Not for the faint of art. |
Complex Numbers A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number. The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi. Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary. Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty. |
I've been banned as a bad influence, so I can identify with this Cracked article. I, too, was innocent. What do you do when your citizens come upon something new? You must ban it, obviously. New things lead to new thoughts, which lead to new actions, which lead to your downfall. Probably why it took fire so long to really catch on. 5. Syria Banned Yo-Yos, Thinking They Caused Drought Every once in a while you hear about some country getting all panicked over a superstitious belief. Then you remember that, here, people still think floods are caused by God being angry that we let gays exist. Looking for something to blame, the country’s holy men turned to a new toy people were playing with: yo-yos. Everyone was praying to the heavens above for rain, they reasoned, and meanwhile here were yo-yos springing to the ground below, and that surely disturbed everything. Ha ha those idiots. Don't they know yo-yos could have been used to dowse for water? At the time of this ban, international reports had to explain to people just what the toy was. It was an invention commonly known as the bandalore, according to dictionaries at the time, and had been called a “quiz” in England. Which would make yo-yo tricksters bandalorians. You may be tempted to laugh at the confused holy men. But shortly after the ban went into effect, the rains returned, so the holy men got the last laugh. And this, folks, is exactly why we need to avoid confusing correlation with causation, or to think that because you took skunk oil and your cold symptoms lessened, it was the skunk oil that lessened your cold symptoms. 4. Germany Banned the Game ‘Risk,’ Saying It Would Induce Feelings of Militarism That would be like the US banning Monopoly because it would induce feelings of capitalism. 3. The BBC Banned Desk Lamps Writers with lamps would pen “smut” and “innuendo,” warned the book, inspired by the light into producing “furtive” and “degenerative” programs. Hm... *searches Amazon for desk lamps* 2. China Banned Videos of Eating Bananas Speaking of smut and innuendo. In time, we came upon further banana videos that — while not porn, by any conventional definition — were so erotic that we refuse to embed them here. I'm sure we can find them ourselves. 1. A Town Banned All Concerts When a Neighboring Lot ‘Accidentally’ Booked Rage Against the Machine If the band performed as planned, people might be able to hear the lyrics all the way in town, residents complained, which would inspire in them all kinds of corrupt thoughts. Or maybe the thousands of concertgoers would descend upon the town and riot. Worse, someone might... dance. Quelle horreur! After all, you know why Baptist teens aren't allowed to have sex? Because it might lead to dancing. (Yes, I know the incident in question took place in Utah, better known for LDS than Baptists, but it's a joke.) |