OK, reason number 872 why I love my summer job:

There's a kid in my class who's been working on learning about hyperbolas for the past two days. He keeps saying "I don't get it" but can't explain what it is he doesn't get. Today, I was going over some problems with him, and I realized that he didn't understand what an asymptote is. I explained to him, "It's a line that your graph keeps getting closer and closer to, but never touches." (Not quite a perfect definition, but good enough for his level.)

He said, "But doesn't it have to touch? If it keeps getting closer, it'll have to touch it eventually." I tell him, "OK, try this. Look at that wall over there." (About four feet away.) "Now, take a step that covers half the distance between you and the wall." He does. "Now, take another step that covers half of the distance that's now between you and the wall." He does that. "Now, keep doing that." He does, and it's like a lightbulb lights up in his head. I say, "You see? No matter how many steps you take, there's still the other half of the distance left."

He keeps trying it, taking tinier and tinier steps, until the intervals get so tiny that the toes of his sneakers hit the wall. He turns around and smiles and say, "See? I got to the wall." I roll my eyes and say, "That's because we're in physical space, and you can't really see intervals that small. In mathematical space, it'll work." He says OK, and picks up his book to start heading back to his seat.

On the way back, he has to step up onto a riser and walk across it to the next step. I notice him doing the step over half, step over half, repeat, thing on the riser. I let him do it for about 15 seconds, then, laughing, tell him to get back to his seat. He turns back to me and says, "I can't. The step's my asymptote."

Great story, Hil. Good old Zeno. Seeing that lightbulb go off is so damn cool.

When ya going, Vortex?

Sounds like the work sitch is getting pretty good, P-C. Yay!

Damn! The cute cat resists photographing!

I just found out that a co-worker's religion bars the celebration of holidays, and thus they co-worker is offended when birthday celebrations are discussed/planned at work.

I don't know if this is any help at this point, but it turns out this is also an issue for Bahais. I just discovered this recently, and was quite surprised.

I just found out that a co-worker's religion bars the celebration of holidays, and thus they co-worker is offended when birthday celebrations are discussed/planned at work.

Is it an active bar, then? I mean, like Judaism bars consumption of pork, as opposed to not observing Christmas.

Does that make sense? Either way, I can't imagine being offended (bored and irritable, perhaps) about the discussion of other people celebrating things I don't. Unless my code had elevated it to offensive...which'd be a whole 'nother ball of wax.

I think it is an active bar with Jehovah's Witnesses.

I can't see someone getting their panties in a twist over people talking about celebrating their birthdays unless they're jealous. Or unless they're just self-righteous. In which case, MORE CAKE FOR ME!

Damn! The cute cat resists photographing!

Bunnycat, or Bastet?

Bunnycat. He was being affectionate and cute, but I had to move to get the camera, and poof!

billytea? Anybody? What kind of monkey is this: [link]

Do you mean the one behind the glass, or the one hitching a ride?

I reckon it's a woolly monkey from what I can make out. Definitely a New World monkey.

He does that. Don't know why.

eta: ooh, cool mathy post number.