QQC- Chapter 0.000000001

We also know that the viruses that infect our cells are a hundred times smaller than that, ranging from 20 nanometers (polio) to 300 nanometers (smallpox) or 0.00000002 to .0000003 meters.

I found this quote interesting for two reasons. The first is that something can be that small, and if you read on that there are things that can be even smaller than that. It's amazing how very little things can be and if you, say, took a microscope to the skin under your fingernail (according to XKCD, you should never do this), you'd probably find all sorts of insane viruses and bacteria lurking around in there just waiting to kill you.

The other reason was because I get sick so often. I thought it was interesting that the thing which potentially made me sick was smaller than what I could see, perhaps even imagine, and yet it did so much damage. It's amazing to think that something so small could cause such a large reaction... and if that's true, then maybe the theories about even smaller things manipulating the universe may have some credibility to them...

QQC- Chapter 1

My theory is that all beliefs are equally true and cannot be denied.

Harry believes in a flying spaghetti monster that orbits the sun.

I deny the existence of the spaghetti monster.

But according the theory, Harry's belief is true AND my belief is true, yet we believe the opposite of each other. Harry thinks he's right and I think he's wrong. We can't both be right, so the theory must be wrong.

I found this particular part of the packet interesting because I thought it was an interesting way of looking at theories and how to prove them right and wrong. In context, Euclid, who was trying to prove the theory we now call "prime factors" was true, was trying to find an example that could prove it false in case he did something wrong - this quote was used to explain the method that he used to prove it wrong. I liked it because it was simple english, when the rest of the passage trying to explain what he was doing just seemed to be going around in circles and never getting anywhere. "This hypothetical number must be a product of at least two other numbers: a x b, and those numbers must not be prime" indeed.

QQC- Chapter 0

Over time, humans became more numerous; we formed villages and towns and began trading with each other, and so the need for numbers grew. It became necessary to have shorter, easier words for numbers that could be said a little quicker than, "all the fingers and one more raised of jugs of milk in exchange for all the fingers raised and two brought together and raised with the others of eggs."

The main reason I found this part of the reading interesting was because it emphasizes how much we actually need numbers. It's something I hadn't really thought about and would probably never have thought about since we take numbers for granted so much nowadays. It feels weird saying something so long that basically means "eleven jugs of milk for twelve eggs", but I suppose in those times we didn't have the numbers that we do now so it was impossible to say. I feel like, living in those times, I either would have gotten frustrated from having to say so much just to get some simple things, or I would have kept going about my daily life, not thinking it was abnormal or out of the ordinary.

Senior Project Ideas

I wasn't actually sure how I was supposed to do this, so here's some of the ideas I jotted down. The final one (bolded) is the one I kind of like the most.

→ Art as a project:
• Use understanding of different equations to make a picture?
• Use math concepts to make a drawing
• Find link between math and art

→ Language:
• Look into how numbers create a language
• Create a language based around mathematics
• See how/if numbers influence letters

→ Creative medium of choice:
• Given a math concept. Use a medium of choice (writing, comic, drawing, chart, etc) to explain it. Requirements- Believable reason to be explained (for certain mediums like comic or story), correctly explains the concept, does so in a way that someone with, say, a junior high school education can understand.