Torture? Is it sometimes the right thing?

[pErvinalia]

I had to edit.

[piscator]

To 3 decimal places, calculate the internal diagonal of a rectangular prism 80 cm by 65 cm by 47 cm.

The wrong answer will result in an hour's detention, writing out from memory every joke I have told in class this year...

113.287cm, but you cannot increase the precision of a measured quantity via calculation, so you're out of line asking for 3 decimal places in the answer since you specified the units in the question.


How many interior degrees in a polygon? How many exterior degrees?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

To 3 decimal places, calculate the internal diagonal of a rectangular prism 80 cm by 65 cm by 47 cm.

The wrong answer will result in an hour's detention, writing out from memory every joke I have told in class this year...

113.287cm, but you cannot increase the precision of a measured quantity via calculation, so you're out of line asking for 3 decimal places in the answer since you specified the units in the question.

Not necessarily. The dimensions quoted could have been accurate to any arbitrary degree. What was bad form was asking for 3dp in a question where the input data was given to 0dp (and, hence, the degree of accuracy was not apparent).

How many interior degrees in a polygon? How many exterior degrees?

The exterior angles of any polygon add to 360º. The interior angles add to 180(n - 2)º - where n is the number of sides.

[pErvinalia]

Isn't the problem that the problem was stated with 2 significant digits, and the answer contained 6? It's been a while since I did much maffs, though.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Isn't the problem that the problem was stated with 2 significant digits, and the answer contained 6? It's been a while since I did much maffs, though.

The same applies. When setting a question, it is not really the done thing to ask for a degree of accuracy in the answer greater than that explicit in the question (be that sig figs or dps). However, where the input values are given as integer values, they are usually considered to be implicitly correct to the required degree. You will find similar questions in formal examination questions around the world.

Personally, I prefer to see such answers in surd, fraction, log or similar forms - thus preserving complete accuracy.

[piscator]

Compleat accuracy is fine for a classroom or other jocular exercise, but it's a dangerous mindset for engineering and navigation.

[JimC]

OK, sure, I should have specified 80.000 cm etc.

Mea fucking culpa...

(and yes, Piscatory, you got the correct answer. You are excused the detention you otherwise deserve for being an American...)

[piscator]

[cronus]

Even Einstein made blunders. Don't cheer.

[piscator]

XamXam answered my question correctly and first, so he needn't be detained either.

[piscator]

Even Einstein made blunders. Don't cheer.

Thanks Dad.

[mistermack]

My solution to the torture question would be the same as the death sentence question.

Allow it, but if it turns out that the wrong person got tortured or executed, then the judge, jury, and prosecutors, anyone who could have stopped it, will have to undergo the same torture/execution.

So the possibility is still there, but people would be bloody careful to give the benefit of the doubt.

I'd love to see Dick Cheney, and George Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld getting waterboarded, and fucked up the ass, and set on by dogs.

You know it makes sense.

[tattuchu]

My solution to the torture question would be the same as the death sentence question.

Allow it, but if it turns out that the wrong person got tortured or executed, then the judge, jury, and prosecutors, anyone who could have stopped it, will have to undergo the same torture/execution.

So the possibility is still there, but people would be bloody careful to give the benefit of the doubt.

I'd love to see Dick Cheney, and George Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld getting waterboarded, and fucked up the ass, and set on by dogs.

You know it makes sense.

And don't forget that piece of shit Karl Rove. Condoleeza Rice gets a pass, though, because she's cute.