The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes
Useless Factoids
opinionista:
--- Quote from: David on August 17, 2007, 05:13:42 pm ---Glass is made of sand.
And someone told me glass is classified as a fluid; like water. Does anyone know if that's true? I tried looking it up, but I didn't find out anything about it.
--- End quote ---
Answer:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/Glass/glass.html
Kelda:
The common goldfish is the only animal that can see both infra-red and ultra-violet light.
Emus have double-plumed feathers, and they lay emerald/forest green eggs.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
Roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks.
The underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog. The frog peels off several times a year with new growth.
The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times.
Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates.
A group of geese on the ground is gaggle, a group of geese in the air is skein.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
The cheetah is the only cat in the world that can't retract it's claws.
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: dot-matrix on August 18, 2007, 12:42:08 am ---Did you know there are 293 different ways to make change for a dollar?
HD=Half Dollar, D=Dime, N=Nickle, Q=Quarter, P=Penny
1 dollar coin
--- End quote ---
I was intrigued by this, thinking I had seen it before (and a debate) and realized I had. First off, rather than listing all 292/293 permutations, I tried to figure out the mathematical basis. I had the rudiments of the formula and was able to confirm it on the web:
(1-x)(1-x5)(1-x10)(1-x25)(1-x50)(1-x100)
293 (Dottie's answer) is the coefficient of x^100 in the reciprocal of the formula. Reading this triggered my mind to the debate (which I also confirmed on the web) ... is a one dollar coin really "change" for one dollar? Some argue no. Webster's New World Dictionary defines change as "a number of coins or bills whose total value equals a single larger coin or bill." If you buy this argument, then the correct answer for the number of ways to make change is 292. You would also eliminate the first piece of the formula, ie, (1-x).
Here's another question I found from the same website:
"About three years ago I went to a Citibank ATM in midtown Manhattan to withdraw some cash. The machine rejected my request with the following message:
I cannot give you $130 because I only have bills in $50 and $20 denominations. Please choose another amount."
The ATM could have given $130...anyone want to tell us how?
L
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: MaineWriter on August 18, 2007, 06:31:44 pm ---I was intrigued by this, thinking I had seen it before (and a debate) and realized I had. First off, rather than listing all 292/293 permutations, I tried to figure out the mathematical basis. I had the rudiments of the formula and was able to confirm it on the web:
(1-x)(1-x5)(1-x10)(1-x25)(1-x50)(1-x100)
293 (Dottie's answer) is the coefficient of x^100 in the reciprocal of the formula. Reading this triggered my mind to the debate (which I also confirmed on the web) ... is a one dollar coin really "change" for one dollar? Some argue no. Webster's New World Dictionary defines change as "a number of coins or bills whose total value equals a single larger coin or bill." If you buy this argument, then the correct answer for the number of ways to make change is 292. You would also eliminate the first piece of the formula, ie, (1-x).
Here's another question I found from the same website:
"About three years ago I went to a Citibank ATM in midtown Manhattan to withdraw some cash. The machine rejected my request with the following message:
I cannot give you $130 because I only have bills in $50 and $20 denominations. Please choose another amount."
The ATM could have given $130...anyone want to tell us how?
L
--- End quote ---
2 50's, and 20 and then tear another 20 in half? :laugh:
Couldn't the machine give just one 50 dollar bill and 4 20 dollar bills? ???
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: David on August 18, 2007, 07:14:02 pm ---2 50's, and 20 and then tear another 20 in half? :laugh:
Couldn't the machine give just one 50 dollar bill and 4 20 dollar bills? ???
--- End quote ---
Exactly, David!
Aren't you an accountant?
L
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