Learning
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Understanding Emsley Octave
This is continuation of my blog The Wonderful World of Numbers. Let me walk through the mechanics as I understand them — Elmsley’s original insight is elegant, and once you see it you’ll have that “of course” moment I mentioned earlier. The trick is built on a simple idea: every two-digit number can be represented as two groups of three binary digits — what Elmsley called octaves. Take the number 12. In binary octaves, 1 = 001 and 2 = 010, so 12 becomes 001 010 — six binary digits split into two groups of three. Left group = tens digit. Right group = units digit. Here’s where it gets physical. Six numbers are written…
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The wonderful world of numbers
Alex Elmsley’s Octave Pencil Trick — When the Question Reveals the Answer I stumbled upon Alex Elmsley’s Octave Pencil Trick in the most unexpected place — while listening to The Rest Is Science podcast episode: “The Magic Math Trick That Fools Everyone.” I was at the gym, only half listening between sets, but one idea instantly grabbed my attention. A magic trick where the spectator unknowingly tells you the answer while asking the question. That was enough. Curiosity activated. I went down the internet rabbit hole, found references to Alex Elmsley’s classic effect, and within hours I had built my own version using nothing more than a pencil and a…
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The Books I Liked
As the world has shifted, I also listen the books, rather reading them. Sometimes I make an effort to get the hardcover or kindle e-book but those are rare. My current reading/listening is: Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker (Published in 2017)Here is the marketing pitch of this book which I will comment on after reading the book.• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength• Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers • Why trying to increase confidence fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds a superior…
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The Podcasts I am Listening
I am getting hooked to podcasts now-a-days. There are some which I am subscribed to. I am seeing a pattern of which podcasts I like. Here is a list on random order: I listen to one of these podcasts while I am working out or going for a walk. I will try to add some notes or salient points which I come across. There is so much to learn that I don’t care anymore as long as I am enjoying them and even if getting just a bit of these into my life.
