Coronaville has a population of 10,000. On the first day one person with Covid-19 infects 10 other people. Each day after that those infected with Covid-19 infect ten others. How long before Coronaville has herd immunity?
Those too often are the people who grow up not understanding what exponential growth is. That lack of basic information is one of the knowledge gaps which worsens the current situation.
My faith prevents me from wishing anyone dead, but I pray a critical mass of science deniers are in medically induced comas on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, or have awoken with 2020 vision.
Here’s another story problem that doesn’t require much math but does require some analytical thinking.
Bob lives on the bus route halfway between the gals he’s been courting, Alice and Clara. He doesn’t want to be playing favorites, so he leaves it up to chance: Every night at some random time after supper he wanders down to the bus stop and just takes the first bus that comes along and drops in on whichever lady is in that direction. Northbound busses stop there every half-hour, and so do southbound busses. But eventually Clara gets disgusted with Bob because he’s spending 5 times as much time with Alice as with her. Why is that?
Jef Mallett’s Blog Posts Frazz14 hrs · This sort of forecasting accuracy doesn’t happen often, which is good, because it would mean that I was either really good at predicting the future or really prone to tempting fate, which actually both sound okay until you realize that sometimes the future can turn out kind of bad and you still can’t do squat about it.
This is the first Sunday strip I wrote and drew after it became clear we were in a pandemic situation and would be for a while. I thought it was a good strip, thoughtful and appropriate without being too flippant nor heavy-handed.*
The universe disagreed, and told me, “You want the greater scheme of things? I got your greater scheme of things RIGHT HERE.” (Note: Heavy personal stuff follows, in case you’d rather avoid that with your funnies, or coming from perfect strangers you know only through a comic strip.)
Wednesday, one of my longest-term and best friends, and one of the most genuinely good people I know, died suddenly and unexpectedly. I was, of course, devastated.
I wasn’t done.
Thursday morning, I had what’s called AFX — amaurosis fugax, or to use actual English words, an eye stroke. It was a TIA, a small and temporary stroke specific to one eyeball. I’m fine — the key word here is “temporary.” My vision in one eye completely disappeared and returned in the course of a few minutes, swift enough that no permanent damage was done. Compare it, say, to having your airway blocked long enough to pass out but not long enough to asphyxiate. A thorough battery of tests showed that I did not have a traditional stroke, confirmed that no tissue was damaged in the eye or anywhere else and I am at no more risk of another stroke of any kind than I was for this one my first 58 years on the planet. That’s a lot of information, and none of it is the point.
Concretionist almost 4 years ago
1 “Enough”
2 “Enough”
3 “Enough”
Bilan almost 4 years ago
It’s finally happened. All of the students are organizing with Caulfield.
nosirrom almost 4 years ago
Coronaville has a population of 10,000. On the first day one person with Covid-19 infects 10 other people. Each day after that those infected with Covid-19 infect ten others. How long before Coronaville has herd immunity?
Just trying to keep it relevant
Buck B almost 4 years ago
I thought for a minute that Frazz was carrying toilet paper. Since he also has cleaning spray, they might be paper towels. Darn.
Plods with ...™ almost 4 years ago
“In these uncertain times…” then the rest of the commercial.
sandpiper almost 4 years ago
That question used to be asked strictly concerning algebra. Guess its application has widened.
SukieCrandall Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Those too often are the people who grow up not understanding what exponential growth is. That lack of basic information is one of the knowledge gaps which worsens the current situation.
Frank Mariani drew a relevant cartoon:
https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/former-gazette-designer-hits-a-nerve-with-cartoon/article_726b592f-3f17-5d4c-9cc9-fad6cab8c63b.html
ChukLitl Premium Member almost 4 years ago
My faith prevents me from wishing anyone dead, but I pray a critical mass of science deniers are in medically induced comas on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, or have awoken with 2020 vision.
Richard S Russell Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Here are 3 story problems where the results correlate with tendency toward religiosity. Do the problems first before reading the explanation:
https://bigthink.com/praxis/a-three-question-math-quiz-that-predicts-whether-you-believe-in-god
Richard S Russell Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Here’s another story problem that doesn’t require much math but does require some analytical thinking.
Bob lives on the bus route halfway between the gals he’s been courting, Alice and Clara. He doesn’t want to be playing favorites, so he leaves it up to chance: Every night at some random time after supper he wanders down to the bus stop and just takes the first bus that comes along and drops in on whichever lady is in that direction. Northbound busses stop there every half-hour, and so do southbound busses. But eventually Clara gets disgusted with Bob because he’s spending 5 times as much time with Alice as with her. Why is that?
GreggW Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Sub specie aeternitatis.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 4 years ago
Jef Mallett’s Blog Posts Frazz14 hrs · This sort of forecasting accuracy doesn’t happen often, which is good, because it would mean that I was either really good at predicting the future or really prone to tempting fate, which actually both sound okay until you realize that sometimes the future can turn out kind of bad and you still can’t do squat about it.
This is the first Sunday strip I wrote and drew after it became clear we were in a pandemic situation and would be for a while. I thought it was a good strip, thoughtful and appropriate without being too flippant nor heavy-handed.*
The universe disagreed, and told me, “You want the greater scheme of things? I got your greater scheme of things RIGHT HERE.” (Note: Heavy personal stuff follows, in case you’d rather avoid that with your funnies, or coming from perfect strangers you know only through a comic strip.)
Wednesday, one of my longest-term and best friends, and one of the most genuinely good people I know, died suddenly and unexpectedly. I was, of course, devastated.
I wasn’t done.
Thursday morning, I had what’s called AFX — amaurosis fugax, or to use actual English words, an eye stroke. It was a TIA, a small and temporary stroke specific to one eyeball. I’m fine — the key word here is “temporary.” My vision in one eye completely disappeared and returned in the course of a few minutes, swift enough that no permanent damage was done. Compare it, say, to having your airway blocked long enough to pass out but not long enough to asphyxiate. A thorough battery of tests showed that I did not have a traditional stroke, confirmed that no tissue was damaged in the eye or anywhere else and I am at no more risk of another stroke of any kind than I was for this one my first 58 years on the planet. That’s a lot of information, and none of it is the point.