Re: [math-fun] How does a dull spoon manage to cut a stringy pieceof meat
Actually, close questioning by Mike Beeler jogged me to remember what is probably a big clue: Somewhat prior to the creeping, I noticed on that shoe the grommetoidoid (occulted, opposite the circled one) in gosper.org/shoe.png can now freely pivot. After the next creep cycle, I'll try gluing it. What the heck are the correct names for grommetoid and (the simply connected) grommetoidoid? On 2017-04-27 13:33, Hilarie Orman wrote:
From: Bill Gosper <billgosper@gmail.com> On Sun, Jan 15, 2017 at 4:57 PM, Bill Gosper <billgosper@gmail.com> wrote:
while sliding back an forth against the inside of a slippery bowl? --rwg
No one took this question seriously, but I claim the phenomenon needs explaining. It definitely requires some friction with the bowl: Just now I had it work improbably well on a piece of meat, yet fail on a tenderer but slipperier partially stewed tomato in the same bowl.
I did express concern about your diet.
Tomato skins are tough. The gold standard for a perfect knife blade is one that with a light touch will cut a tomato skin.
I've not found any standard measurements for muscle fiber strength. The usual measure of tenderness relates to compression. Presumably you are twisting and tearing the fibers with rotational force.
OK, on to the next quotidian mystery: For years I've worn the same pair of
https://ll-us-i5.wal.co/asr/fd205dcf-4974-49eb-b2d2-6166402bc2b3_1.ecc95c276...
(only with five pairs of grommetoids
(discontinued?)
instead of four). Possibly coincident with replacing the original laces with Kiwis several weeks ago, a strange phenomenon has emerged: Despite two different lacing patterns, the right lace creeps rightward an inch or two per week, until it is so lopsided as to drag on the ground. This time, I'm going to mirror-image the disparity.
This happens automatically if you simply juxtapose the aglets before redistributing all the slack to the shorter lace. Evening them is harder. You only want to distribute half the slack.
Prior to this, both shoes were coming untied, until I modified the knot.
Circle the thumbnail twice. Pull hard. Works great. (Is this Propp's "mathematician's knot"?)
The left shoe doesn't creep. Nor has any other shoe in my experience. The creep is sufficiently insidious that I can't tell if it's while I'm walking or tying.
Probably tying. My foot is so narrow that the knot is immobilized between the top two grommetoidoids. --rwg
--rwg Some Web news service recently ran filler claiming that CIA agents signaled each other with binary patterns in their shoelaces. The practice was discontinued after feminist protests alerted the KGB.
Does the left lace creep forward when you are in Australia?
Hilarie
The word eyelet comes to mind. Or, check out this picture: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-en07ThXYeUY/TYArIkKeuAI/AAAAAAAAFGk/K6bTVrUXfTg/s1... <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-en07ThXYeUY/TYArIkKeuAI/AAAAAAAAFGk/K6bTVrUXfTg/s1600/article-542-2.gif>. —Dan
On Apr 28, 2017, at 9:57 AM, Bill Gosper <billgosper@gmail.com> wrote:
What the heck are the correct names for grommetoid and (the simply connected) grommetoidoid?
This meat is like shoe leather! On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 9:57 AM, Bill Gosper <billgosper@gmail.com> wrote:
Actually, close questioning by Mike Beeler jogged me to remember what is probably a big clue: Somewhat prior to the creeping, I noticed on that shoe the grommetoidoid (occulted, opposite the circled one) in gosper.org/shoe.png can now freely pivot. After the next [shoelace] creep cycle, I'll try gluing it.
[CHOP]
Better idea: When the two ends get sufficiently uneven, fold the long one double, and treat it like a single strand. At least with the doubly circled thumbnail mod, this has the neat effect of untying _completely_ when you pull both ends at once! I.e., there is no residual overhand starting knot left to undo. Bonus: You have to pull really hard, making a disastrous-looking snarl before it pops, to the surprise of onlookers. --rwg
participants (2)
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Bill Gosper -
Dan Asimov