June 26, 2008

Imaginary Numbers

So this week we're studying imaginary numbers in algebra. You remember that the square root of 16 is 4, right? Well what's the square root of -16? It doesn't work (since a negative times a negative is a positive), so they designate the answer as 4i. That's what I like about math; if it doesn't work, make up something that does. Anyway, an imaginary number is real, not imaginary, but it's not a real number. And it doesn't obey a lot of the standard rules for multiplication and division and other operations either. So given that, you can imagine how delighted I was to find on the bus the other night when we were stopped nearly two hours because the highway was closed for a tanker accident, that the light was streaming in the windows, the air conditioner worked, I'd forgotten my textbook but remembered Americana, so here it is. I think I may actually have this done by the 4th of July, which is my imaginary deadline. I'm excited about finishing because that starts my vacation and I have a lot of other projects lined up.

When I was at the store last weekend, I picked up some miniature cucumbers. I've posed one next to an egg so you can see the scale. They had mini squash as well, but I grow that (not for me a baseball bat-sized zucchini). The mini cukes are very tasty, if a bit pricey (a little bag costs six times what a regular size cucumber does so I wouldn't buy them again, even if they are very tender) and are very different from the warty, stubby pickling cukes.

What to eat with one's miniature veggies? Why, miniature hot dogs, of course. They're very tasty, especially skewered and grilled (and listen, I love grilled hot dogs--I'm no food snob). It might be fun to make up a mess of these and serve them on tiny buns I'd bake. I wonder if I could find some little quail eggs for tiny deviled eggs! And those miniature corns that come in cans!

Elvis: "Isn't the white rabbit an imaginary character?"
Pink: "I'm going to give you an imaginary bite in the butt."

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ouch! Nothing imaginary in that bite! Look at the expression on Pink's face.. That must have been one satisfying bite for Pink, lol!

RG said...

Yes ... well Lucky tried the imaginary numbers but the 7-bunny-7 incident still did not compute.

Have you gotten .. no wait .. that is differential calculus .. we'll save that for later.

Anyway, once one leaves arithmetic and actually gets into Mathematics .. which begin with algebra .. well that is when the fun begins. Wait until you get to the one where more than 1 line can pass through a point parallel to another line!

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

Oh that Pink! What a look on his face! Those bunny boys are a mess!
I just don't get most math. And I never took algebra so you totally lost me! Not that that is hard to do! LOL! Stitching looks good too sweetie! huggles!

mainely stitching said...

This post has got my imagination turning over. And my stomach grumbling - can I come to your mini food party?

Tell Pink that Nachtegaal does not condone violence. LOL.

Jennifer said...

The mini food is just too funny! If you do it, you absolutely must post pictures of it. Especially the mini hot dog buns. They'd be tricky, I bet.

Speaking of hot dogs, the absolute best way to enjoy one is cooked over an open fire on a stick. A nicely grilled on will do in a pinch, but I cannot stomach the way my DH will eat a hot dog - BOILED. Gross.

staci said...

OK, I was never much of an algebra girl (I liked geometry better, and I've heard that people usually like/or are better at one or the other!)

Elvis and Pink are too funny, they should have their own show ;)

Margie said...

I LOVE the bunny photos :-)

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Imaginary numbers are terribly handy, I am tempted to do my tax return with them....Nice mini cuke pose.....Did Pink get a nip in?

Nicole said...

Great progress on Simply Americana! I'm not a food snob at all either - I love a good hot dog! :)

RG said...

Nope .. no trimming for Zoey .. she just seems to keep that mane always the same length ... although, now that you mention it ... we best take a good look and see for sure. She gets held a couple of times every day, snd so if it was really changing, we would have noticed. But maybe it has just slowly gotten longer ...