Human-made Content Premium, Human-generated Content

Speed Dial

Bruce Ediger

Between 1996 and mid-2000, I worked in a building in downtown Denver that was catty-corner from the Denver branch of the Federal Reserve.

Dobby Stuck Near Cliff

Dobby Stuck Near Cliff

Bruce Ediger

My pet Roomba, Dobby, got fouled up. I got an interesting message (which I failed to screenshot) Dobby stuck near cliff.

Spinning Top and Arena Instructions

Spinning Top and Arena Instructions

Bruce Ediger

My lovely wife got me a DjuiinoStar Spinning Top: Long Lasting (5-8 Minutes), with Glass Base (Diameter: 3.15"; Focal Length: -30cm; Edge Polished) For Christmas. It has some marvelous instructions!

Memory Foam Topper

Memory Foam Topper

Bruce Ediger

Not quite an infinite loop, but these instructions do leave you in a strange place.

Linked List Problems

Linked List Problems

Bruce Ediger

I found a set of linked list coding problems I’d never seen before.

The document is titled Linked List Problems, written and copyright by Nick Parlante, dated 2002. Apparently Linked List Problems is part of the Stanford CS Education Library, which looks to date to around the end of the 20th Century.

Iron, Cobalt and Nickel

Iron, Cobalt and Nickel

Bruce Ediger

I bought a couple of 10mm cubes, one of Nickel, one of Cobalt, because I read that cobalt and nickel are ferromagnetic, strongly attracted to magnets. I could not distinguish the two cubes based on density. I’m documenting my effort to distinguish them based on magnetic attraction.

My son, Everett, helped me with experiment design and execution.

Marksman Probability Puzzle

Marksman Probability Puzzle

Bruce Ediger

Found a puzzle on the notorious Futility Closet web site.

Here’s Futility Closet’s puzzle. Mr or Ms Closet decided to call the puzzle “Gun Control”. I don’t know if they chose the title to skirt controversy or something.

Problem Statement

Marksman A hits a certain small target 75 percent of the time. Marksman B hits it 25 percent of the time. The two of them aim at that target and fire simultaneously. One bullet hits it. What’s the probability that it came from A?