Messages

2746

Technique / Re: Caught inside, Hawaiian, and living to tell

« on: February 07, 2014, 03:26:55 PM »

Not to belittle anybody getting caught inside... but THIS is getting caught inside.
I'd die for sure.

I will chime in once again: 1) Wear Float   2) Wear a Waist Leash

Note how identical these two waves look.  Same day, both within an hour of each other.  Would you rather be:

1) Mark Healey?  Or
2) Haley?  

Yellow or Blue, which would you chose?

2747

Random / Re: Humanity Curve & Discovery

« on: February 07, 2014, 12:09:09 AM »

Going only a bit further you come to anthropic principles, which infer that this universe exists because we are here to observe it--that in fact a universe without life to observe it's function is meaningless, and fundamentally would not exist. Kind of circular, but there you have it.

Bob's wormhole. We think, therefore, the universe exists. We might be our own supreme being.

1.24 Trillion man years later.  Not only prospering but figuring out that we are our own Mobius strip 

2748

Random / Re: Humanity Curve & Discovery

« on: February 06, 2014, 07:41:16 PM »

Close. . . at the base you still find e=mc**, but quantum theory posits a probability for fusion between any two nuclei regardless of their velocity and initial position. . . . Add all the probabilities, from near miss to no f'ing way, and there's just enough . . .

I was trying to stick to simple math.  Then you went Quantum.  Had to go back and read this a couple of times.  If I understand it you are saying that the chances of a pure strike on the nucleus is too low to propagate.  BUT quantum 'theory' allows the summation of the chances you hit the dartboard, or maybe the bulls-eye, as opposed to a true bulls-eye and your good to fuse.  Cool!

Reminds me of when I first read about the dual-slit experiment.  Didn't make any sense, had to go back and read it several times.  The photon, even atoms, goes through both slits as a probability function.

Then there is the 'Electron Don't Dance.'  Pump all the energy you want into the atom and the electron will not jump its orbit until you turn your head.  The atoms know that you, or god, is watching!  A watched pot truly does not boil.  Or as John Gribbon said in Shroedinger's Kittens that in order for the world "to grow and change even God must blink, and rather rapidly!" (p135)

This is where the science gets so AWE FULL you tend to lose most people.  Even pissed off Einstein when he objected "God does not play dice with the universe."

2749

Random / Re: Humanity Curve & Discovery

« on: February 06, 2014, 05:28:01 PM »

Another great intersections was how Einstein salvaged the Darwinian hypothesis.  

Unfortunately for Darwin the Earth was too young to support his theory.  It was thought that the Earth was just 20 million years old.  Geologists needed more time to explain their observations of the things like the grand canyon.  Salification studies of the oceans suggested the earth may have been 80 million years old.  BUT for Darwin's story to hold he know he needed MUCH more time.  100 Million years+.  The problem was that the Sun couldn't even be proven to be old enough to support Darwin's theory.  If it were a lump of coal it would only last a few thousand years.  Gravitational compression a few million.  And so he died.

It would be Albert Einstein who would provide the essential clue to the source of the Sun's energy output, in 1905, with his mass-energy equivalence relation E = mc2.   This allowed for a Sun that could be Billions of years old, enough to support the geologic, salification and Darwinian theories.

2750

Random / Re: Mad waves

« on: February 06, 2014, 11:07:28 AM »

OK!  Any more plumbers on call to drain this pending Black Hole?

What is the schwarzschild radius on that stink bomb?

2751

Random / Re: Humanity Curve & Discovery

« on: February 06, 2014, 09:45:09 AM »

The debate.  It's a long one 2:30+.  You can fast forward 13 mins to the start.  

Feel free to find summaries, support, refute, sling turds . . .

   

2752

Random / Humanity Curve & Discovery

« on: February 06, 2014, 09:44:50 AM »

A few days ago Bill Nye the Science Guy debated Ken Ham a noted Christian author on Creationism vs. Evolution.

Deep questions were asked and the debate was long but it could be summarized with Bill Nye saying "We just don't know the answer but the pursuit of that truth gets us (scientists) out of bed in the morning."  Ken Ham would then reply with "Well Bill there is a book that answers that question."

Since I am a big data guy this got me to wondering how many 'man hours' (or years) have transpired since that book was written.  If some small fraction of these man years has been beneficial then just how much have we lived, learned and discovered?

The attached graphic shows the results with relevant milestones.  What I love about data, wonder and ultimate discovery is that it is often non-intuitive.  I relish the horror and subsequent glee when the answer doesn’t mesh with my instinctive paradigms.  For example the data suggests humans have added 1.24 Trillion human years since the bible was written.  This amounts to 90 times more years than the Universe has existed (roughly 13.8 Billion years).  Looking at the timeline this means that many people on this forum have lived through 20%, or more, of the cumulative humanity since the bible was written.

Measured in Cumulative Human Years Anno Domini (AD):

•   40% AD Copernicus suggested something was different and far simpler than the Ptolemaic system.  We humans and the Earth may not be at the center of the universe.
•   46% AD, 140 years later, Galileo proved it with his telescope and the discovery of Jupiter’s moons.  
•   50% AD Isaac Newton published Principia and fueled the industrial revolution.  
•   63% AD Darwin wrote a book suggesting we were related to monkeys and maybe even . . . fish.  90 years later Watson and Crick discovered DNA giving as much credibility to Darwin as Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto had to posthumously elevate Copernicus to the scientific hall of fame.
•   68% AD Einstein figured out that matter CAN be created and destroyed, his formula does go both ways.
•   Most recently, at 79% cumulative man years AD, IBM introduced the modern computer.

Think of the change, how many new, cool and aweing discoveries we have behind and yet still before us.  Given this geometric progression I am left to wonder who the next ‘Kook’ will be to discover how man can walk on water (SUP+), fly through space, live forever on earth, or in the heavens.  Like surfing in big waves I am sure that these discoveries will be as horrifying to some as it will be inspirational to others and yet through this dichotomy human kind will prosper.

2753

Sessions / Re: Don't You Love It When The Cams Scare Everyone Off

« on: February 06, 2014, 06:20:54 AM »

. . . Lowers is a lot better at 8-10 feet than 5 feet. Thins the crowd dramatically.

I was thinking of doing a regression on crowd vs. wave size.  It would appear that for every 100 potential surfers (who claim to really surf) the crowd thins at 6 feet to maybe just 80 people.  Then at 8 feet it thins really quickly to just 25 (%) remaining.  At 10 feet you're down to 15(%) people.  Double Overhead down to 10(%).

Then in situations that push 3X you are probably down to just 3(%).  I have found that given the vicissitudes of life, time of day, day of week and this function the good news is that when its big you'll likely have it all to yourself.

2754

SUP General / Re: Long time listener / first time caller - Downunder Cannonball Run

« on: February 06, 2014, 06:09:12 AM »

1)  When embedding a video remove the http:// and replace with leading www.youtube . . and the video will embed in the post

2) What are the dimensions on that board?  I assume it was long but it looked like you were turning it pretty well on the wave(s) at the end.

2755

SUP General / Re: MAVS SUP Final: Broncos 28 Seahawks 17

« on: February 05, 2014, 08:07:31 PM »

Yup! But he has gotten better since then.  Less shoulders more bowls(z).

2756

SUP General / Re: Computer for gopro editting?

« on: February 05, 2014, 01:32:35 PM »

. . .  my hard drive is tiny... 120 Gig. It was filled in 2 weeks . . .  

Hold the Presses. When I read this I want to forewarn about pre-cutting and tossing footage.

I have been making 'Videos' for 20+ years.  Reel to Reel and then non-linear (aka digital) for 15 years.  I have yet to fill up a 1 TB drive.  I have a rule which is the 5 second rule.  Anything more than 5 seconds is utter crap and no-one will want to use it.  Highlights ONLY.  

The trick was quick clips, then edit together add music and voila something interesting to watch.  If you are filling up your hard drives you are saving too much footage.  The GoPro may run a bit longer to make sure you might capture that perfect moment, or extended ride, hence more footage and data.  This means you should be culling your footage quickly after you take it.  

With all the cool new technology and new sports being invented I don't have time to wade back into 100's of hours of vintage 8mm, High8, DV or old GoPro footage.
 
Life is too exciting and meant to view forward with just an occasional glimpse into the rear mirror.

I don't think you or your heirs will want to crack that stuff open either.  I do have a plethora of old, edited videos and I have found that the best way to archive them is ON YOUTUBE.  Let them carry the cost of hardware, electricity, and back-ups.  

So pare down the footage immediately and then just share with us the sweetest bottom turns, glassy winter waves, hoots, howls and victorious body blows for which you have now / will soon become more famous.

For example here is some 20+ year old footage.  Once in the cloud I can show anybody, anytime on almost any device and just have to worry about Youtube losing it: White Squall
  

2757

Random / Re: Mad waves

« on: February 05, 2014, 06:43:46 AM »

Cold water actually weighs more than warm water too, because the water is more dense!

Until it hits 39 degrees.  At which point things, like ice, start to float again.  39 degrees is what you will find 20 feet under Cayuga lake in June during a dive certification.

2758

SUP General / Re: Computer for gopro editting?

« on: February 05, 2014, 05:53:08 AM »

Just to make a pitch for Windows.  I have been using a 3 year old Gateway SX2801 for editing. Yes it's a desktop but it cost $500 (then) and Moore's law should have ensured that most laptop's could handle the GoPro editing.  

With regards to software Adobe Premiere Elements it is all you need FOR EVERYTHING - Another $88.  

I was an Apple fan until I walked into my second job out of college (even as a contractor) with my Powerbook Duo and the IT guy took one look and said "You will use this!" and handed me a PC.  You can save the remaining $2,000 for a few extra boards and an electric bike, to the chagrin of Tim Cook and a few of my neighbors.

2759

Random / Re: Mad waves

« on: February 05, 2014, 05:20:03 AM »

For those who don't e'speaka Spanish.  WTF is Mullaghmore?

PS: Then again California didn't get any big waves until just 20 years ago.  Global Warming . . . spreading . . with Stoke  

2760

SUP General / Re: MAVS SUP Final: Broncos 28 Seahawks 17

« on: February 04, 2014, 12:59:09 PM »

And this prediction did come true 

In the end . . .Sherman went down hard with an injury and was taken out of the game. . .