TWSB: Happy birthday, Sir Ronald Fisher!
Happy birthday to one of the greatest statisticians ever: Sir Ronald Fisher!
Fisher (1890 – 1962) was an English statistician/biologist/geneticist who did a few cool things…you know…like CREATING FREAKING ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE.
Yes, that’s right kids. Fisher’s the guy that came up with ANOVA. In fact, he’s known as the father of modern statistics. Apart from ANOVA, he’s also responsible for coining the term “null hypothesis”, the F-distribution (F for “Fisher!”), and maximum likelihood.
Seriously. This guy was like a bundle of statistical genius. What would it be like to be the dude who popularized maximum likelihood? “Oh hey guys, I’ve got this idea for parameter estimation in a statistical model. All you do is select the values of the parameters in the model such that the likelihood function is maximized. No big deal or anything, it just maximizes the probability of the observed data under the distribution.”
I dealt with ML quite a bit for my thesis and I’m still kinda shaky with it.
I would love to get into the heads of these incredibly smart individuals who come up with this stuff. Very, very cool.
More birthday fun!
This is fantastic info right here.
I don’t know why, but birthdays and the distribution of birthdays is really fascinating to me. I’m going to have to analyze this somehow.
And the birth and death statistics page is awesome, too. Interesting, interesting stuff.
Edit: compiled ‘em!
It’s kind of cool that I found this today, as today was the birthday of Rene Descartes! Happy birthday, Rene!
Edit 2: Not only did we lose l’Hopital on my birthday, but we lost Bertrand Russell as well? Man, throw in the birth of Ayn Rand* and February 2nd has not been kind to the world.
*James Joyce’s birth almost makes up for this.
QUARTER LIFE
So I’m 25 today, if anyone cares.
Part of me doesn’t give a crap, but part of me is majorly disappointed over how little I’ve accomplished thus far. Obviously there’s no one else to blame for my failure at being important/impactful/whatever but myself, and I’m definitely trying to make it so that I AM important/impactful/whatever, but it’s still depressing how much I suck at life. I’ve never had a healthy (romantic) relationship. I’ve moved around so much these past few years that I don’t really have a steady base of friends. And I’m just…blah sometimes.
But I guess I’ve done SOME things worthwhile. I’ve gone skydiving. I’ve marched in a Seattle Seahawks halftime show. I’ve won some awards for my writing. I’ve seen more than my fair share of internetz (YES THAT’S WORTHWHILE SHUT UP). I have a Masters degree. I’m working on expanding my knowledge as far as I possibly can. I’m studying what I’m passionate about.
And hey, I’m temporary faculty at a university and am getting paid to do what I absolutely love to do. That’s pretty damn good for a 25-year-old.
…Right?
TWSB: Weighty Matters
Happy Birthday, Stephen Hawking!
Woah, I had no idea he was in his 70’s. He’s like 40 years old in my mind for some reason.
I’m not going to BS my way through this and attempt to describe in any significant detail some of Hawking’s major discoveries and theories, so instead I’ll just post something that’s sciency but pretty much totally unrelated to Hawking. ‘Cause I’m dumb.
Anyway. The KILOGRAM!
The kilogram intrigues me. It’s my favorite SI unit. Of the seven basic SI units, it’s the only one still based on a physical object. The blog post actually started my This Week’s Science Blog series was, in fact, about the kilogram. At that time I’d read an article detailing how several of the actual “copies” of the kilogram—that is, the various chunks of metal that all once weighed exactly the same—have been damaged/broken over the decades, resulting in different countries’ kilograms all being defined as slightly different weights.
But now, scientists have discovered that several copies of the kilo have gotten heavier due to surface contamination in the form of carbon and mercury. The actual gain is no more than tens of micrograms, but that’s a big deal considering that things like radioactive materials are often restricted by weight. A few more micrograms of radioactive substance could mean a lot in some situations.
Scientists hope to “clean” the kilo using ozone and ultraviolet light, which would, according to research, not harm the actual metal. But a better solution according to many would be to actually redefine the kilogram based on some law of nature rather than a physical object—something that has been accomplished for the other six major SI units.
Hang in there, kilogram…your day of reckoning is coming!
Last Drawing of the Year
Dedicated to Maggie. Happy birthday! Also, my scanner hates me, so there is a blue tint to this.
Pokemon!
I miss my Pokemon cards. I should have kept them. Foolish Claudia!
I’m a psychic-psychic, which is awesome, ‘cause I love the psychic Pokemon. Can I be Alakazam? I always thought Alakazam was awesome.
Or Drowzee.
“Puts enemies to sleep then eats their dreams.”
I totally do that.
Also, look at this dude and tell me there’s not a resemblance:
Also, this is relevant to today.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Of course, I’m talking about Gottfried Leibniz’ birthday!
The world has been without your physical presence for too long, my friend. Reincarnate so that I can date you stalk you pet your wig admire your genius in a completely appropriate and non-creepy manner.
Was going to buy some Choco Leibniz today, but I forgot. Instead, I made this:
I was listening to my music in the car the other day and realized how well Bittersweet Symphony would go with something from Coldplay. So I gave it a shot.
Happy birthday, my main man. <3
Crowin’ it
Happy birthday, mom! Sorry I kind of turned today into a Let’s All Get Depressed party tonight. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing I’m good at sometimes.
However, this shall possibly cheer you up: my new favorite meme.
It’s like Lame Pun Coon, but even lamer. And punnier. And therefore it’s awesome. I’d pick a favorite but I giggle like an idiot through each page, so I don’t think I can.
Today is February 2nd
Birthday #24.
Also: it’s the 33rd day of the year. There are also 333 days left in the year.
Famous individuals born on February 2nd:
– James Joyce
– Ayn Rand
– Farrah Fawcett
– Shakira
Famous individuals who died on February 2nd:
– Dmitri Mendeleev
– Bertrand Russell
– Sid Vicious
Events that occurred/are still occurring on February 2nd:
– Groundhog Day (duh)
– Inventor’s Day
– World Wetlands Day
– the first polygraph machine was tested (1935)
– the Groundhog Day gale hit eastern North America (1976)
– the first sled in the “Great Race of Mercy” reaches Nome, AK with the diphtheria antitoxin in tow (1925).
Exciting times.
LEIBNIZ DAY
It’s Leibniz Day, it’s Leibniz Day!
I suggest we all mass-email Google until they make a Google logo for display on Leibniz’ birthday (at least for every country except Canada). The guy did SO MUCH! He created the freaking binary system.
Seriously.
They could spell “Google” in binary!
Okay, it’s a little long, but they’re Google, they rule the world. They could maybe make the binary into little blocks.
Anyway.
Choco Leibniz and calculus for all! Find an ostentatious wig, put it on, and be awesome. Channel the amazingness that is Gottfried.
DO IT!
Recur, recur, recur!
HEY FOOLS.
I am 23 today.
That is all.
Canada Day? More like LEIBNIZ DAY
GUESS WHOSE BIRTHDAY IT IS? (hint: it requires caps lock)
YAY!
Go buy yourselves some Choco Leibniz and do some calculus to celebrate.
Or put on an ostentatious wig, find some guy who looks like Isaac Newton, and have an epic battle in the street.
I’m going to sit here and think Leibniz thoughts for the rest of the afternoon, myself.
Today’s song: Yours to Keep by Teddybears (featuring Paola)
A Moscow friend in Vancouver? My head asplode
And today is a short blog because all we did was dink around.
Edit: and see little kids talk about St. Patrick’s Day puke.
Happy birthday, Aaron!
Today’s song: Yuudachi by Hiromitsu Agatsuma
OH CRAP
WE FORGOT MILLARD FILLMORE’S BIRTHDAY!
What is wrong with us?!
Emergency Millard Fillmore Belated Extravaganza Week COMMENCE!
Crap.
Today’s song: Mucha Mujer para Ti by Cristina
Haha, hey, I remember some of these
http://2010.newsweek.com/video/decade-in-seven-minutes.html
ALSO AN IMPORTANT NOTE: happy birthday, Maggie!
GOD IS A MONAD
Alright bitches, today is Leibniz’ birthday, so you know what that means: 363 years ago today the coolest person in the universe was born. And as if you haven’t already heard enough about him from me, today I shall remind you all of a few of his contributions to the world:
- Monads. The ultimate fundamental elements of the universe that all act independently but yet appear to act cohesively.
- Optimisim. The best of all possible Leibniz contributions.
- Pre-Freudian psychology. Namely, the differentiation between the conscious and the unconscious.
- Library science. No joke.
- Choco Leibniz. Sure, they’d still be here, but they might have been called Choco Pascal or some such if Gottfried hadn’t been around.
- The freaking BINARY SYSTEM.
- That wig. Dear god, that wig.
- And let’s not forget calculus. Yeah, you hear that, Newton?! CALCULUS!
I adore you, Gottfried.
I love you, mom!
Happy birthday!!
Also, can you make me good at math? ‘Cause I’ve got my Linear Algebra final in less than three hours.
What a great way to start age 21
Guess who passed out on their 21st birthday from something other than excessive alcohol consumption??
ME!
Yeah.
These new meds are screwing with my head…got out of bed this morning and freaking hit the floor. Not sure how long I was out, but I don’t think it was that long.
Fun times.
Also, I now consider myself old.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Two items of interest today:
1) I just realized that my 21st birthday will be on a Monday. Isn’t that the absolute worst day to have a 21st? Wow. That’s really funny, but only because I don’t plan on going out and drinking. ‘Cause if that was my plan, I’d be incredibly pissed.
2) I just thought of the BEST last name for Claude. Ladies and gentlemen, he will now be known as Claude Longscrew. Worship him. He is a god.
That is all.
Ugh.
HOLY CRAP I SURVIVED.
Sorta.
Right now I’m dead, due to my frantically moving out of the dorm this afternoon.
Therefore I bid you goodnight. Or whatever.
Happy birthday, Rob!
Waiter! …Waiter? AAAAAAAAAAAAAGLHALSKFDJSL!!!
Facts about the 20th year of life:
-The brain has reached maturity by age 20 and thus begins its long, slow deterioration.
-Starting between the ages of 20-30 (sometimes 25-30), people begin to lose roughly 5 to 10 pounds of muscle during each decade of life.
-This muscle loss causes a drop in the metabolism by 5%-7%.
-Bones are still not at peak density.
-Peak height has been reached, after age 20, average heights start to decline.
Happy freaking birthday to me.
Lighter note:
~Coolest pants in the universe came in the mail today
~My mom bought me SPSS and SAS
~My dad gave me a $150 visa gift card (use: socks, more cool pants, etc.)
~I have officially reached the age where I deem it acceptable—nay, necessary—for me to comment on society in general and in particular young peoples’ behavior by shaking my head and muttering, “kids today!” and “today’s music is nothing but crap!” and “back in my day…”
Bonus phrase: “Get the hell off my lawn, you unruly youngsters!”
Eggs! Everywhere! MAKE IT STOP!
Nick, you freaking Nostradamus.
Man, I don’t know how you did it, but you somehow told the future (unless, of course, you were somehow involved, in which case this blog title and the body of the blog following it are rendered meaningless).
Back story: earlier today once I got off school I was talking to Nick over Messenger. He says something to the effect of, “now that I’m twenty, I should have special powers. Like being able to predict the future.” Then, jokingly, he says, “I predict that there will be a fire tonight!”
What happened: so I’m sitting in my room tonight at 11:30, just minding my own business, when suddenly I hear this awful buzzing noise which, after about five seconds, I realize is the fire drill. I’m in my pajamas at this point and my room is a disaster area, so it takes me about two minutes to find my coat and my keys and drag my butt outside.
Turns out there was a fire, but this fire was from a burning pan of Spam down in the kitchen, started by none other than our hall president.
Yeah. So that’s why the entire population of McConnell was standing out in the street at 11:30 tonight: freaking Spam.
Nick, you’re amazing with your predictions. Now tell me, will I get a 4.0 all through college?
And happy birthday man, by the way. You’re freaking awesome.
Waiter! There’s a Matt Farnsworth in my Blog!
About freaking time, too.
Yes, so it’s finally here. And on your birthday as well! And I’m shocked and surprised that MySpace is actually working so’s I can get this up on the correct date and make it even more special (even though it’s like 11:58 and you’re probably sleeping and won’t see this until tomorrow, earliest).
But anyway…
Yes, here is the long-awaited flash. And I must warn you…it will disappoint. I’m not even going to say “might,” because I know it will. It’s only three minutes long. Four if you count the credits. How sad is that? Four months, four minutes. I sincerely apologize for the sucking that this flash will do (and not sexual sucking either, which is even more disappointing, haha).
So here is my obligatory disclaimer that I put on freaking everything: this is not meant to insult. I don’t think it will—it kind of evolved from a “let’s make fun of Matt just for the heck of it” to a “let’s put Matt in crazy situations with Millard Fillmore and see what happens next” kind of thing.
So yeah.
I’m not asking for anything, just a little credit for actually finishing something that I set out to do that wasn’t school-related.
I hope you like (tolerate) it!
The Matt Farnsworth Experience
by
Claudia “Can’t Finish a Flash in Good Time if Her Life Depends on it” Mahler
Enjoy, and happy birthday!
Oh no! It can’t be!
People, I am a horrible human being. I have a confession to make: I…I…
I forgot Millard Fillmore’s half-birthday yesterday!!
I’m crying on the inside.
I’m sure I’ll be haunted for this.
ANEEEEEEEEEEEEL!!
Sharma? It’s your BIRTHDAY?! OMG!
Ahem.
Anyway, here’s a list of random births/deaths/crap that happened on your birthday in history! And go!
~Sharon Stone is born (1958)
~Comet Shoemaker-Holt 2 makes its closest approach to Earth (1.9245 AU) (1997)
~O. J. Simpson jury reaches decision on $25M in punitive damages (1997)
~U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site (1989)
~28 skiers perform backflips while holding hands, Bromont, Quebec (1982) (Gahahaha….)
~”Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by Rod Stewart peaks at #1 (1979) (Aneel’s theme song!)
~WW II peace treaties signed (1947)
~Tom and Jerry created by Hanna and Barbera debut by MGM (1940)
Have a happy B-day!
Eigenblogger 