agaricus5
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 1838
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Watcher's Signature is:
Integral z squared dz
from one to the third root of three
times the cosine
of three pi over nine
equals log of the cube root of e.

I absolutely love that maths poem - Where did you hear of it?

Also what makes me like it even more is the fact that it actually works - I think both sides of the equation equal 1/3 or something like that...

Just wondering...

____________________________
Resident Medic/Mycologist

Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

I guess we are supposed to assume that it is log base e (or ln), but adding that would take away from the limerick rhythm.

But yes, both sides do equal 1/3. (Although why do you say third root and then cube root?)

Game on,

____________________________
"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

Watcher
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 902
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Bloody hell! I change my signature, and within 20 minutes, somebody's made a thread about it!

Anyway, I got it out of a long list of math jokes here. You might note that the original version in this file is incorrect (it says "from one to the square root of three" ).

____________________________
Today the refrigerator, tomorrow the world!

Watcher
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 902
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Oneiromancer wrote:
(Although why do you say third root and then cube root?)

As I just mentioned, it originally said first square root and then cube root. This is incorrect. I decided to use third root the first time to have a little variation.

____________________________
Today the refrigerator, tomorrow the world!

Malarame
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 220
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I love things like that having to do with math. I especially love the problems where you're showed a proof that leads to a contradiction and you have to find the error. Those are always a lot of fun.

____________________________
Matt O'Leary
Webb Institute
Class of 2007

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
-Groucho Marx

Watcher
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 902
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

So I just added a bit more to my signature. This isn't math-related, but I still think it's rather fun. Do you like it?

____________________________
Today the refrigerator, tomorrow the world!

Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

Hey, I got that government symbols e-mail a while back. I didn't know it was compiled from this website. Awesome.

Game on,

____________________________
"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

Watcher
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 902
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Yep, it is. The thread started on the Internet Infidels Discussion Board, and has pretty much become a legend there. You see, after a while people started making similar threads on other boards, and in these threads, they linked back to IIDB. So the thread ended up causing a sudden rise in the number of members on IIDB, as well as the number of "Server Busy" messages.

I still think it's one of the most brilliant government parodies made.

____________________________
Today the refrigerator, tomorrow the world!

Malarame
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 220
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Watcher wrote:
So I just added a bit more to my signature. This isn't math-related, but I still think it's rather fun. Do you like it?

Those quotes are all good, especially the cat one. On the topic of setting oneself on fire, however, I once saw a book of matches with a warning on the back that said "Warning: Do not set yourself on fire to protest war". I thought that was really funny. It even had a nice little graphic of a man trying to set himself on fire and another man trying to stop him.

____________________________
Matt O'Leary
Webb Institute
Class of 2007

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
-Groucho Marx