writing increasingly bizarre posts, but nothing like this before. This is somewhat similar to a different poster in a different group that turned out to have developed a brain tumor. I have no idea if Oliver's irrationality is due to this or a different problem, but this is serious beyond mere silliness. He has lost contact with reason. In the interest of kindness, I ask the community to realizes this and treat him with compassion, not derision. He might react negatively to this post, but consider his condition and don't take offense. He is not well. Here is the relevant thread: Appledog wrote: > On Dec 21, 8:57 am, Greendistantstar > wrote: >> Nobody in Particular wrote: >> > daletx wrote: >> >> >> Appledog wrote: >> >>> Please allow me to prove to you, using simple mathematics, that >> >>> pi is actually greater than four. >> >> >>> Yes, we have been misled all our lives and here is the proof. >> >> >>> We all know pi to be equal to the circumference of a circle >> >>> divided by it's diameter. >> >> >>> So then let us derive pi using this simple formula to >> >>> understand the truth. >> >> >>> Step one, draw a circle around the earth and measure it's >> >>> circumference. A measurement of acceptable precision is a >> >>> fraction over 40,075 km, as defined by the IAU (International >> >>> Astronomical Union) in 1976. >> >> >>> We also know the radius of this circle; In 1791, the French >> >>> Academy of Sciences defined the metre to be one ten-millionth >> >>> of the length of the Earth's meridian along a quadrant, that is >> >>> the distance from the Equator to the North Pole. This distance >> >>> is therefore exactly 10,000km. >> >> >>> Therefore pi is clearly C / r, or 40,075 / divided by 10,000 >> >>> or.. wait for it... >> >> >>> 4.0075. >> >> >>> Greater than four. >> >> >>> We have been lied to our entire lives by the establishment and >> >>> this is your wake up call. >> >> >>> But don't take my word for it. Do the math for yourself. >> >> >> Excellent work! You seem to have proved that 1/4 the >> >> circumference of the earth is almost exactly equal to the >> >> circumference of the earth, divided by 4... >> >> > I can't tell if this guy is serious or not. >> >> > On the one hand, I don't remember him ever posting any satire of >> > this kind before; I don't think he is capable of satire. >> >> > On the other hand, equating the length of a meridian along a >> > quadrant with the diameter is just so monstrously wrong, >> > especially since he claims to be a teacher... >> >> > I just don't know. >> > If he IS serious, that is really scary. He's teaching children. >> >> The strategy is as follows; >> >> 1) Propagate an egregiously silly post with a straight face, no >> emoticons to denote satire etc >> >> 2) Wait until someone writes "Are you fucking serious?" >> >> 3) Reply "You must be really dumb to believe my really dumb post." >> >> 4) Engage in an on-going flame-war until thoroughly bitch-slapped. >> >> 5) Rinse and repeat. >> >> GDS >> >> "Let's roll!" > > What the hell are you guys talking about? > > Take a hula hoop 20 ft in diameter and put it on the ground. > > Measure it's circumference. Divide that number by 20, and you will > NOT get pi. You won't even get an approximation of it. Don't say I > didn't warn you. Go ahead, if you don't believe me, do the math for > yourself. Do the experiment. > > But don't come crying to me when you realize you have been lied to > all your life. > > - Other posts:
• Loneliness is a Meme!
• Woo-Woo Took a Beating in 2009 • Love?! • John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) • The Ideal and the Real • Appledog's condition • Is a belief in an ego with free will sometimes desirable? • Strange Beliefs: Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard • The Velocity of Mentation • The difference between intelligence and enlightenment • Re: A morass of intuition (was Re: The Religious Case against Belief) |