A Better Mouse Trap (Maybe :-))

You know the old shibboleth about inventors trying to make a better mouse trap. It seems this goal is alive and well.

First - a little background. This summer I am taking care of a neighbor's lawn where a house burned down. A gopher (or gophers) came along about a month ago and started digging up a section of the lawn. So "Trapper Jack" :-) set out four Victor "EasySet® Gopher Traps (*) to get rid of the little critters.
(*) http://www.victorpest.com/
click on [Mole & Gopher Traps]
click again on [Mole & Gopher Traps]

Finally I trapped a gopher today. It is just a little bigger than a plump mouse. But Hey! .. a month? Ol' Trapper Jack has to do better than that. So this old geezer became prompted to look on the Internet for a "better gopher trap." I surfed and found the RidaBug.com website ... and, Man oh Man, do they have a mouse trap! I can't say I'm immediately ready to place an order to RidaBug at a $49.95 price. I don't know if it IS a "better mouse trap." But get this description. What fun it would be to give it a try! ;-)

http://www.ridabug.com/RCBA0002.asp
[Check out the picture!]

"The Rat Zapper 2000 is a rodent control device that utilizes Advanced Electronic Technology to instantaneously deliver a lethal dose of electricity to rats and mice.

The Electrocution Chamber houses a bait area and kill plate. When the Rat Zapper detects the presence of a rodent on the kill plate, the Power Supply instantly releases stored electrical energy sufficient to kill the rodent.

The Rat Zapper contains no moving parts, so it doesn't wear out."

What is a dollar worth?

To me, this is a cool website. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis gives a detailed explanation for using Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate the inflation in dollar value for a given year compared to any earlier year back to 1913.

http://woodrow.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/data/us/calc/

The website conveniently does interactive calculations for specific examples. I calculated the inflation based on CPI since I was born in 1939 to present.

So here is the good (or is it bad? :-)) news.
------------------------
If in [1939]
I bought goods or services for [$10.00]
then in [2002]
the same goods or services would cost [$128.99]
------------------------

Online 'Smiley Face' :-) Turns 20
Reuters 9/20/02

The smiley face :-) turning 20 yesterday brings back memories of first going on the Internet in 1994 - the year I retired. When I first saw a smiley face in an e-mail, I couldn't figure out what it was. When I figured it out, I wasn't comfortable for awhile using the smiley face myself. Then I came to like using :-), and I am a frequent user now of smiley face and other "emoticons."

Which reminds me, my use of other emoticons increased since discovering the free software "Smiley Faces ver. 1.2.0" which can be downloaded at "Lalim's Homepage" <http://www.angelfire.com/mb/lalim/> This software lets you scroll through a long list of emoticons, then select one and copy and paste it in your message with user friendly assistance.

Lalim's Homepage is worth checking out in its own right. It is a potpourri of other free software and includes a page of "Good Quotations by Famous People."

Getting back to the smiley face birthday announcement, it is mentioned that smiley face use encounters some frowns by people saying that good use of language shouldn't need gimmicks such as smiley faces to add to the message clarity.

Its creator, Scott Fahlman, responds with a quote I like: "If Shakespeare were tossing off a quick note complaining about the lack of employee parking spaces near the Globe Theater, he might have produced the same kind of sloppy prose that the rest of us do." :-) :-)
----------
Reuters story - Online 'Smiley Face' :-) Turns 20
By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "It was 20 years ago Thursday that Scott Fahlman taught the 'Net how to smile.

Other computer scientists know the IBM researcher for his work with neural networks -- a computer technique designed to mimic the human brain -- and helping to develop Common Lisp, a computer language that uses symbols instead of numbers."

For "the rest of the story" :-), go to:
http://investor.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-20434189-0.html

Comprehending Engineers - Take Four (of Ten)
[Chemical Engineering Magazine January 25, 2002]

With Jerry and I being retired researchers and engineers, I think we should both take note of this "funny" about a retired engineer. Hey! We may need an extra $50,000 sometime! 8-)
------------------
"There was an engineer who had an exceptional gift for fixing all things mechanical. After serving his company loyally for over 30 years, he happily retired.

Several years later the company contacted him regarding a seemingly impossible problem they were having with one of their multimillion dollar machines. They had tried everything and everyone else to get the machine to work but to no avail. In desperation, they called on the retired engineer who had solved so many of their problems in the past. The engineer reluctantly took the challenge.

He spent a day studying the huge machine. At the end of the day, he marked a small "x" in chalk on a particular component of the machine and stated, "This is where your problem is." The part was replaced and the machine worked perfectly again.

The company received a bill for $50,000 from the engineer for his service. They demanded an itemized accounting of his charges. The engineer responded briefly: One chalk mark $1 Knowing where to put it $49,999 It was paid in full and the engineer retired again in peace."
------------------
The full ten parts of the Comprehending Engineers funnies are at:
http://www.che.com/funnies/

Evolving Discussion - Does the Internet Enhance School Cheating?

In some Web surfing, I find that both secondary and upper level schools publish Internet use policies. Many of these policies encourage use of the Internet by students for useful purposes and set constraints. This is what I experienced at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

I think such policies minimize Internet misuses such as cheating. When students know that Internet use is expected, the faculty is using the Internet, the course content includes input from the Internet, etc., then the perception for most students is likely that misuse of the Internet will be noticed. Cheating most likely will be exposed.

I appreciate Jerry's observation - "I think that cheating in general is merely facilitated by the Internet. There were always ways to pass others' work off as one's own." I add that I think when faculty make it known they are not only familiar with the Internet, but encourage its use - and the educational institution sets limits on its use - then even a student inclined to cheat feels discomfort in getting too obvious about Web misuse.

On another point, I like Jerry's example of an exam when you either know your subject or not. In my field, physical chemistry exams are like that. If there is an electrochemistry question, knowing the Nernst equation is often important. But, not only memorizing the equation - also knowing how and when to apply it. Additionally, I think a serious student has joy in knowing and using the Nernst equation - for example, to appreciate that the pH scale for acidity-basicity is based on it. And a pioneer chemist Arnold Beckman developed the first pH meters in his garage. For me and most of my fellow students, these things are "exciting" to learn.

These are my thoughts of the moment.

------ example school Internet policy -------
Monash University - Faculty of Science
Student Internet Use Policy

"During your studies you will be expected to make reasonable use of the Internet for academic and research purposes and to facilitate communications with academic staff and other students. The Faculty of Science pays for this access as part of your educational program as is done for other resources you use, in laboratories for example. 'Reasonable use' in this context includes both the type and quantity of material that is downloaded from external sources over the Internet. From time to time, the Faculty will determine a definition of 'reasonable use' for the purposes of this Policy and publish that definition on its web page."

The complete policy is at:
http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/itsupport/policies/Internet_policy.pdf
-------------------------------------------

Free Software Predicts How and When Steel Beams Will Buckle
------
It is impressive to me that Professor Benjamin W. Schafer and Johns Hopkins University make this potentially important software available free. The download website includes a detailed explanation of the computer program and gives related links.
------
Civil Engineering Researcher Creates Computer Tool to Aid Structural Designers

"A free computer program developed by a Johns Hopkins civil engineering researcher allows designers of thin-walled structures, including buildings and bridges, to test their stability and safety before a single beam is put into place. This modeling software, devised by Benjamin W. Schafer [Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering], asks designers to enter their materials, the geometry of their structure and the load it is expected to withstand. The program quickly reports how and under what conditions the structural components will buckle."

See rest of story at:
http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/home02/sep02/schafer

Download website is at:
http://www.ce.jhu.edu/bschafer/

Re: Canned Fruit Syrup - No Will Power

I appreciate getting positive feed back from Mary about my having at least fair success with my low carbohydrate diet. Indeed, despite my slippage in will power to spurn fruit syrup, I do have some bragging rights. :-)

And Jose sent some good humor to add levity to the subject. I appreciate that.

The bottom line is I stick close enough to my low carbohydrate diet to achieve good blood glucose control (80 - 140 mg/dL).

Exercise, weight control and medications also contribute to good blood glucose control. The important incentive for good control is to delay or prevent diabetes complications such as blindness, amputations, etc.

Because of my ongoing good blood test results, in July my doctor and I agreed to lessen blood glucose readings from one per day (2 hours after a meal) to about one every three days and to check my 3-month average blood glucose concentration every three months by the so-called HbA1c test.

I am pretty pleased with the blood glucose control I've achieved!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HbA1c = 5.8 % August 2002 (Target < 6.5%)

----- Blood Glucose Concentration 7/1/02 - 9/17/02 -----
(summary results from glucometer data downloaded to computer)
Average..........................116 mg/dL
Highest Blood Glucose.....261 mg/dL_________High > 140 mg/dL
Lowest Blood Glucose........87 mg/dL_________Low < 80 mg/dL

****** Standard Deviation = 35 mg/dL ******

--------- Readings/Range - mg/dL ------------
Glucose Ranges Number Percent
High (141 - 601)_______2_______ 9%
Target (80 - 140)______20______91%
Low (0 - 79)___________0_______0%

*** Average Readings Per Day = 0.3 ***

Canned Fruit Syrup - No Will Power

My low carbohydrate diet and I get along pretty good. But I have one big failing. I am allowed, even encouraged, to eat fruit

Canned fruit is most handy for me and I am very fond of it. But the diet rules say to pour off the syrup.

Gee whiz! Who can pass up drinking canned fruit syrup? Ever since I was a kid I love fruit syrup. After a year on the low carb diet I still can't make myself throw out the syrup.

Oh! By the way. I just ate some canned peaches, .... and I drank some peach syrup. :-)

Evolving Discussion - Does the Internet Enhance School Cheating?
Response from Jerry in New Jersey:

I think that cheating in general is merely facilitated by the internet. There were always ways to pass others' work off as one's own. The kind of cut-and-paste plagiarism that computers often make easy is also amenable to internet policing. When copying from the internet is suspected, Google can often track it down. I will Google for a phrase that might appear in someone's essay: "These rules are supposed by some to make the program easier to read and understand". Ah! There it is! Try it yourself: there's only one return if you include the quotes, and it's the second one without. If the student's essay is about structured
assembly language, you'll know he's been cribbing from me.

This kind of cheating is only good in BS courses, where opinions take the place of facts. One final exam I had in technician school was this:

Here are the characteristic curves of the tubes you will use.
These are the power supplies.
Design a complete plate-modulated one-kilowat AM transmitter for 2.0 MHz, including the audio amplifier and class-B modulator, specifying the output transformer.
Specify all biases. You have three hours; slide rules are permitted.

With that, either one knows ones trade or not. Opinions don't count.

As an instructor, I could give this same test year after year, changing only the frequency and the tube (now transistor) types. It would still separate the competent from the others.

A teacher who posts her private files on the internet is even more derelict than one who leaves them on his desk with the office vacant and unlocked. I had a course in college (rotating electric machinery) using a text that had the solutions to all the odd-numbered problems in an appendix. The instructor assigned even-numbered ones for homework, and told us at the outset that his tests would consist mostly of odd ones.

Naturally, we did -- and understood -- them all.

When effective policing was rare, common tempting crimes -- cattle rustling and horse theft, for example -- were punishable by hanging. We want no Oxbow Incident* in our schools, but if cheating is firmly established, the cheater should fail the exam or paper in early grades, the course (with a transcript notation why) early in high school, and be expelled for the remainder of the semester at least as a senior, and in college. Parents who complain should have their school taxes doubled. :-)

Jerry
______________________________
* How's this for a cheat:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/monkeynote/oxinbywalvan.html There is use for these summaries of the Classic Comics variety. I have some good ones from Oxford University Press. They amount to cheating only when misused.
___________________________________

Watching the World go by! :-) No post.

Fuel Cells - Part II (Part I was about micro fuel cells)

A couple or more new concepts to me were put forth in a Scientific American article about fuel-cell powered automobile experimentation.

These include:
-- the idea of being able to exchange automobile bodies on a standard, flat-profile chasis with "all the 'running gear'--the fuel-cell stack, drive-by-wire electronics controls and electric motors--inside the chassis."

-- pointing out that pipeline distribution systems for hydrogen already exist in some areas - for example, the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Presently these systems are used for other purposes - namely, for supplying hydrogen and taking up excess hydrogen in petrochemical operations. But the feasibility of hydrogen distribution systems is demonstrated and the technology exists.
_________________________________________
Scientific American September 16, 2002
Designing AUTOnomy
One of the designers of a radical new fuel-cell-car concept explains what was done
By Christopher E. Borroni-Bird

GOODBYE ENGINE, hello "skateboard": the AUTOnomy fuel cell concept car embeds all the "running gear" in the chassis.

It had to have four wheels, but pretty much everything else was open for consideration. When General Motors decided to develop an all-new fuel-cell vehicle with electronic (rather than mechanical), drive-by-wire controls, our team started with a clean sheet.

Washington Post - Does the Internet Enhance School Cheating?

Two headline articles in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine for September 15, 2002 are denouncing of students using Internet resourses for cheating. I think this is a good topic for discussion and I appreciate the information provided in the articles. I think the topic has the makings for an evolving discussion to see where it goes without debating, challenging, etc. alternate opinions - using so-called Socratic discussion.

To start with, I suggest trying a different way of framing the subject than "cheating". I propose that often the students are making good use of information from the Internet. I don't mean I condone all Internet information uses - for example I don't favor outright plagiarism, at least without giving proper credit; i.e. using quotations and source notes. This applies to other information sources such as books, conversations, articles, etc.

I am influenced by an advanced university history course I took in which the professor announces that all students are given an "A" if they attend class and if they speak during class. Most class sessions start with a topic, location, etc., and use Socratic discussion to generate a flow of thinking and learning. There are no tests. Use of Internet is encouraged. In fact, the professor gives "homework" to study certain websites. The value, or lack of value, of information from specific websites is often discussed. Indeed, whether or not to have printed text books with the course is talked over with the students at the class beginning and is not mandatory. Sometimes students are divided into small groups, usually with three students per group, to discuss and report on a topic. At the end of the course, each student spends an hour or so with the professor in his office discussing his or her course experience. This replaces a final examination.

Thus, going from my experience, I think Internet information can be used to enhance the flow of learning - both in quantity and quality. I view not having tests as basically eliminating the issue of "cheating." I think building the classroom learning experience around discussions with professor and classmates - with a variety of source materials used, including those from the Internet - approaches the ideals of a good education.

Like I said in the beginning, this is an evolving discussion. My background in obtaining two degrees in chemistry makes me wonder where the discussion may lead concerning classes in science, mathematics, etc., and associated laboratory classes.
_______________________________________________
Sunday Washington Post Magazine September 15, 2002

Cheatin', Writin' & 'Rithmetic

Nancy Abeshouse teaches advanced literature class at a Montgomery County high school. She has become nearly obsessed with how easy the Internet makes it for students to cheat and get away with it.

Homework Helper

You've put off that homework assignment for days, and it's due tomorrow. The libraries are closed, and morning is fast approaching. You turn to the Internet.

Dot-EU - A New Internet Domain for Europe

Previously I posted the URL for an INC.com article that gives a set of links for anyone who is thinking of registering a domain name.

Now comes the announcement of an .eu suffix.

I think the dot-eu domain will have high impact on the flow of information, commercial dot-eu enterprises, etc. on the Internet.

Indeed, dot-eu helps crystallize my thinking about all aspects of the European Union - I believe I have underestimated its importance.

I guess my new awareness of the European Union is yet one more influence of the Internet on me!

Deutsche Welle DW-World.de September 16, 2002
_________________________________________
European Internet surfers will have their own dot home in the future.

"In the future, European webmasters can register their sites with an .eu suffix. It is the latest move by the EU to promote e-commerce and even e-identity in Europe, as well as to stand up to the .com behemoth."

Computer Fun...
From website of Luciano da Fontoura Costa - Electonic Engineer in Brazil
http://cyvision.if.sc.usp.br/~luciano/
Click on: [Forbidden zone] -- click on: [Fun]
_______________________________________

-- computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons. (Popular Mechanics, 1949.)

-- Bradley's bromide: If computers ever get too powerful, we can organize them into committee. That'll do them in.

-- Bug: An elusive creature living in a program that makes it incorrect. The activity of "debugging," or removing bugs from a program, ends when people get tired of doing it, not when the bugs are removed.

-- Hardware: The parts of a computer system that can be kicked.

-- Software: The parts of a computer system that cannot be kicked, not mattering how much you try.

-- If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders. (Hal Abelson)

-- There is nothing in the world that can give man a sense of the infinite like human stupidity, except computer stupidity. (adapted)

-- Performance: A statement of the speed at which a computer system works. Or rather, might work under certain circumstances. Or was rumored to be working over in Jersey about a month ago.