Daily Archives: August 1, 2011

Chess: Polish (Sokolsky) opening

Posted on August 1, 2011 by

The Sokolsky Opening (also known as the Orangutan or Polish Opening) is an uncommon chess opening: 1.b4 Do you know why Tartakower named it the Orangutan? Tartakower said he got the idea at a zoo Black to move 1. …, … Continue reading →

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Balinese cup trick / candle trick / spinor demonstration

Posted on August 1, 2011 by

What’s the simplest explanation for this trick? How does this trick relate to the spin-statistics theorem? “It’s the Balinese candle-dance trick, and if you don’t know it, go find someone who can show you how to do it. You hold … Continue reading →

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The surprising math of cities and corporations

Posted on August 1, 2011 by

Physicist Geoffrey West believes that complex systems from organisms to cities are in many ways governed by simple laws — laws that can be discovered and analyzed (Full bio and more links) Physicist Geoffrey West has found that simple, mathematical … Continue reading →

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Daniel Tammet: Different ways of knowing

Posted on August 1, 2011 by

Daniel Tammet has linguistic, numerical and visual synesthesia — meaning that his perception of words, numbers and colors are woven together into a new way of perceiving and understanding the world. The author of “Born on a Blue Day,” Tammet … Continue reading →

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