Re: Looking for a new soapbox

[John Mallinckrodt <ajmallinckro@CSUPomona.Edu>]

On Wed, 26 Feb 1997, Chip Sample wrote:

> Good problem.  I started my computer calculating the position of the worm
> as a function of step number.  (Thank goodness for those multi-tasking
> Macs).  It seems I will have to train the worm to make each step in say a
> tenth the time it took to take the previous step, but I can't program the
> Mac to do this! (Is that a Windows feature?)  And of course the end of the
> string will have to be moving well over the speed limit in short order.
> What is the life span of this worm anyway?
>
> I estimate he's within 10^4466 steps of getting there.

If so, you're essentially done and your Mac is a ***LOT*** faster than
mine!* I find that it takes the worm (10^43429.1975 +/- 10^43425.5598)
steps. (Note: I am adopting the convention of most students that all
numbers have nine or ten digit accuracy.)  I know that my
uncertainty will seem unbelievably small to many of you, but I have 
my reasons for being so confident.

Now am I am being serious or not?  No smiley faces to give it away!

John

* My Mac choked on any rope stretch speed greater than about 8 cm/s!
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