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Quadhelix

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Everything posted by Quadhelix

  1. Quadhelix

    What will happen to epic units?

    Not necessarily. In C&C3, the Database entries were full of references to units and technologies from Tiberian Sun (e.g., the entry on the disbanding of the Mammoth Mk. II); C&C4 might have similar entries.
  2. Quadhelix

    C&C 4 GDI Mission: Transport Down

    Actually, I'm pretty sure that, at least on the mini-map, GDI was blue in C&C3 as well.
  3. Quadhelix

    Pic of the Day

    I hate to ruin a perfectly good joke, ... To make up for it, here's some Failblog/PuniditKitchen goodness:
  4. Quadhelix

    1 = 0.999...

    Irrelevant: you might not think that I can multiply 0.333..., but you can multiply 0.3 and 0.03 and 0.003 and... So, you asked what 4*0.333... would be. That is easily solved. 4*0.333...=4*(0.3+0.03+0.003+...) 4*(0.3+0.03+0.003+...)=4*0.3+4*0.03+4*0.003+... 4*0.3+4*0.03+4*0.003+...=1.2+0.12+0.012+... I'll leave you to tell me what 1.2+0.12+0.012+... is (hint: it's 1.333...). Refute my argument then. You have asserted that 0.3+0.03+0.003+... is not equal to 1/3, but you have failed to find any flaw in my argument. Except that I just proved that 0.3+0.03+0.003+...=1/3, therefore, from the start, you have been wrong. 0.333... is infinitely long. Where does the remainder go? {Edit: See Below.} I'm not misquoting you: you claim that 0.333... =/= 1/3. However, I proved that 0.3+0.003+0.003+...=1/3; a proof that you failed to refute. Therefore, if 0.333... is not 1/3, then 0.333... cannot be 0.3+0.03+0.003+... either. Edit: I just realized something today: when dividing 1 by 3, the remainder of 1 doesn't disappear, but the remainder's effect on the answer does disappear. To clarify, let us begin our long division. We divide 1 by three and get 0.3 with a remainder of 1 (which works, because we haven't finished dividing). We know that 0.3 is not 1/3, but we can ask how close we are. Thus, we take (1/3)-0.3; 1/3 can be rewritten as 10/30, and 0.3 can be rewritten as 3/10 or 9/30, meaning that (1/3)-0.3=(10/30)-(9/30)=(1/30). We can rearrange this to find the equation 1/3=0.3+(1/30). Then, we can ask what we get for (1/3)-0.33. We can rewrite this as ((1/3)-0.3)-0.03: we know that the first part is 1/30, so 1/3-0.33 can also be written as (1/30)-0.03. A little arithmetic shows then that (1/3)-0.33=1/300, which is to say that (1/3)=0.33+(1/300). Therefore, as 0.33...33 reaches n decimal places, we find that (1/3)=0.33...33 + 1/(3*10^n); this 1/(3*10^n) is your mythical "and one-third" remainder. However, as goes to infinity, 0.33...33 goes to 0.333... while 1/(3*10^n) goes to 0.
  5. Quadhelix

    1 = 0.999...

    Which is the entire point of this argument: an infinite string of nines after the decimal, written as 0.999..., is another way of denoting 1. If you disagree, then please tell me what I would subtract from 1 in order to get 0.999... Nmenth suggested 0.000...R1. However, 1-0.000...R1=1.000...R-1. That is, the remainder is negative one. Thus, you are saying that 0.999...=1.000...R-1. What does a negative remainder mean, anyway. Take a=0.3+0.03+0.003+...: you say that 0.333... is "infinity" and thus cannot be multiplied. However, you will agree that I can multiply, for example, 0.03 by any number that I wish - while the sum itself is is infinite, the individual elements are not. Let us then take 3*a: it is obvious that 3*a=0.9+0.09+0.009+... Additionally, 30*a=10*(3*a)=10*(0.9+0.09+0.009+...)=9+0.9+0.09+0.009+... Then, of course, you can take 30*a-3*a=(9+0.9+0.09+0.009+...)-(0.9+0.09+0.009+...)=9+(0.9+0.09+0.009+...)-(0.9+0.09+0.009+...)=9+(3*a-3*a)=9+3*(a-a); a-a=0, therefore 30*a - 3*a=9. However, 30*a - 3*a is, of course, the same as 27*a. By transitive property (if A=B and B=C, then A=C), this means that 27*a=9, which means that 3*a=1. Therefore, a=1/3 However, we started out by saying that a=0.3+0.03+0.003+...; this sum is apparently equal to 1/3. In other words, you are asserting that 0.3+0.03+0.003+...=/=0.333... I'm sorry, do you actually have an argument, or do you just expect me to cave to your royal fiat?
  6. Quadhelix

    1 = 0.999...

    This entire argument is based off of one faulty assumption: that 1/3 is something different from 0.333... That assumption is incorrect: the truth is that 0.333... is just another way of writing 1/3. I'm going to assume that you know long division, so take 1 and divide it by 3. The first digit is zero, of course, since 3 is greater than 1. To find the next digit, you divide 10 by 3, which means that the next digit is three and you have a remainder of 1. Therefore, going to the next digit, you take that remainder, "pull down" the 0, and again divide by three, again finding that this digit is 3. It soon becomes apparent that, no matter how many times you repeat this operation, the next digit is always going to be 3. This means that the end result is going to be an infinite string of threes. This is written as 0.333... Now, both you and Nmenth mentioned the possibility of including a remainder on the number. This, however, makes no sense. Remainders only exist within the context of incomplete division: if you have a remainder, you have not finished dividing.
  7. Quadhelix

    1 = 0.999...

    Fair enough - I got emotional and I should have put that better. In any case, my point remains. You claim that you cannot multiply 0.333... by any number other than 1 or 0 because 0.333... is "infinity." However, this is wrong and I can prove it: 0.333... can be rewritten as the infinite series [sum from n=1 to ∞] 3*10^-n. Each element 3*10^-n is obviously finite, and can thus be multiplies by whatever real (or complex) number you desire. However, the transitive property states that multiplying each element of the series by a given number is the same thing as multiplying the entire series by that number: (N*a+N*b+N*c...)=N*(a+b+c+...). Therefore, since we can multiply 3*10^-n by 3 to get 9*10^-n, we can also multiply 0.333... by 3 to get 0.999..., which rebuts your rebuttal of the 1/3 argument. I think that I see where you're going with this: you are implying that, if you were to multiply the "last 3" in 0.333..., that it would be as though the "last 'digit'" were a 10, cascading through up to 1.000... However, that is the same thing as saying that an infinite string of nines (0.999...) is equal to 1. Therefore, you are assuming 0.999...=1 in order to rebut a proof of 0.999...=1.
  8. Quadhelix

    1 = 0.999...

    What you seem to fail to understand is that 0.333... is not "infinity." Indeed, infinity isn't even a number - it's more of a limit. The idea of infinity is that, if I have some number N, I can always find some other number N+1. Since, for example, 5 is greater than 0.333..., it is obvious that 0.333... is not "infinity." In any case, 0.333... is the same thing as the infinite series (0.3+0.03+0.003+...) It is quite obvious that none of the entries in that series are "infinity," even using your retarded idea of infinity. As for it being an infinite series, multiplying an infinite series by a number is the same as multiplying each entry in that series that number. In any case, it is easy to see that 3*0.333... = 3*(0.3+0.03+0.003+...) = (3*0.3+3*0.03+3*0.003+...) = (0.9+0.09+0.009+...) = 0.999... Actually, your refutation is quite self-evidently wrong. Take, for example, 0.99. This is obviously 1-0.01. Now take 0.999, which is obviously 1-0.001. It is obvious that you can extend this as far as you want: 0.99...99=1-0.00...01. Note, however, the way that I wrote that: any string of nines is 1 minus a string of zeroes with a 1 as the last digit. Here, however, is where your argument breaks apart: if the string is infinite, there is no last digit - that's what "infinite" means. Therefore, there is no 1 at the end of the string of zeroes: 0.999...=1-0.000..., with no rounding.
  9. Quadhelix

    Best Command & Conquer ending

    I think that burying someone alive is about the cruelest, most cold-hearted way imaginable of killing that person. But yeah, Tiberian Sun Nod ending is one of the most epic C&C endings I know. Of course, it is a little similar to the end of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
  10. Quadhelix

    Starcraft II

    Star Wars is not "theoretically possible" and is thus not science fiction, even by your definition. I again cite the case of mystical knights with glowing swords and the ability to move objects via a mystical, unexplained "force." Also, there is the counter definition: "A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method" (Robert A. Heinlein). Also interesting are the preconditions described by Heinlein here. Note that Star Wars fails condition 5, that any variance from observed fact be plausibly explained. You missed my point. "Soft" sci-fi means that it is at the boundary between science fiction and science fantasy: the real rules of science are bent or even, on occasion, completely discarded in favor of telling an interesting story. However, Star Wars goes beyond even that, and does not even try to provide any justification whatsoever. If, in being wrong, I cause others to cease taking such a view for granted, then my error shall not have been made in vain. If, however, I am correct, then to keep silent would be a crime of the greatest order.
  11. Quadhelix

    Starcraft II

    I agree with half of your statement. They might "know" it, but they don't actually think about what that means: it is Science Fiction, fiction that is in some way related to science. Even if the authors play loose with the actual science behind the story, it is, at the very least, an issue. That is not the case in Star Wars. That depends on whether you take Science Fiction to be a genre, like Action-Adventure, Romance, Mystery, etc. or a setting, like the Wild West, the Middle Ages, Ancient Rome, New York, etc. As a genre, Science Fiction must be focused on the science and its repercussions, not magical knights with glowing blades. Star Trek is "soft" sci-fi, but still somewhat falls into the category of science fiction because it deals with issues such as the rights of artificial intelligence, possible repercussions of nanotechnology, the difficulties of relations with alien civilizations, the dangers of exploring new worlds, etc.
  12. Quadhelix

    Starcraft II

    Star Wars is not sci-fi: it is an action-adventure story that happens to be set in space. I'm not saying that it is not good, but it is not sci-fi. Some might reply: if it is set in space, how can it not be sci-fi. My response: sci-fi is short for Science Fiction. Sci-fi is, at its essence, a literary exploration of the consequences of new or hypothetical technologies and scientific concepts: If we could live forever, how would it change us? If we could change the past, what would that mean for the present? If we learned that we were not alone in the universe, how would we react? If would could create machines that think like us, what would it mean to be human? That said, I feel compelled to point out that Star Wars is one of my favorite movies.
  13. Quadhelix

    Pic of the Day

    I would like to say that I am in absolute agreement! edit Also, shouldn't they be making a Flying Girl Azami manga, as described here? /edit How so? ...how would that differ from the close-up while they're using the time belt?
  14. Quadhelix

    We're All Going To Die!

    And I was saying that you were right: the LHC would have difficult time destroying anything at all, so all the panic is over absolutely nothing. The main problem originates from the fact that there was some very hopeful speculation that the LHC could create a black hole, which would be evidence of higher dimensions. The black hole would be too small to do anything dangerous and would radiate away almost instantly, but the idea that black holes are incredibly dangerous and destructive is widespread enough, at least among certain circles, to cause panic. Then, of course, everyone else hears the people in those circles say that the LHC is going to destroy the world, and the rumor spreads from there. Not only did I look stuff up, I cited what I looked up! Part of it was for elaboration (such as with Maxwell's law), but part of it was because I did not remember the names and energy scales of the Planck epoch, grand unification epoch, and the electroweak epoch. Therefore, to make any sort of assertion about them, I had to look them up. And my point is that it is truly sad if all we are concerned about is whether or not the LHC will destroy the world, when it will be a source of incredible knowledge about how the world works. Good luck with the graphics courses! As for a doctorate in Physics, I'm still an undergrad, so I can only do a major, not a doctorate. Refer back to my example of Maxwell's equations: even if nothing goes wrong, the LHC may still significantly affect your life. Sure.
  15. Quadhelix

    We're All Going To Die!

    The LHC would not produce anything near the scale of a nuclear explosion. Firstly, they are not using anywhere near enough material to produce any dangerous explosions: even if the particles would to spontaneously turn into antimatter, there would not be nearly enough to do significant damage. I can state this with absolute certainty because the majority of the particles' mass/energy comes from the energy added by the accelerator itself, and that energy comes from a power grid. Therefore, even if the particles turn into antimatter, they can explode with only as much energy as was put into them by the power grid. When this comes up, it is every scientist's first instinct to cite the case of Maxwell's equations. When Maxwell first wrote/compiled these equations, they were little more than a scientific curiosity. However, they had the interesting result of implying that light was a wave made of electric fields and magnetic fields. Moreover, Maxwell's equations also showed how similar waves could be generated by certain electrical circuits, and that is how the radio was invented. The "moral" behind this is that one cannot know the benefits of a certain line of scientific inquiry until after the research has been completed. Furthermore, as a resident of this universe, do you have no thirst for knowledge of how the universe works? About why we are made of matter instead of antimatter? Why there are galaxies, stars, and planets instead of diffuse gas? I suppose that it is none of my business if these questions do not interest you, but they are important questions, at least in a cosmological, "Why are we here?" sense. As has already been pointed out, any black hole created would decay away before it could do any serious damage. We can be fairly certain of this because cosmic rays, which continually bombard our upper atmosphere, can have energies up to 10^11 GeV, far higher than the than the 7000 GeV that is the upper limit on the LHC's particles.
  16. Quadhelix

    better than the MARV

    As I discussed at length here, the Mammoth Tank in Tiberium Wars is the Mammoth Mk.III. Also, it could be argued that the MARV is the Mk.IV, as MARV does stand for "Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle." I have seen how AT-ATs turn in Empire at War, but the Mammoth Mk.II cannot turn in that manner. As you can see here, the Mammoth Mk.II's legs are not designed to turn in that way: the legs can move only forward or backward, not side to side.
  17. Quadhelix

    better than the MARV

    No matter how many times I hear this, it never fails to make my blood boil. I am, quite frankly sick of people complaining endlessly that the Mammoth Mk.II was not included in Kane's Wrath as an Epic Unit. Firstly, if the Mammoth Mk.II were still in service by the time of Tiberium Wars (and thus the later Acts of Kane's Wrath), then it would be a mass production model, not the prototype, meaning that it should replace Mammoth Tanks, not the MARV. Remember, the only reason that the Mammoth Mk.II had a build limit in Tiberian Sun was because it was a prototype. However, by 2047, when Tiberium Wars and Act II of Kane's Wrath occur, the Mammoth Mk.II should be well into its production phase. Second, the Mammoth Mk.II would look absolutely stupid in SAGE. If you watch the , you see what a Mammoth Mk.II looks like when it turns, and it does not look good. I have seen the same problem with the Mammoth Mk.II in Tiberium Essence and in C&C: All Stars. The major problem with the Mammoth Mk.II is that it was not designed to turn: this is quite apparent from the design of its leg joints, which allow the leg to move only forward or backward, not side to side, as would be necessary for the mech to turn. Finally, I think that it is important to remember that Tiberium Wars is not Tiberian Sun. Complaining that the Mammoth Mk.II was not in Tibrium Wars or in Kane's Wrath makes no more sense than complaining that GDI was using Wolverines instead of Humvees in Tiberian Sun. I am sorry to blast you so heavily over this, but it gets rather tiring that there is a near endless parade of people making similar complaints to yours.
  18. Quadhelix

    We're All Going To Die!

    I do not know from where the idea came, but it is wrong, or at least deeply flawed. The LHC cannot possibly simulate the Big Bang, because the LHC does not put anywhere near enough energy into the particles to come close to produce anything even resembling a simulation of the Big Bang. Particles in the LHC can have an energy of up to 7,000 GeV (citation), which is a high enough energy to simulate the so-called "electroweak epoch," but completely insignificant compared to the energy needed to simulate the so-called "grand unification epoch," which was preceded by the "Planck epoch." On the contrary, it is incredibly intense. When it comes online for real, the LHC will provide us with new data that is absolutely critical to refining some of our most valued scientific models, including the Standard Model. The LHC might also offer proof of Supersymmetry and/or evidence of higher spacial dimensions (i.e., directions other than up/down, left/right, and forward/backward).
  19. Quadhelix

    We're All Going To Die!

    Since ByTwo's thread on CERN was closed because of this thread, I have no qualms about necro-posting here. First, some problems in what has been stated so far. This is actually somewhat the opposite of the truth: although protons and neutrons are made of smaller particles called quarks, quarks are much larger than an electron. There are no theoretical quarks that have yet to be detected in an accelerator, and both quarks and electrons are theorized to be the smallest particles of matter in existence. The LHC is not, as asserted here, supposed to break protons down into smaller particles, but rather to combine them into larger particles. By the equation E=m(c^2), two high particles that collide while traveling near the speed of light relative to one another will produce a "soup" of new particles, with the soup having a total mass far larger than the combined mass of the two original particles. To make things absolutely clear, the LHC will be simulating a cosmic ray impact. These impacts occur every second of every day. The only difference in the LHC is that the scientists will now know where the impact will occur (because they are causing the impact), and can thus position their measuring equipment accordingly. Several things: 1. Again, the LHC is going to be simulating a cosmic ray impact, not the Big Bang. 2. There is already a weapon that smashes atoms together: the hydrogen bomb.
  20. Quadhelix

    SP Discussion

    The point that I was making is that it is absurd to cling to game elements of the past. Tiberium Wars is not Tiberian Sun, just as Tiberian Sun is not Tiberian Dawn. This assertion is flawed in one regard: I have played Tiberium Essence, and it has only strengthened my conviction that the Mammoth Mk.II does not belong in C&C3, or any 3D game for that matter. Also, with regard to combat effectiveness, it does not matter how the Mammoth Mk.II was depicted in Tiberium Essence or any other mod: the fact remains that it was a bad design and that the Mammoth 27 should be, in fact, superior in every regard, save perhaps firepower. If these mods do not reflect it as such, then that is a flaw of the mod, not the Mammoth 27. Furthermore, the only reason that the Mammoth Mk.II would have higher firepower than the Mammoth 27 is because the Mammoth Mk.II has such huge railguns. However, to mount such railguns, the Mammoth Mk.II must, itself, be huge. This is not good for the Mammoth Mk.II for a variety of reasons, none the least of which being the fact that the Mammoth Mk.II would never be able to bring its guns to bear on anything that could actually move. Also, there is the issue of armor: assuming that the Mammoth Mk.II is twice as large as the Mammoth 27, the armor on the Mammoth Mk.II would have four times the weight of the armor on the Mammoth 27 in order to have the same thickness, and since it is the armor's thickness that protects against enemy attack and not the armor's weight, it is quite obvious that the Mammoth Mk.II should fall far more quickly to enemy firepower than the Mammoth 27, as the Mammoth 27 could have four times the protection with the same amount of armor. In reality, however, the Mammoth Mk.II is far more than two times the size of the Mammoth 27, which means that the Mammoth 27's armor should be far more than four times as strong as the Mammoth Mk.II. You might argue that the Mammoth Mk.II might have many times the weight in armor, balancing out the difference, but in actuality, the Mammoth Mk.II could not support the same weight of armor as the Mammoth 27, let alone more armor. This arises out of the fact that the Mammoth Mk.II must be supported by its four legs: if the mech is too heavy, then its legs will not be able to support it, however if the legs are made heavier to increase their ability to support the mech's weight, then the mech becomes heavier still and you get a never ending cycle of increasing the weight. This raises the additionally complication that the legs must be armored, diverting precious armor away from the main body of the Mammoth Mk.II. The Mammoth 27, however, uses wide, low treads which not only provide far better support, but also better traction and manueverability.
  21. Quadhelix

    SP Discussion

    In WWII, there was an airplane called the Thunderbolt. Later, another airplane was called the Thunderbolt. They are not even remotely the same thing. The Mammoth 27, the type of Mammoth Tank used in C&C3, has not been around longer than the Mammoth Mk.II. Indeed, the Mammoth 27 was designed to replace the Mammoth Mk.II Really? Because I would bet that the Mammoth 27 would have plenty of advantages over the X-66 Mammoth Tank given that the Mammoth 27 was designed around forty years after the X-66. The Mammoth 27 is almost certainly faster, for one, and most likely has better armor materials, and thus better armor. It is armed with 150mm cannon as opposed to the 120mm cannon of the X-66, and the Mammoth 27's cannon can be upgraded with railguns. Also, the Mammoth 27 is most likely superior to the Mammoth Mk.II, given that a significant portion of the Mk.II's armor is probably wasted protecting its legs (a necessity on the Mk.II but not an issue for the Mammoth 27) and that the Mk.II can fire only on targets directly in front of it while at the same time turning like a snail, making it hard for the Mk.II to bring its guns to bear on anything other than a building. The Mammoth 27, however, has turret mounted cannon, allowing it to target a wider variety of targets. Anyway, one thing that really bugs me is about how much people insisted, "We want Slavik! We want CABAL! We want McNeil! We want the Mammoth Mk.II! etc." I see no reason why all of these things are so "sacred" to the Tiberium franchise. In that case, I want to see General Sheppard! I want the Beam Cannon replaced with a Surface-to-Surface Missile launcher! I want the Pitbull replaced with a Humvee and the Juggernaut replaced with an MLRS! Tiberian Sun was a completely different game from Tiberian Dawn, so there is no reason why Tiberium Wars should not be a completely different game from Tiberian Sun.
  22. Quadhelix

    What is your favorite unit?

    Same here! In fact, to be completely honest, I do think that the Titan is one of the cooler units in the game. I just don't think that bipedal walkers are a realistic technology: there is nothing that a bipedal walker can do that a tank of the same technology level could not do better. But that takes all the fun out of it! Seriously though, I am not saying that there is a problem with the Titan being your favorite unit. I am merely pointing out that bipedal combat walkers are not realistic.
  23. Quadhelix

    What is your favorite unit?

    I agree that the Titan is a cool and iconic unit, but labeling it "the next realistic level" of technology is rather off. Mechs, although cool looking (which is why they are so popular in Sci-Fi) were most likely rendered obsolete by the invention of the tank. Mechs are top-heavy and will become completely useless if they loose a leg, unlike a tank that will be immobilized but can still fire after the loss of a tread. Additionally, mechs would need armor for they legs in addition to their torso, increasing cost and weight without increasing protection, firepower, or speed. I say speed, because mechs would most likely not be faster than tanks, as mechs have to pick up their leg and move it forward, using energy that tanks can use to turn their treads. Anyway, I'm going to have to agree with those that picked Specters, Stealth Tanks, and Mammoth Tanks. Moreover, I think that Awakened and Cyborg Reapers are cool, and would make a really, really effective combination. Finally, Firehawks and Vertigo Bombers are just fantastic (that is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?).
  24. Quadhelix

    C&C units

    The problem with Ion Storms is that you have aircraft like the Venom and Hammerhead, which never land and thus would always be destroyed during Ion Storms, whereas the Scrin aircraft receive a boost from Ion Storms, giving them a distinct advantage given that you cannot launch your aircraft but theirs are receiving a boost.
  25. Quadhelix

    Starcraft II

    Back to the original topic, I believe that I read somewhere that the "episodic content" for Starcraft II was going to be organized in a manner reminiscent of Kane's Wrath: the basic game will have one full-length campaign, and then Blizzard will release a pair of expansion packs, each containing a full length campaign.
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