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If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

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Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#91

Post by [deleted] »

david_allison wrote: post #67
jimmaswell wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does anything beat just pressing the buttons in order?

Yes. rot13: Bcgvzny fgengrtl vf gb fryrpg "enaqbz", gura vs lbh trg n Crcfv, fryrpg "Crcfv". Gjb cerffrf znk Nsgre fryrpgvat "Enaqbz": * lbh trg n Pbxr (1 cerff) * Lbh trg n Crcfv Vs lbh trg n Crcfv, lbh xabj gung "enaqbz" vf gur ohggba juvpu nyjnlf cebqhprf n "Crcfv" (bayl "Crcfv" be "Enaqbz" pna cebqhpr n Crcfv, naq lbh xabj gur ynoryf ner jebat). Sebz urer, lbh xabj gung gur ohggba ynoryyrq "Pbxr" pna'g cebqhpr n…

[deleted]

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#92

Post by davidw »

Ok, this is funny and odd. This immediately reminded me of the scene in Cryptonimicon where Waterhouse takes a 'simple' math test. It apparently reminded my past self of the same thing 11 years ago, when this was posted back then.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1866629 (I dug up the actual passage from the book, so you can read it)

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#93

Post by [deleted] »

goodcanadian wrote: post #80
hungryforcodes wrote: post #7

I've read it before, but it's always such a fun read. The author got Feynman's speaking style down perfectly.

Well, I think it gets it wrong when it comes to the safety issue question. Something being possible, even if unlikely, is obviously more dangerous than something being impossible. Feynman would definitely understand that even if he insisted that the main reason for the shape of the cover is the shape of the hole (which is probably true). EDIT: Assuming Feynman is deliberately being obtuse, he might point out that, wh…

[deleted]

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#94

Post by yobbo »

nonameiguess wrote: post #87
ryandvm wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I know anything about capitalism, the primary reason manhole covers are round is because that's the most cost-efficient shape for the job.

This is almost certainly the answer. They're round to fit the cylindrical holes they're covering, and those holes are round because they're made with drills, and they're made with drills because that's a lot faster and cheaper than digging.

Tunnels are round because a round tube on the inside is stronger against compression than an equivalent square tube is. They are like vaults.

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#95

Post by majormajor »

RHSeeger wrote: post #88
goodcanadian wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you take as given, "none of them are correct," I think both of those optimisations still start with pressing Pepsi. It is either Coke or random, so you have about a 75% chance of getting what you want on the first press.

If none of them are correct, then - pepsi is coke or random - coke is pepsi or random - random is coke or pepsi If you want Coke and you start with Pepsi, you'll get back Coke (1/2 + 1/2x1/2) or Pepsi (1/2x1/2). However, you could pick it and get back Pepsi 10 times in a row. If you start by picking Random, you get back Coke (1/2) or Pepsi (1/2). If you get back Pepsi, you know 1. Random = Pepsi 2. Coke = Random (sin…

> If you want Coke and you start with Pepsi, you'll get back Coke (1/2 + 1/2x1/2) or Pepsi (1/2x1/2). However, you could pick it and get back Pepsi 10 times in a row.

Why would you push it ten times in a row? If you get a Pepsi from it on your first press, you now know:

- The button labeled Pepsi is actually Random (it can't be the actual Pepsi button, since none of the labels are correct, and it's also not the Coke button)

- Therefore, the button labeled Coke is actually Pepsi (it can't be Coke by rule, and it's also not Random since we know where Random is now)

- Therefore, the button labeled Pepsi is actually Coke (elimination)

So the max is still 2 steps, but you have 75% chance of getting a Coke on the first try instead of just 50% chance. Same lower bounds, but better expected value.

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#96

Post by tharkun__ »

okareaman wrote: post #75

How many ping pong balls would it take to fill a 747? Why do you ask? What problem are you trying to solve? We want to understand your thought process I'd think it was stupid to fill a 747 with ping pong balls and think about something else

In an interview, stopping at this might just make you not get the job. If you're lucky the interviewer will laugh and ask the appropriate followup question. It goes something like this:

    Haha, awesome answer. I agree with you from a business perspective it seems stupid at first. Now I can't come up with a good reason to do this, but let's say I as your Product person have convinced you with enough good reasons that it is indeed a valuable task to fill this 747 with as many ping pong balls as you can. What would you do?
If you keep it at "I refuse to answer this question", you're out. If you laugh and maybe talk about your experience with Product people asking for stupid stuff all the time and then you ask some/all/other questions like these back:

Is this a 747 in it's "raw" state, i.e. no seats, no overhead compartments etc, basically empty fuselage? Am I supposed to fill the wings as well (i.e. the kerosine storage areas? Is the aircraft supposed to be able to fly after this? Do I have to care about the flammability of ping pong balls? Btw. how much do ping pong balls weigh and how big are they again, just to be sure we're talking about the same thing I'm thinking of here?

And the list goes on. This is just the stuff I could come up with in a minute without being in a high pressure interview situation :) One of my bosses once told me why he likes me working for him: You don't say "can't be done" you just ask back "How much can this cost?"

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#97

Post by datad »

okareaman wrote: post #75

How many ping pong balls would it take to fill a 747? Why do you ask? What problem are you trying to solve? We want to understand your thought process I'd think it was stupid to fill a 747 with ping pong balls and think about something else

An unladen 747?

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#98

Post by erhk »

13of40 wrote: post #14
danbrooks wrote: post #2

What an amazing ending! :)

When I worked there in the early 2000's I had a friend of a friend whose fiancée graduated with a bachelor's degree in either CS or EE and applied for a developer position. Somehow, and I struggle to understand the mechanics of this because engineering was highly compartmentalized away from the "business" parts of the business, they managed to turn her down for an engineering role and got her a job in marketing. Also…

Ask my coworker which one is coke

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#99

Post by jbluepolarbear »

serverholic wrote: post #65
jbluepolarbear wrote: post #62

Richard Feynman is not someone to look up to, he was an arrogant, sexist asshole that liked the sound of his own voice. He’d be a great fit for the GOP.

Almost everyone was sexist in his time. But yes, let's please continue to cancel history.

Your statement is what’s wrong with how history is viewed. I wasn’t talking specifically to the article, but the comments. He’s being glorified for his personality and his sexist views are were very much apart of his personality. Don’t erase him from history, but also don’t act like he is some role model.

Re: If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)

#100

Post by ThrustVectoring »

RHSeeger wrote: post #88
goodcanadian wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you take as given, "none of them are correct," I think both of those optimisations still start with pressing Pepsi. It is either Coke or random, so you have about a 75% chance of getting what you want on the first press.

If none of them are correct, then - pepsi is coke or random - coke is pepsi or random - random is coke or pepsi If you want Coke and you start with Pepsi, you'll get back Coke (1/2 + 1/2x1/2) or Pepsi (1/2x1/2). However, you could pick it and get back Pepsi 10 times in a row. If you start by picking Random, you get back Coke (1/2) or Pepsi (1/2). If you get back Pepsi, you know 1. Random = Pepsi 2. Coke = Random (sin…

If you hit the Pepsi button and get Pepsi, you know it's random, so the random button has to be Coke (and Coke gives Pepsi). So picking the Pepsi button first still works in two tries - you either get a Coke all the time, get it randomly on the first try, or figure out which button gets you Coke.
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