How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist • Hacker News Board

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#81

Post by biot » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 6:00 PM UTC

delinka wrote: post #69

I'm flexible. A) I hate getting the kernel skins stuck in my teeth. This happens when eating directly from the cob. I spend dozens and dozens of minutes picking, flossing, and sucking my teeth to get them clean. I'd prefer to shave the kernels off with a knife. If I must eat from the cob: B) Cobs with husks attached-- you get these at festivals and fairs. Sometimes they're so frickin' delicious you have to just put u…

  > Start at the left end

This brings up the issue of handedness: stem in the left hand, or stem in the right hand? I'm guessing you're right-handed, thus the left end is the pointy tip of the corn?

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#82

Post by merlincorey » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 7:08 PM UTC

dbbolton wrote: post #3

He predicted me pretty well: spirals, functional, vi. But even though I have a decent amount of upper-level math experience, I can't say whether I really prefer analysis over algebra. I think it just depends on the problem at hand.

Spirals, functional, emacs here. Methinks his editor wars predictor will not do so well :P

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#83

Post by the_cat_kittles » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 7:21 PM UTC

petenixey wrote: post #74

There is another reason why you might chose spirals over rows which is that while spirals are more opportunist and agile, rows require you to work harder at the start and then reap your rewards later - perhaps a little more waterfall. Regardless of approach, your opening bite requires pushing your teeth down in between unharvested rows rows and clearing out a patch of cob. On the second bite however you can now chose…

Love the disclaimer!

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#84

Post by the_cat_kittles » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 7:22 PM UTC

gxs wrote: post #12

This is the kind of article that makes me love HN. While I'm not a mathematician, I was a math major. I always preferred algebra, and sure enough I eat my corn in rows - so one more data point!

I prefer algebra, eat my corn in rows, but I am better at analysis... does that mean anything?

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#85

Post by ChrisNorstrom » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 7:53 PM UTC

petenixey wrote: post #74

There is another reason why you might chose spirals over rows which is that while spirals are more opportunist and agile, rows require you to work harder at the start and then reap your rewards later - perhaps a little more waterfall. Regardless of approach, your opening bite requires pushing your teeth down in between unharvested rows rows and clearing out a patch of cob. On the second bite however you can now chose…

Hmmm. I'm an odd one. I eat about 10 kernels from left to right and then move down a row, and start from the beginning going right, eat another 10 kernels, repeat... I'm excruciatingly terrible at math. I start things and never finish them. I'm addicted to instant gratification. I'm a perfectionist (until I burn out). I'm highly creative. Extremely introverted. Lone wolf. And I hate waste. So I'm screwed.

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#86

Post by dleibovic » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 7:57 PM UTC

If you butter your corn, it's best to eat in spirals to ensure even distribution of butter over time and minimal dripping.

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#87

Post by mjmahone » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 8:07 PM UTC

dleibovic wrote: post #86

If you butter your corn, it's best to eat in spirals to ensure even distribution of butter over time and minimal dripping.

But then you have to put all your butter/salt on all at once, and so you'll lose more of it. If you go in rows, you can go step by step, adding butter/salt as needed.

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#88

Post by unabridged » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 8:07 PM UTC

I'm a discrete mathematician and I cut all the corn off the cob with a knife first.

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#89

Post by Zenst » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 8:36 PM UTC

Sounds like a load of coblers to me, I prefer to buy it from KFC and then add extra butter and lick it off then eat down the main shaft and and then the ends and typewritter style the rest. Given that it would indicate I like to outsource, male prostitute and like safe methodical approach's. Guess I should go back to being a contract programmer!

Re: How you eat corn on the cob predicts whether you're an analyst or algebraist

#90

Post by arnarbi » Sat, Aug 11, 2012, 8:55 PM UTC

> Going out on a limb, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that where people fall in the emacs/vi debate is correlated with how they eat corn. I wouldn't predict a very strong correlation, but I'd expect that emacs is likely to appeal to people who would like algebra, and vi to people who like analysis.

I would guess exactly the opposite way. Vi defines a sort of a composable language for editing text. Commands are combined of atoms giving a verb describing an action, number of times to repeat and movement over a range to apply the action on. It all becomes a semi-algebraic system of text editing.