• Captain Aggravated
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 month ago

    That’s from that video about flipping a sphere inside out that I’m sure someone thinks is an important and useful concept.

    • Kogasa@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      1 month ago

      It’s interesting because it’s highly counter-intuitive that such a thing is possible. It’s not supposed to be useful except as an example of a false intuition, which can remind us to be careful in our reasoning.

      • Captain Aggravated
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        7
        ·
        1 month ago

        “Such a thing is possible” It kind of isn’t though? It’s a sphere that can pass through itself but not be sharply creased…how are these rules not just made up?

        • Kogasa@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          1 month ago

          Specifically, the thing that exists is a regular homotopy of immersions from the standard embedding to its opposite. The “rules” aren’t supposed to be self evident, they’re part of a broader context in topology

          • Captain Aggravated
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            16
            ·
            1 month ago

            “Our society has enabled people to go to college for too long without actually contributing anything.”

            • Kogasa@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              8
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              1 month ago

              Yeah, basic graduate level math is a lot more useful than whatever you do with your life to warrant such an attitude.

              • Captain Aggravated
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                15
                ·
                1 month ago

                Oh really? Let’s try a thought experiment, shall we?

                In Universe A, let’s round up everyone with at least a master’s degree in math and shoot them.

                In Universe B, let’s round up all the mechanics and shoot them.

                Which one goes to shit faster?

      • Captain Aggravated
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        1 month ago

        I’m not actually sure if it isn’t actual bullshit. Like, start at Matt Parker/Numberphile “And if you keep doing this sequence you’ll notice it comes up with every other prime number.” sort of stuff, head off the deep end and then keep going.