
Editor and Publisher: Ron Yannone
Administrator: Jeff Ward
Internet Officer: Kevin
Langdon
Founder: Ronald
K. Hoeflin
no·e·sis – Greek Þ understanding – to perceive. Psychology
Þ
the cognitive process
The Mega Society was founded in 1982 and
has been documented in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS
during the 1980s as the most exclusive society.
Mega means million and denotes the one-in-a-million status of its
members. Presently, the only viable
adult-level admissions test is the Titan Test, developed by its founder, Ron Hoeflin – where 43/48 correct answers corresponds to the
minimum accepted IQ level of 176. See www.megasociety.org Since its GUINNESS “distinction” in the
1980’s, the Mega Society with its 99.9999 percentile member status, remains “the most elite ultra-high IQ Society.”
Editorial
Introduction to NOESIS Issue #170 –
June 2004
By the time readers receive
Noesis
issue #170, it’ll be close to July. To
get our mindset in tune, we exude our Patriotic Flair – and wish our
Nation – The United States of America – a hearty Happy Birthday! –
We want to extend a Happy
Birthday to
“You are doing a terrific job as editor.
Sorry I'm not contributing more, but this is the most creative phase
and busiest time of my life. Plus, with 4 daughters, I just had a
grandson here for 5 day, etc. It's terrific to be 60 (on June 12 to be
celebrated in the
In this patriotic issue, we first present the Declaration of
We next list the signers of the Declaration of
“A picture is worth a thousand
words.” Here, the editor selects photographs
of some former Presidents of the
To get the brain cells churning, we
next present famous quotes by different
Hot topics were raised
in March Noesis
issue #167. Two of these are the war in
“All work and no play can make Jack a
dull boy” – so here we present some jokes and puns the editor recalls
during his life. May these quips bring a
chuckle to your countenance.
Back to our patriotic theme, we present the Star-Spangled Banner – by
Francis Scott Key. Contemplating the historical setting brings a lump to one’s throat.
Next, we revert back to mental
stimulation for our young and novice readers – with recreational problems by Michael
Holt.
Next, among the many exciting products
provided by Dr. Layman E. Allen’s WFF ‘N
PROOF website, one item is the topological puzzle by J. R. O’Neil. We present this puzzle on paper, and provide
the ‘800’ number to order it as well.
Back to the light side, we present a
few chess
jokes. We welcome your favorites for publication!
We next move to a serious technical
area – that of language translation to thwart terrorism – and the 9/11
saga. We tap Michael Erard,
and his article that appeared in a recent MIT Technology Review magazine issue.
Next, we present an excellent book on practical
engineering math applications for our children’s stimulation – by
teaming with Holbrook Horton. Our avid
readers would also greatly benefit from reading through this book!
Next, we present a condensed sample of the fascinating Wonderlic Personnel Test by Wonderlic, Inc. More
than 120 million people at thousands of organizations worldwide have taken the
12-minute, 50-question test.
By request of Ron Hoeflin,
we present an article in memory of the late Dr. Lewis Aiken on commercially
available performance tests. Dr.
Aiken is author of about 10 books in areas that span psychometrics.
Next, we move into futuristic robotics
research for the U.S. Army – engaged by DARPA (Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency) – with prize money that even our creative readers can
consider winning – DARPA’s “Grand Challenge”!
The editor is a lover of WWII history
and as such – the exciting article on The Secret in Building 26 will
captivate readers – young and old.
We next present a reply article to Brian
Schwartz’ articles on psychometric testing and the SAT (Noesis #169) prepared by Mega
Society’s Internet officer, Kevin Langdon.
The editor likes Fibonacci numbers and
shares a fantastic, award-winning website by Ron Knott – aimed at all levels
of mathematical ability.
Along the lines of the previous article,
we share the intriguing Fibonacci Journal by Gerald E. Bergum (editor). We add a few exercises that appeared in
earlier issues to spark your brain cells.
Next, we return to our patriotic flair by paying tribute
to the late President Ronald Reagan.
Here, David von Drehle’s article is the source
of the warm sentiments presented. The
editor vividly recalls President Reagan’s Strategic
Defense Initiative (SDI), or Star
Wars, program.
The editor next shares some of his
favorite nursery rhymes – with the hope that
readers will develop complementary mathematical nursery rhymes – that can
be used to instill a love for mathematics in children.
The editor presents a rendition of Ron’s
MATH-O-DAY for the upcoming American holiday. The last one the editor prepared was in the
late 1980s.
We close this patriotic issue with The Man of Few Words.
STATISTICS
for June Noesis
issue #170:
719 revisions; 25 hours actual editing time (at the PC); approximately 21,000
words; and over a 1000 paragraphs.
NOESIS Journal – June 2004 –
Issue #170
CONTENTS
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# |
TITLE
|
AUTHOR |
PAGE |
|
1 |
July 4th – Independence Day |
Forefathers |
5 |
|
2 |
Signer’s
of the Declaration of Independence |
Forefathers |
8 |
|
3 |
Some
of America’s Well-Appreciated Presidents |
Editor |
9 |
|
4 |
Name that President |
Editor/Bryan
Curtis |
10 |
|
5 |
Same-Sex Marriage – A Biblical and Sympathetic View |
Editor |
14 |
|
6 |
The Pledge of Allegiance |
Forefathers |
17 |
|
7 |
Simple Math Quickies for Young and Novice Readers |
Editor/Mike
Holt |
17 |
|
8 |
On
the Light Side |
Editor |
18 |
|
9 |
The Star-Spangled Banner |
Francis Scott Key |
19 |
|
10 |
Simple Math Quickies for Young and Novice Readers - continued |
Editor/Mike
Holt |
20 |
|
11 |
Name
that President - Answers |
Editor/Bryan
Curtis |
21 |
|
12 |
Puzzles –
DIRTY DOZEN |
|
24 |
|
13 |
Simple Math Quickies for Young and Novice Readers -
Answers |
Editor/Mike
Holt |
28 |
|
14 |
Chess-Lover
Jokes |
Editor |
28 |
|
15 |
A
Topological Puzzle |
J. R. O’Neil |
29 |
|
16 |
Solicitation for Foreign Language
Translation Ideas |
Editor/Mike
Erard |
30 |
|
17 |
DIRTY
DOZEN - answers |
|
32 |
|
18 |
Practical Engineering Applications of
Math for Children |
Editor/Horton |
35 |
|
19 |
Wonderlic
Personnel TestTM (WPTTM) |
Editor/Wonderlic Inc. |
36 |
|
20 |
Commercially Available Performance
Tests |
Dr.
Lewis R. Aiken |
39 |
|
21 |
DARPA’s
Dust-busters – “Grand Challenge” |
Jean
Kumagai |
41 |
|
22 |
The Secret in Building 26 |
DeBrosse/Burke |
42 |
|
23 |
Reply to
Brian Schwartz' Articles on Psychometric Testing and the SAT in Noesis
#169
|
Kevin
Langdon |
45 |
|
24 |
Fibonacci Numbers |
Editor/Ron
Knott |
51 |
|
25 |
About the Fibonacci Quarterly |
Gerald
E. Bergum |
52 |
|
26 |
President Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004) |
David
von Drehle |
57 |
|
27 |
Some of my Favorite Nursery
Rhymes
|
Editor |
58 |
|
28 |
Ron’s MATH-O-DAY
|
Editor |
60 |
|
29 |
The Man of Few Words
|
Editor |
61 |
|
30 |
Ron’s MATH-O-DAY - solution
|
Editor |
62 |
July
4th – Independence Day

The Declaration of
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people
to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to
assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which
the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the
opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life,
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary
for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and
pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large
districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of
Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable
to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual,
uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the
sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with
manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause
others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of
Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the
State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from
without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the
population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for
Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their
migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his
Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of
their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms
of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the
consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior
to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign
to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their
Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any
Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary
government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example
and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves
invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his
Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and
destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries
to compleat the works of death, desolation and
tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely
paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a
civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high
Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their
friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers,
the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress
in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by
repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which
may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We
have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend
an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the
circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their
native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our
common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt
our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of
justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity,
which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind,
Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America,
in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the
good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United
Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they
are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political
connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be
totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full
Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and
to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And
for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of
divine
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew
Thornton
John Hancock, Samual
Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William
Williams, Oliver Wolcott
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis
Lewis, Lewis Morris
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon,
Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin,
John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George
Ross
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Samuel Chase, William Paca,
Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas
Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter
Braxton
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes,
John Penn
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Some
of





Abraham Lincoln, kind
and good, honored and loved by many. To
help us remember this president, we put his face on our penny!
Name that President
by Editor and Bryan Curtis
Material from a bargain book at Barnes & Noble –
Bryan Curtis, editor of “A Call to
Same-Sex Marriage – A
Biblical and Sympathetic View
by Editor
The
local
Certainly
many average Americans look at a gay
or lesbian couple holding hands and walking down the street as if they were aliens
from another planet.
And
yet compared to God’s original Garden-of-Eden,
all 6-plus billion people on planet Earth are aliens in God’s
eyes. When Adam and Eve sinned, the Divine plan God established began to
slowly disintegrate. Over the centuries,
fallen man deviated further and further away from the harmony God designed.
Very
simple cases to pause-and-reflect on
include:
1.
we’re not
supposed to spill milk at the dinner table, but we do
2.
we’re not
supposed to get angry, but we do
3.
we’re not
supposed to have automobile accidents, but we do
4.
we’re not
supposed to make errors, but we have still erasers
5.
we’re not
supposed to “think angry thoughts,” but we do
6.
we’re not
supposed to get impatient, but we do
7.
we’re not
supposed to commit suicide, but people do
8.
we’re not
supposed to break the ten commandments, but we do
9.
we’re not
supposed to overeat and DWI, but we do
10. we’re not supposed to pass through a stop sign
without stopping, but we do
11. we’re not supposed to offend people, but we do
12. nothing was supposed to die, but mankind and animals
do
13. humans and
nature are not supposed to do a lot of things, but they do
From
a Biblical account, we see marriage
was designed for a man and a
woman. A short list of texts are
summarized in the following table. The
Bible covers the account of Sodom where sexual relations between men was
prevalent – Genesis 19:4-5 – where Lot is approached by men who wanted to have
a sexual relationship with the two “men” they knew Lot had in the house. The men
Same-sex
couples may appear as aliens as our mind conjures up sex with a similar-gender
partner. We may recall the Bible texts referenced above – and realize same-sex partners
cannot conceive offspring – and that God rained down fire-and-brimstone on the
evil-doers (“Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and
Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens." Genesis 19:24. "Turning
the cities of
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Heaven
Approves Marriage 1st Marriage – Adam and Eve
------------------- Genesis 2:18, 20-25 Jesus approved marriage ------------------------
John 2:1-11 Facts
about Marriage Marriage for the continuance of the race ----
Genesis 1:28 Marriage is honorable -----------------------------
Hebrews 13:4 Man is to cleave to his wife ----------------------
Matthew 19:5,6 Marriage is to last until death of spouse ------
Romans 7:2,3 Husband is the head of the wife ----------------
Ephesians 5:23 Marriage relations
---------------------------------- 1 Corinthians 7:1-40 Choice of
Partner Be not unequally yoked ---------------------------
2 Corinthians Marital
Problems Relation of believer and non-believer --------- 1
Corinthians 7:10-17 Divorce allowed because -------------------------
Matthew Paul says partners not under bondage if ----- 1 Corinthians
Jesus said fornication reason for divorce ----
Matthew 19:3-9 Adultery
----------------------------------------------- Mark 10:2,11 Adultress women forgiven ----------------------- John 8:3-11 Marriage
in Heaven No marriage in heaven ---------------------------
Matthew 22:30; Mark |
Thus,
our tolerance level, coupled with the
pressure society places upon our thinking on the same-sex issue, is greatly
reduced. We, in effect, alienate
ourselves from the same-sex couple – and not the other way around. How might we conduct ourselves in such a
heated topic area?
Books,
daily news broadcasts, and daily newspapers/magazines continue to cover
the same-sex
saga – but one simple chapter in the Bible can be a source of help – The
Love Chapter – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
Please prayerfully read this
chapter, reproduced on the next page.
One
way to look at the same-sex issue is to realize not every same-sex
couple have passionate sex. As we become
familiar with same-sex couple situations, we learn that some partners of a
same-sex relationship have had childhood experiences where they were molested
by their opposite-sex parent; or opposite-sex friend, or with the spouse they
were formerly married to – having been abused, beaten, and other complications.
Any
number of tangible reasons can, and do, drive a person
towards a same-sex partner for comfort.
Even the passionate segment may be “safer” in their mind – over the
tumultuous experiences they had with the opposite sex. Many same-sex couples are as close as actual
brothers or sisters. For other same-sex
couples, mutual sympathetic hearts
are exercised toward one another as they both realize the “common” set-backs
experienced in their lives. These
“common” items strengthen their bond through understanding and trust –
understanding and trust they lost with former opposite-sex relationships. Many same-sex couples, with these deep,
personal issues raised above, are crying out for love and understanding – in a
world where many will never take the time to prayerfully contemplate, and
exercise, The Love Chapter in their lives.
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The Love Chapter – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (King
James Version) |
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13:1 Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 13:2 And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing. 13:3 And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth
not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
13:5 Doth not behave
itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil; 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth
in the truth; 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things. 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away. 13:9 For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. |
I
know that if you learned that a family member (brother, sister, parent) were gay,
you’d go through “preliminary” feelings – possibly of anger, fright,
disappointment, shock, rebellion, segregation, embarrassment, etc. After the “dust” settled, wouldn’t you try to
manage your emotions – and realizing you still love the person deeply – proceed
to understand and accept them? See 1
Corinthians 13:7 in The Love Chapter above.
I
realize no single article
exhaustively covers this controversial topic, but I feel The
Love Chapter, appropriately applied in our individual lives, will
provide the anchor to allow us to reason through the same-sex
issue and interface with these couples in a manner God would encourage. Same-sex marriage raises other concerns that
relate to income tax impacts to the American people – and maybe someone can
contribute an article in this area.
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I pledge Allegiance to the flag
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Simple Math Quickies for Young and
Novice Readers
by Editor and Michael Holt
SAMPLE 4-box CODE Template ¯
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All 4 are WHITE (unfilled) ¯
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Two are WHITE (unfilled) and two BLACK (filled) ¯
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On the Light Side
by Editor
Life certainly can get pretty hectic and unbearable at times. One prescription the Bible gives us is that “A merry heart doeth good like a
medicine.” Proverbs 17:22
So, in this section, I list some jokes and puns I recall over the years that
will help bring a chuckle to your
countenance – and get the blood circulation going.
Francis Scott Key,
1814
O say, can you see, by the dawn's
early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last
gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly
streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps'
pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Simple Math Quickies for Young and
Novice Readers -
continued
by Editor and Michael Holt
Here are a few more Math Quickies for our young and
novice readers.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the twelfth day of
Christmas my true love sent to me
12 drummers drumming, 11
pipers piping,
10 lords aleaping, 9 ladies dancing,
8 maids amilking,
7 swans aswimming,
6 geese alaying,
5 gold rings,
4 calling birds, 3 French
hens,
2 turtledoves, and a partridge
in a pear tree.
How many things did my true love send to me?
Encoded Frame
Encoded in the frame below is a
well-known saying. Try to “read”
it. Begin at one of the letters. Reading every other letter, go twice around
the frame. What is it saying?
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Infamous 100
Try to make the number 100
out of the numbers 1 through 9, using the arithmetic operations +, -, x, ¸, and
parentheses ( ). Try to complete the
following four cases. Use the digits 1
through 9 only once in any of these cases
– and for cases 1-3 use 1-9 in sequence as
you write your expression left-to-right.
100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + . . .
100 = 123 – 45 . . .
100 = 123 – 4 – 5 . . .
100 = 1/2 + 6/4 + . . .
Name that President - Answers
by Editor
BONUS: Chess-Lover Jokes:
“How do chess players begin a game?” ⇔ “______________”
“What makes a chess player happy?” ⇔ “______________”
“What do chess players like for breakfast?” ⇔
“______________”
PUZZLES –
DIRTY DOZEN
copyright Ó 2003
by H.W. Corley
1.
On a biomedical engineering examination a student named
Syed computes in feet and inches the maximum distance
that a certain artificial heart design could pump blood upward against g
2. A female IE student named Aruna jogs north across a bridge used for both a road and a train track. Three-eighths across the bridge, she hears a train coming north toward the bridge from behind her. Aruna calculates that if she keeps running, she will reach the north end of the bridge at the same instant as the train. She also calculates that if she turns around and runs back south, she will reach the south end of the bridge at the same instant as the train. If Aruna jogs at a constant speed of 8 mph, what is the speed of the train to the nearest two decimal places?
3. An ME named Eduardo uses some three-dimensional CAD/CAM software to draw a right circular cone with a height of 3 feet and with a base of radius 1 foot. Next he inscribes a cube in the cone so that the face of the cube is contained in the base of the cone. What is the length of the cube’s side in feet to the nearest three decimal places?
4. The UTA student chapter of SWE (Society of Women Engineers) has noted that the proportion of the IMSE faculty members at UTA who are female is greater than the proportion of all engineering faculty members at UTA who are female. Let P denote the proportion of female IMSE faculty to female engineering faculty at UTA, and let Q denote the proportion of all IMSE faculty members to all engineering faculty at UTA. With no further information or numerical data, exactly one of the following statements is true.
(a) P > Q
(b) P < Q
(c) P = Q
(d) The relation between P and Q cannot be determined.
Select the correct answer and submit only the corresponding letter.
5. A fabrication engineer named Dave lies a lot. In fact, he tells the truth only one day a week and always on the same day. One day he said, “I lie on Mondays and Thursdays.” The next day he said, “Today is either Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday.” And then the following day he said, “I lie on Wednesdays and Fridays.” On what day of the week does Dave tell the truth?
6. The nation of Griddonesia
consists of eighty-one equally-spaced islands represented by intersections of
the lines in the grid below, where north is up and east is right as on a
standard map. Each island is connected to all its adjacent islands by
horizontal and vertical bridges exactly one-mile long. There are no diagonal
bridges.
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A native environmental engineer named caizb lives on the northwest island and must drive to the southeast island to assess the damage from an oil spill. The shortest driving distance on bridges between the northwest and southeast islands is obviously 16 miles. How many different such shortest routes could she take?
7. A CE graduate student named Masoud has a grant to study construction methods of the
ancient Egyptians. One day in the
102 feet
102 feet
8. One day Masoud, the CE of problem 7, stops for lunch in the center of the square spiral. Then he discovers that he brought water to drink but nothing to eat. So Masoud offers to pay his two Bedouin assistants, Al-Fahl and Gamal, to share their lunches with him. Al-Fahl has five loaves of bread and Gamal has three loaves, all identical. The two Bedouins agree to divide up their eight loaves equally among the three men. After eating, Masoud lays down 8 one-piaster coins. To be fair, how many coins should Gamal receive?
9. Four EE students have formed a string
quartet called the Ohms. One dark night they are warming up for a concert in
· Cello – 1 minute to cross
· First violin – 2 minutes to cross
· Second violin – 5 minutes to cross
· Viola – 10 minutes to cross.
What is the minimum time in minutes required for all the Ohms to cross the bridge?
10. A CSE named Olga uses a computer simulation program to generate three numbers in the interval (0,1), where each number is equally likely to have any value in the interval and is independent of the other two. What is the probability that three lines with lengths in feet equal to these three numbers would form a nondegenerate triangle (one with nonzero area)? Express your answer as a reduced fraction.
11. An
12. A materials
science graduate student named Hsu Wen has taken
several CSE courses offered by Dr. Frank N. Stein. For this reason Hsu has
asked the eminent AI guru to be on his Ph.D. supervisory committee. As part of
the written portion of Hsu’s comprehensive examination, Dr. Stein e-mails Hsu a
drawing on Friday afternoon with the following instructions. By Stein’s return
on Monday, Hsu must produce the minimum integer number of cubic feet
(i.e., 1, 2, 3, …) of composite material required to cast an object formed by
plane surfaces with both a top and front view as shown below. Then Dr.
Stein flies off to an applied probability workshop in
3′ 9′
1.
(Remember, it’s a dirty dozen.) A petite five-foot AE named
Kim weighs 95 pounds normally. During the past two week, however, she has
gained weight from eating pizza at
Simple Math Quickies for Young and
Novice Readers - Answers
by Editor and Michael Holt
Tug of War
– In the last tug of war, we can replace the dog with two girls and a boy
because, as we see in the second tug of war, they are equally matched. The last tug of war then becomes a contest
between the five girls and a boy on the left against the four boys on the right.
But the first tug of war showed that the five girls are as strong as
four boys. Namely, a boy is stronger
than a girl. The tug of war reduces to a
contest between five boys on the left and five girls on the right. So the team on the left will win. This is predicated on the fact that each girl
pulls equally hard as the other girls, and similarly for the boys.
4-Box Code Template – Here we notice we have either WHITE (unfilled) or BLACK
(filled) color options in each of the 4 box slots. There are 4 box slots. Thus, there are 2 raised to the fourth power
= 2x2x2x2 = 16 unique patterns.
Guilty Party – Vinnie and Gary are guilty.
The Twelve Days of Christmas – The sum of the first N
integers is simply N x (N+1)/2. So, with
N = 12, we get
1+2+3+ . . . +12 = (12) x
(12+1) / 2 = 6 x 13 = 78 gifts
Encoded Frame – Beginning
at the bottom left corner: “A rolling
stone gathers much speed.”
Infamous 100 –
100 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6
+ 7 + (8 x 9)
100 = 123 – 45 – 67 + 89
100 = 123 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 +
8 – 9
100 = 1/2 + 6/4 + (5+3)/8 + 97
If you enjoyed these simple mathematical recreations, you might want to
purchase the inexpensive bargain
double-volume (originally published in 1977, 1978, respectively) hardcover book by Michael Holt titled: “Math Puzzles & Games,” Barnes
& Noble Books (1996), ISBN 0-88029-948-7.
BONUS: Chess-Lover Jokes:
“How do chess players begin a game?” ⇔ “Once a pawn a time!”
“What makes a chess player happy?” ⇔ “Taking the knight off!”
“What do chess players like for breakfast?” ⇔ “Pawn cakes!”
A Topological Puzzle
by Editor and J. R. O’Neil
Readers
will never forget the two stimulating problems we posed in the Noesis May issue
#169 by Dr. Layman E. Allen in the WFF ‘N PROOF Tardy Bus Problem and the game EQUATIONS Elementary Problem E1. These
two games, WFF ‘N PROOF and EQUATIONS, teach logical thinking –
to young and old alike!
In the same
series of innovative problems, Dr. Allen carried a topological puzzle developed
by J. R. O’Neil called QWIK-SANE – A
Topological Puzzle for Thinkers. Unfortunately, J. R. O’Neil is deceased. I would like to see topology “spark” at least
one of our young readers (maybe the child or nephew/niece of one of our avid
readers) into possibly pursuing a career in mathematics – along the lines of
topology. As such, I include the puzzle
(on paper) here to entice our readers to purchase several of these inexpensive
($3.50) puzzles for youngsters they know.
This enjoyable puzzle is still available for only $3.50 through Dr. Allen at:
The 13 multicolored wooden
pieces are crafted in
|
T |
H |
I |
N |
K |
QWIK- SANE |
♥ |
|
|
MAN |
WFF ‘N PROOF |
H |
A |
R |
D |
||
In the upper row of the tray, place lettered blocks
THINK in that order, followed by the shorter of the two long blocks
(QWIK-SANE), then the “♥” yellow block, thus filling out that row, Place the yellow “MAN” block at the extreme
left in the lower row, then the long block (WFF ‘N PROOF), then the letters
HARD. This fills the tray, with lettered
blocks in the relative positions shown above.
To “set” the puzzle, remove and put aside the “♥”
block, then, without disturbing the other blocks, pick up and transfer the
“MAN” block to the space from which the “♥” was removed.
With pieces “set,” the puzzle consists of sliding the “MAN” back to the lower left corner and still
have THINK and HARD intact in their original starting positions, then
replacing, as a final move, the “♥” block at the right end of the upper row. It can be done in TBD moves. Can you do it? A “move” consists of the sliding of one or as
many blocks as can be shifted simultaneously
in one direction.
You will
find the complete shopping list of
Educational Gifts at:
Solicitation for
Foreign Language Translation Ideas
by Editor and Michael Erard
In the
spirit of the
|
The September 11 attacks exposed the flaws in the Page 54, MIT’s Technology Review
– March 2004 |
|
In Washington, DC, conference room soundproofed to
thwart eavesdropping, five linguists working for the government – speaking on
condition their names not be published – describe the monumental task they
face analyzing foreign-language intercepts in the age of terror. Page 56, MIT’s Technology Review
– March 2004 |
▶ The editor entreats avid readers of Noesis to
possibly think of ideas and forward them to, say, Michael Erard
(author of the article) or U.S. Government agencies. In light of the 9/11 event, I close with this
sobering material presented in the
article, page 56.
“The
costs of failing to clarify what adversaries mean in a timely manner are
high. That was made clear during
Congressional investigations into the intelligence lapses that led up to the
September 11 attacks. In perhaps the
most glaring example, on September 10, 2001, according to June 2002 news
reports, the NSA intercepted two Arabic-language messages, one that said
“Tomorrow is zero hour” and another that said: “The match is about to
begin.” The sentences weren’t translated
until
The Library of
Congress is the largest library in the world, with nearly 128 million items
on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29
million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million
photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 57 million manuscripts. (http://www.loc.gov/about/
)
If you have
ideas to help fight the language translation problem – contact your local
government officials!



|
The
National Security Agency/Central Security Service is NSA's early interest in cryptanalytic research led
to the first large-scale computer and the first solid-state computer,
predecessors to the modern computer.
NSA pioneered efforts in flexible storage capabilities, which led to
the development of the tape cassette.
NSA also made ground-breaking developments in semiconductor technology
and remains a world leader in many technological fields. NSA employs the country's premier
cryptologists. It is said to be the
largest employer of mathematicians in the |
ANSWERS – Dirty Dozen
copyright Ó 2003
by H.W. Corley
1. 9 feet, 2 inches. Let x = computed feet, y = computed inches. Then 0.30(12x + y) = 12y + x in inches. Thus x = (9/2)y. Let y take on 0, 1, 2, …,11 since y must be an integer. Only y = 2 yields a nonzero integer number of feet x under 10. Thus he records 2 feet, 9 inches on his test.
2. 32.00 mph. From the two possibilities, it is apparent that Aruna can run one-fourth the bridge’s length in the same time that the train can go the entire length. Thus the train’s speed is four times Aruna’s.
3. 0.961
feet. Consider the plane containing both the axis of the cone and two opposite
vertices of the cube’s bottom face. Let s be the length of the cube’s side.
Then the cross section of the cone and the cube in this plane consists of a
rectangle of sides s and s
inscribed in an isosceles triangle of base 2 and height 3,
where the s
side of the rectangle lies on the base of the triangle.
Similar triangles now yield
s/3 = (1 – s
/2) /1. Thus s = (9
- 6)/7.
4. (a) Let f = IMSE female faculty, t = IMSE total faculty, F = COE female faculty, T = COE total faculty. Then f/t > F/T, so P = f/F > Q = t/T.
5. Thursday. One of the statements: “I lie on Mondays and Thursdays” and “I lie on Wednesdays and Fridays” must be false. Hence, Dave must tell the truth on either Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. All except Thursday yield a contradiction to Dave’s statements.
6. 12,870. There are 16 bridges to traverse - 8 east and 8 south in some order. Then the number of shortest paths is the simply the number of ways to select 8 of 16 to go south (and hence 8 to go east). This number is simply 16!/8!8! = 12,870. Incidentally, the number 216 = 65,532 doesn’t account for situations when there are not two choices, such the case from the northeast corner.
7. 5201.0. Any foot forward results in 2 square feet of area along the path. The distance to the end of the spiral path is (102)2/2 = 10,404/2 = 5202 feet. But the center of the structure is 1 foot from the end.
8. 1 coin. Al-Fahl ate 8/3 loaves and contributed 7/3 loaves. Gamal 8/3 loaves and contributed 1/3 loaf. Hence, Al-Fahl gets 7 coins, and Gamal gets 1 coin.
9. 17 minutes. C + FV = 2. Return C = 1. SV + V = 10. Return FV = 2. C + FV = 2. Alternately, C + FV = 2. Return F = 2. S + V = 10. Return C = 1. C + FV = 2.
10. 1/2. Denote the lengths by x, y, z. To form a nondegenerate triangle, the largest side must be less than the sum of the other two. There are 6 mutually exclusive orderings of the sides. To simplify, we ignore any equality in an ordering such as x < y < z since its probability is zero. Now by the law of total probability
P[x,y,z
form
] =
P[x,y,z form
| ordering of x,y,z] P[ordering of x,y,z],
where the sum is over the six possible orderings. By the symmetry involved, each
P[x,y,z
form
| ordering of x,y,z] is equal and each P[ordering of x,y,z]
= 1/6. In particular, choose x < y < z and compute
P[x,y,z form
| x < y < z]
=
= 1/2.
Substitution now yields the result.
11. 0.702.
Define events as follows. Let S = Jamal wins a scholarship, U = Jamal wins the
university scholarship,
= Jamal does not win
it, C = the other common finalist wins the university scholarship,
= the other common
finalist does not win it. We condition on U since the university scholarship
will always be taken by a student. From the law of total probability
P(S) = P(S | U)P(U) + P(S |
)P(
) = 1(1/3) + P(S |
)(2/3).
In this equation, compute
![]()
![]()
![]()
= (8/14)(1/2) +(8/15(1/2) = 116/210.
Thus P(S) = 221/315 = 0.702.
12. 1 cubic foot. Consider the object shown below, where a flat sheet of composite material has been bent to form a triangle in the side view. The hypotenuse portion has a hole in it as shown in the problem’s figure. By making the sheet sufficiently thinner than the width of a line, less than 1 cubic foot of composite material would be required. Obviously zero cubic feet would not work.

13. 99.7 pounds. From the physics of circular motion, mrω2 = mg – N, where ω is the angular velocity, r is the earth’s radius, and N is the net normal force exerted by the scale. Then N = mg - mrω2 = mg[1 – (r/g)(2πf)2] = (0.997)mg = 99.7 pounds for the frequency f = 1/24 revolution per hour.
Practical Engineering
Applications of Math for Children
by Editor and Holbrook L. Horton
As your children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and children of
friends plow through math in school, they may begin to question why they need
to learn math – and further, where is it used in everyday life. I recommend a very practical mathematics book that children will appreciate as
they learn diverse engineering applications of mathematics.
The book is “Mathematics at Work” by Holbrook L. Horton, edited by Henry H.
Ryffel, published by Industrial Press, Inc., 200
Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, copyright 1990, 3rd edition (1st
edition – 1907), ISBN 0-8311-3029-6.
Cost is around USD $24. Many
problems discuss actual machining processes!
The math subjects span arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and
logarithms. The contents:
·
Basic
mathematical principles
·
Right- and
Oblique-angled triangle problems
·
Problems
relating to tapers and angles
·
Problems
involving arcs, circles and vees
·
Use of
approximate formulas
·
Problems in
mechanics and strength of materials
·
Gear ratio
problems
·
Methods and
formulas for special conditions
·
Miscellaneous
problems and refresher questions
·
Mathematical
tables
·
Index
There are 28 “sections” in the 1¼-inch thick, 5-inch wide, 7-inch long paperback – so it is easily handled by
children and attractive to carry around (not bulky). The book is written in tutorial style, with
many intermediate steps explained in the derivation of the formulas
presented. An outstanding feature is the
author presents a problem to be solved (say a formula), then proceeds through
the step-by-step derivation with clearly marked illustrations, and then, the piece de resistance – he walks through
an application of the formula with actual numbers. A sample problem statement given in Section 25-14, with neither the worked
solution nor the illustration,
follows. The solution is 3 pages. The
example uses D = 4.82 inches, with the goal to remove one-sixth the original
weight.
|
“To
determine the diameter d in Figure
5. A hole is to be drilled through a
sphere of diameter D in order to
reduce its weight W by a given
amount w. What is the diameter d of the hole in terms of the diameter D of the sphere and weights W
and w?” |
The answer to the numerical example above is d = 1.63 inches.
Wonderlic Personnel TestTM
(WPTTM)
by Editor and Wonderlic
Inc.
Are you an employer looking to hire high-potential
candidates? Are you considering applying for a job that requires a certain skill
set? Are you simply curious in your personal aptitude? Then you might wish to consider the Wonderlic Personnel Test. Since 1937, more
than 120 million people at thousands of organizations worldwide have taken the WPT employment test for
cognitive ability testing and aptitude testing purposes.
|
Measure cognitive ability - the most accurate predictor of
employment success.
|
RELIABILITY: The manual reports odd-even
reliabilities, which are not appropriate for speeded tests; however, it also
reports test-retest reliabilities of .82 to .94, and interform
reliabilities of .73 to .95. NORMS: White adults across all
occupational categories.
The Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), so named
to reduce the possibility that job applicants will think they are taking an
intelligence test, was originally a revision of the Otis Self-Administering
Tests of Mental Ability. The WPT is a 50-item, 12-minute omnibus test of
intelligence. The items and the order in which they are presented provide a
broad range of problem types (e.g., analogies, analysis of geometric figures,
disarranged sentences, definitions) intermingled and arranged to become
increasingly difficult. The WPT exists in 16 forms, and was designed for
testing adult job applicants in business and industrial situations.
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