Any pronouns. 33.

Professional developer and amateur gardener located near Atlanta, GA in the USA.

I’m using a new phone keyboard, please forgive typos.

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Cake day: June 13th, 2023

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  • Impossible even if you know if the light is on or off to start with. Even then, there are 2 possible outcomes which means the solution space halves on each test. 3 divided by 2 is greater than 1 (1.5) so we cannot figure it out in a single test.

    That’s my recollection of how to solve these from computer science. The classic one is 8 coins and figuring out which one weighs a different amount (and you don’t know if it is more or less). You have a scale that tells you which side is heavier (or equal) but it doesn’t give readouts (as in it doesn’t say a side is X pounds/grams). With only three uses of the scale, how can you find the fake coin? I’m not going to go into the process in depth but because you have THREE outcomes (left heavier, equal, and right heavier) you reduce the solution space (which of the 8 coins is the bad one) by a THIRD each test. The number 8 sort of lures into thinking powers of 2. You can actually do it with 9 coins in 3 tests.

    Some of the details of my explanation may be wrong, it’s been over a decade since I took that class in college lol. It was my worst professor (while different story lol) but I distinctly remember him talking about this. He had a very thick accent, some form of eastern European or Russian, I’m not really sure what exactly. But he gave us that problem as homework or something or maybe just to think about. And he’d ask us to explain how we’d do it. Whenever someone began to describe something doing like test 4, 2, etc instead of the correct way (which involves using coins you already tested) he’d say “YOU’RE DOOMED!” Then someone else would try, and when they got to a way that wouldn’t work “YOU’RE DOOMED!” It was hilarious. Very memorable.











  • Honestly sending Jesus as salvation is sort of like this. Instead of just choosing not to punish people and require a sacrifice, God sends his son to die. It’s like, buddy, you’re the one who judges humans, just ignore the sin instead.

    Like imagine someone owes you money and instead of just erasing the debt you chose to take out a loan and pay it to yourself.

    Just let them win different years.





  • JackbyDev@programming.devtomemes@lemmy.worldStealing socks
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    5 days ago

    “Well, honey, what was I supposed to do? It said it’s NOT here to do those things! They can’t lie! They’re hyper literal! That’s their whole thing! Plus, it seems like refusing it is worse, right?”

    “Dear, you absolute putz! They are hyper literal! That’s the problem! If it said it’s not going to do those things then it’s probably doing something WORSE!”

    Fear washes over me as I turn my gaze back to the living room. The strange creature now looked like a totally normal Christmas tree. Our mantle has two stockings, two on the left side. Obvious spaces for two more on the right are there, though there are no hooks. I rub my brow and head to the kitchen with my wife. I get the strangest feeling seeing the imbalance. Why did we choose to decorate like that? I look towards the entryway where the thing came in. Again, four cost racks, two coats. Four shoe cubbies, two empty. “Honey, I think this thing took our children-”

    Just then, why was I talking? To who? I’ve always lived alone. Haven’t I? Then, there’s darkness. I flail my arms forward. What the fuck? I’m actually on my hands and knees? Or… Something?

    There’s a blinding light. My eyes quickly adjust. I’m stuck in some sort of large box. A giant reaches in and pulls me up. It’s a child. “A puppy! What I’ve always wanted! Thanks mom and dad!”

    I open my mouth to scream but only a bark escapes.