of the American GDP.

The American GDP : 12'000'000'000'000 $; the GDP for an american is 40'000$

The GDP for an Iranian in the USA is 800'000 $.

Iranians bring 7% of the American GDP and they represent only 0.3% of the American population.

An MIT study showed that the fortune of an Iranian is 45% superior than an American. This study also showed that the Iranians are the most highly educated ethnicity in the USA. 30% of them have a Master degree and 90& have at least a Bachelor degree.

Iran is a 7000 years old civilization

Persia and Iran is exactly the same thing (just like Persians and Iranians)

Persians (Iranians) are not arabs at all, not even semitics, but ARYANS

Almost all the inventors called "arabs" in books are actually Persians, Persians were obliged to write in arab because of its oppression

Religion in Iran before Islam was the Zoroastrianism, a religion the existed only in Persia (monotheist religion)

Cyrus the Great freed the Jews when they were in captivity in Babylonia

The three wise men who visited Jesus were Persians

Persia and Persians respect women, we even had two women in the head of the state (Tooran Dokht and Pooran Dokht). Charm and beauty of persian women attract and have always attracted people from outside.

Persia is the main country of Middle-East, thanks to its culture, its scientists, its intellectuals.

The Persian man and the Persian language are both great lovers, poetry had a great time in Iran with poets like Omar Khayyam, Hafez and Sadi.

Persia is the country of Mathematics, phytaghor and other gays had persian teachers. Algebra was invented in Persia.

Persians are friendly, warm, open-minded and intellectual people.

Iran has always been called "iran" by the Iranians, the persians have always been "iranians" for themselves

Persia (Persian Empire) was the first real state with ministers and states etc......

All the countries that have a "stan" at the end of their names were persians and their name is persian.

All of these things were invented in Iran (Persia) by Iranians (Persians):

FIRST MONOTHEIST RELIGION --------> 6000 B.C., but it is only one of the three
theories

PARADISE AND HELL ------------------> notions coming from an old persian religion

THE BRICK --------> 6000 B.C.

THE WINE ----------> 5400 B.C., Invention of Wine. Discovery made by University of Pennsylvania excavations at Hajji Firuz Tepe in northwestern Iran.

GRAPE

THE GUITAR ----------> 5000 B.C. , Gui means three in old persian and Tar means rope, guitar had three ropes at the beginning and changed with time

FIRST PEARLS------> 5000 B.C. , found in the border of Persian Gulf and found in Suse, a necklace of three lines of pearls that owned to a perisan princess

THE WATER BED --------> 3600 B.C. , made of sheep's skin

SANDALS---------> 3000 B.C.

BOOTS ---------> 3000 B.C.

ART OF MINIATURE-----------> 2600 B.C.

CHARIOT -----------> 2000 B.C.

BACKGAMMON -------> 1400 B.C., found in the Sistan-e-Baloutchestan region

FIRST AGRICULTURE SYSTEM -------> 1000 B.C., the Qanat

CHESS-------------> the base of the game invented in India but it was played with dice and by four people, the evolution was made in Iran

DOMESTICATION OF GOAT

HUMAN RIGHTS --------> 576 B.C. , cylinder of Cyrus the Great

POLO----------> 521 B.C., persian sport

FIRST CULTURE OF SPINACH ------> 500 B.C.

PROTOCOL AND ETIQUETTE---------> rules of respect, of cultured civilization, of order and harmony of everyday life.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE HOOKAH -----------> during the kingdom, Iran improved the hookah from his simple basic form to what it is today

CRUCIFIXION ---------> practiced at first in Persia

TROUSERS----------> first trousers were worn in the Achemenid period

POLICE---------> first inspectors were "the Eye of The KING" created by Cyrus

FINAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUEZ CANAL -----> finished by Cyrus the Great

POSTAL SERVICE ------> by Cyrus the Great

STATE AND REGIONS (for example in USA you've got a country and under it, you've got states) --------------> created by Cyrus the Great (Satrap and Satrapies)
Iran Was The First Real Empire (organized, etc...)

GLOVES AND MITTENS----------> known that it was a greek invention but before the date people say greeks created it, Xenophon already talked about the fact that persians wore mittens.

REFRIGERATOR---------> 400 B.C. , a huge room called YAKCHAL

ICE CREAM -------> 400 B.C.

FIRST TEACHING HOSPITAL ------> 271 B.C., intellectual center where you learnt philosophy , medicine, theology, science.

BATTERY (PILL) -------> 250 B.C. , found in Iran , created under the Parth Dinasty
Oldest Ancestor of THE PIANO ------> 266 B.C., called tympanon (santur)

The Three Kings (bible)--------> zoroastrians so iranians.. gone from Kachan

AIR CONDITIONING ---------> WindCatchers

WINDMILL --------> 632 A.D.

RICE

THE FIELD--------> during Khosrow 1 period

THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ---------> stories told by Sharzad

LAST IMPROVEMENT OF THE ASTROLABE --------> Toussi

BISCUIT, COOKIE ------> 700 A.D.

Introduction of Paper in Occident ------> 700 A.D.

ALGEBRA -------> 800 A.D. , Khwarizmi was an Iranian from Khorassan

ALCOHOL IN MEDICINE-------> 864 A.D. , by Rhazès Zakarya

CEASAREAN ---------> the earliest file where we talk about ceasarean is the Shah Nameh, Rostam is born thanks to this way, when something's written in a legend book, it always has a rapport with the reality

ANESTHESIA--------> , for the birth of Rostam, when something's written in a legend book, it always has a rapport with the reality

FIRST ATTEMPT TO FLY---------> key kawoos, who falls three times, when something's written in a legend book, it always has a rapport with the reality

FOUNDER BOOK OF MODERN MEDICINE --------> 980 A.D. , created by Avicenna

POKER ----------> 1600 A.D. , persian game called "nas", iranians showed it to french in louisiana and these one showed the game to the world

Ebay --------> created by Pierre Omidyar, persian

CERAMIC

ARTIFICIAL HEART ----> invented by Toffy Musivand

Yoghourt

TULIP--------> persian flower

ROSE -----------> persian flower

KEBAB----------> first kind of kebab was the persian kebab

THE BAZAAR

Actually Indians are the richest ethnic group in the US, not Persians. Nevertheless, Persians are nice people.

2007-04-29 06:23:55 by Mirza S