Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Consequences of 1/10 in binary

A while ago we had a chat with Mr. Atalay about the interesting fact that you can't express the decimal 0.1 exactly in binary (try it!). I just read a report related to this fact which was the reason of 28 soldiers getting killed in the Gulf War. Excerpt:

"On February 25th, 1991, a Patriot Missile system that had been running for over 100 hours at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia had failed to intercept a SCUD missile. The SCUD hit an Army Barracks, killing 28 Americans. On the next day, the Bug Fix for the system arrived at Dhahran[2].

The reason this bug occurred is because of a problem with storing time in a 24-bit register. The problem is that time is stored to an accuracy of 1/10th of a second, but a 24-bit register does not have enough precision to store 0.1, so a small fraction of each second is lost. The result is that the register used to keep track of time is off by 0.0001% of the amount of time that the system has been in operation. The problem is that computers do not store information as a standard decimal. Instead, they use binary code, which can not accurately store 1/10th of a second...It was estimated that after running the system for twenty hours, the calculations made using the old algorithm and those made by the new algorithm differed by as much as 1/3 of a second[3]. A SCUD missile can travel more than one mile per second."

Click here and here for other cases of software malfunctions.

By the way, our chat with Mr. Atalay can be summarized as follows:

One aspect of the chaotic systems is that you need an infinite amount of knowledge about the initial conditions of the system to make some prediction (see butterfly effect). Might there be a possibility that with some other form of representation, to solve the difficulty of infinite information requirement? As an example take the decimal 0.1; If we knew only the binary system, we would need an infinite number of digits to represent 0.1 exactly. And if one day a super-intelligent alien visited us and taught us the ultra-high-tech decimal system, voilla, you have exact representation with just 1 significant digit! Of course, instead of adopting this new wisdom, we would quickly proceed to burn that infidel alien (!)

Care to think about Pi and sqrt(2)? Or shall we rather wait for the green guys in flying saucers to drop by?

Tip for bargaining

...when you go to an eastern bazaar you never ask the salesman the price of something you like a lot. You just ask for the price of something you don't like and after you disagree with the give&take price, you say "Ok I give up, I'll take that one(the thing you liked on the first place)

Anonymous

Google calculator

Just discovered the Google calculator while trying to find how many km's 75 miles were. Just type "75 miles=? km". Very useful feature.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Caring for your introvert

I guess I can be called an introvert. Here is a very entertaining article about it. Excerpts:

Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day?...Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate?

...introverts are people who find other people tiring... Extroverts are energized by people, and wilt or fade when alone. They often seem bored by themselves, in both senses of the expression. Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially "on," we introverts need to turn off and recharge. My own formula is roughly two hours alone for every hour of socializing. This isn't antisocial. It isn't a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating. Our motto: "I'm okay, you're okay—in small doses."

If we introverts ran the world, it would no doubt be a calmer, saner, more peaceful sort of place.

How can I let the introvert in my life know that I support him and respect his choice? First, recognize that it's not a choice. It's not a lifestyle. It's an orientation.

Second, when you see an introvert lost in thought, don't say "What's the matter?" or "Are you all right?"

Third, don't say anything else, either.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Evolution by Daniel C. Dennett

A nice article by Mr. Dennet. Excerpts:

"First you misuse or misdescribe some scientist's work. Then you get an angry rebuttal. Then, instead of dealing forthrightly with the charges leveled, you cite the rebuttal as evidence that there is a "controversy" to teach."

"The fundamental scientific idea of evolution by natural selection is not just mind-boggling; natural selection, by executing God's traditional task of designing and creating all creatures great and small, also seems to deny one of the best reasons we have for believing in God. So there is plenty of motivation for resisting the assurances of the biologists. Nobody is immune to wishful thinking. It takes scientific discipline to protect ourselves from our own credulity, but we've also found ingenious ways to fool ourselves and others."

"Brilliant as the design of the eye is, it betrays its origin with a tell-tale flaw: the retina is inside out. The nerve fibers that carry the signals from the eye's rods and cones (which sense light and color) lie on top of them, and have to plunge through a large hole in the retina to get to the brain, creating the blind spot. No intelligent designer would put such a clumsy arrangement in a camcorder, and this is just one of hundreds of accidents frozen in evolutionary history that confirm the mindlessness of the historical process."

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

USA Report - 2

I am back in Turkey. Let's continue our report. Where was I? Ah yes, I rented a Nissan Sentra...

...notice those dam dents (circled in red in larger picture)? I didnt notice them when I was renting the car. They almost charged me for it when I returned the car at the end of week! Lesson learnt: Look carefully at the car before leaving car rental park.

I finally found Aberdeen and settled in Red Roof Inn...

The next day I went to Aberdeen Proving Ground Building 305...

...3rd floor...

to be continued...

Monday, September 12, 2005

USA report-1

I am still alive. Right now I am at the Harford County Public Library, computer #5, having some trouble with the US keyboard. Yesterdays adventure was as follows:

- Got up in the morning (7:15) -> breakfast(7:30) -> taxi (7:45) -> blue bus from Gebze to Istanbul (8:00)

- Reached Istanbul 4.Levent (9:00) -> Got to the metro and reached Taxim (9:30) -> Went to Aksaray metro via Taxi from Taxim (9:45) -> Got to the aiport via metro (10:15)

- Went through x-Ray -> Found thy to check in, but they told me that I first had to go through security check -> Went through questioning -> Got hungry and ate Twix -> Went through another x-ray -> Baggage was searched manually (11:15) -> They told us not to worry 'cause the plane was 50 min. late. -> Check in accomplished -> Got on an internet machine at a photo express to amend my car reservation due to late flight.

- Passport control -> Bought Snickers, seeing the huge gate que -> Qued up and ate Snickers -> Through x-ray again -> Another manual baggage search -> Boraded plane, my seat being 37G (3 rows before the last row)

- Concerned about the fact that the family next to me having a 4 year old child -> Captain anouncing a flight time of 9 hours flight (darn!) -> Plane take off (13:00)

- Eating lunch -> Kid spilling cola over my trousers (I knew it!), me keeping cool -> Being through the journey in a half coma state, neck aches (reminder: bring a pillow with you, the plane wont have enuff) -> Watching a Bruce Willis movie -> Eating dinner -> Filling immigrant and custom forms-> Plane touching down JFK airport at 15:55 (which came as a surprise for me - I was expecting it at 16:50)

- Going through passport control, fingerprints and photos taken (16:30) -> Taking the airtrain in JFK to car rental -> Gettin my car, a Nissan -> Investigating car -> Looking at the maps, trying to figure my way down Aberdeen (17:30)

- While still in the car park, a girl and a guy asked me if I could them give a lift to the airport terminal since they were late (plane @ 18:00). They promised me 20 $. When they saw me struggling with the automatic transmission she said that I have to press the brake first and then move from P to D and asked if it was the fisrt time i drove a car. I assumed it was a joke (!). They were from California. The guy was from Mexico I think. She knew 4 Turkish people, they were nice bla bla. After making a few circles (they were not sure about the way to terminal 7), we arrived. 20$? I am a gentleman...

- After wiping the sweat from my forehead, I slowly proceeded to exit the airport. There was heavy traffic up to Verezano bridge, but I had no trouble. Paid 9 bucks at the bridge. Next target: Goethals bridge. I somehow missed it, thinking New Jersey Turnpike is the wrong way since NJ is in the North. Well, NJ Turnpike was correct. Found myself at a restraunt, asking them about I-95S. Misinerpreting their direction, I found myself at the Goethals bridge, but at the wrong side. Paid 6 bucks for nothing. Made an exit, got to a gas station, bought silly items (e.g. peanut butter - essential traveller item (!)) to change my 100$ bill. The nice people there told me to follow 40s (on which I was) down to overbridge crossing and then follow NJ Turnpike. I thought it would not be far, but boy I was wrong. After anxciously driving 60 miles I reached NT Turnpike (sigh of relief) (21:00)

- After some time, I realized that I could fall asleep, I stopped at a service station and had a 1 hour nap. Woke up with the alarm while I was having strange dreams. Continued driving and everyting went OK. At 23:30 I finally reached Aberdeen Red Roof Inn. I fell asleep totally exhausted.

- Woke up at 7:15, ate the slice of cake with sprites that I bought last night (wise decision). Shower, shaving, way to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (8:15). At the APG gate I met people I knew from previous meetings and followed them. Unfortunately, it was the NABK meeting. Asked Mr. Lieske about the NIFAK meeting. Building 305. Did I find it the first time? 'course not! After 2 iterations I finally found 305, which looks like a maze to the un-trained eye. At 9:15 I found the NIFAK guys.

Samil reporting from Aberdeen-Maryland, 17:49 local time, 00:49 Turkey time.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Flying to the USA

I will travel to the USA and stay there for a week. I will fly from İstanbul to New York.



From the airport I will rent a car and drive to Aberdeen, Maryland (MD) where I will attend business meetings and come back on sunday.


I will stay at the Red Roof Inn. The weather in Aberdeen seems partly cloudy, with a few raindrops. You want to convert Fahrenheit to Celcius? Here is the formula: C = 5/9*(F-32). For example, 83F=28C (about the average during my stay in Aberdeen). Places I plan to visit after meetings:

Barnes & Noble
Harford Mall
Bull on the Beach
Outlet
Loonies Pub
Havre de Grace

By the way, http://www.demis.nl/home/pages/wms/demiswms.htm has a nice map tool written in Flash.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Goethe

Heidenröslein

Sah ein Knab ein Röslein stehn,
Röslein auf der Heiden,
War so jung und morgenschön,
Lief er schnell, es nah zu sehn,
Sah's mit vielen Freuden.
Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,
Röslein auf der Heiden.

Knabe sprach: "Ich breche dich,
Röslein auf der Heiden!"
Röslein sprach: "Ich steche dich,
Daß du ewig denkst an mich,
Und ich will's nicht leiden."
Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,
Röslein auf der Heiden.

Und der wilde Knabe brach
's Röslein auf der Heiden;
Röslein wehrte sich und stach,
Half ihm doch kein Weh und Ach,
Mußt es eben leiden.
Röslein, Röslein, Röslein rot,
Röslein auf der Heiden.
Goethe (1771)

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Şamil'in aile ağacı

Aşağıda henüz eksik olan aile ağacım var. zaman içinde tamamlamayı umuyorum.

Gücük Hikayeleri

Gücük’teki sülaleler şunlar: Dabılar, Çöçiler, Selimbiler, Tankolar, Bolatlar, Bozkurtlar. Sülaleler adlarını sülalenin başlangıcı sayılabilecek kişilerin lakaplarından (Dabı Musa, Tanko Musa, Çöçi Memmet) veya soyisimlerinden almışlar.
Selimbiler Türk çoban ve kahyalara sahip olduklarından Türkçe’yi, dolayısı ile Türkçe küfürleri daha önce öğrenmişler. Veysel Korkmaz küçükken Selimbilerin çocuklarının küfürlerini anlamadığını, garipsediğini nakleder. Bugün dahi ağızlarının bozuk olduğunu söyleyebilirim.
Tankoların asıl sülale ismi ğordloy. Bu sülalenin temsilcileri Ürdün’de de bulunuyor. Bazen Türkiye’ye tatile geliyorlar.
Köydeki baskın sülaler Dabılar ve Selimbiler. Hem nüfusça kalabalık, hem de fiziksel olarak güçlü olmaları baskınlıklarının anahtarı. Köyü Dabılar+Selimbiler vs. diğerleri diye ikiye ayırmak mümkün. İlişkiler dostane olmaktan çok gergin.
Yorum: Yıllar içerisinde çok olay olmuş ve bunlar kuşaktan kuşağa nakledilerek husumet kültürü oluşturulmuş. Herkes kendisinin zulme uğradığını, herşeye hakkı olduğunu düşünüyor. Bu kültürü kırmanın tek yolu köyü terketmek gibi görünüyor. Örneğin ben köyü sadece tatillerde gördüğüm, akrabalarımla yılda ancak birkaç hafta geçirdiğim için eski hikayelerin propagandasından uzak kaldım. Uzun zaman köyün geçimsiz karakteri benim için bir bilmece idi. Gücük hikayelerini derlerken anlamaya başladım.

Gücük Hikayeleri

Nenem Ördek’in annesinin adı Ya’ (genç kız anlamındadır). Ya’, Dabı Musa’nın kızı ve Hacı İbreem’in eşi. Dabu Musa ile Hacı İbreem arasında çıkan bir anlaşmazlığın ardından Hacı İbreem Ya’ı babasına geri göndermiş. Ya’ bu sırada Ördek’e hamile imiş. Ördek’in annesi doğumundan kısa süre sonra ölmüş. Hacı İbreem Ördek’i teslim almış. Ördek annesini hiç emmemiş, köydeki Türk kadınlar süt annelik etmiş. Bu nedenler babamın pek çok Türk “dayısı” var. Bunlardan biri de Göksun’daki köfteci Faruk’un dedesi. Hacı İbreem Besir ile evlenmiş. Bu evlilikten Mirza ve İzzet doğmuş.
Ördek iki defa evlenmiş. İlk evliliğinden (adı?) Koka, Güle, Eşe, Nazlıhan doğmuş. İkinci evliliğini Süleyman ile yapmış. Bu evlilikten Veysel, Ramazan ve Şamiye doğmuş. Süleyman’ın ilk evliliğinden (adı?) ise Nadir ve Makbule doğmuş. Süleyman askerdeyken Tanko Musa eşini boşamış, kadın da Sivas’a akrabalarının yanına dönmüş ve orada evlenmiş. Kadını Sivas’tayken görmüştüm. O evlilikten de Sivas’taki Şükriye doğmuş.
Tanko Musa, kardeşi İshak (İshak ne olmuş?), annesi (adı?) ve babası Ta’z Bi ile birlikte Kafkasya’dan gelmiş. Önce bir yere (adı?) sonra Türkoğlu’na gelmişler. Ta’z Bi bu hasta imiş. Türkoğlu’na geldikten kısa süre sonra ölmüş. Güncelleme 14.04.2006:  T’az bi pazarcıkta ölmüş. İshak ve Musa ayrı babalardan. Hangisi T'az bi'den bilmiyorum.

Gücük’te bulunan Elbruz Duk (Türçe adı İsmail Kahya) bu kadını duymuş ve Türkoğlu’na görmeye gitmiş, daha sonra da evlenerek Gücük’e dönmüşler. Kadın Elbruz Duk’tan ayrılmış, 9 kez evlendiği rivayet edilir. Elbruz Duk tekrar evlenmiş (adı?) ve o evlilikten Hacı Kadir doğmuş.
Şamil'in yorumu: Yakın zamana kadar Gücük’te kadınlar kuluçka makinesinden hallice değere sahipler. Başlarına ne geleceği düşünülmeden kocaları, kayınbabaları tarafından boşanabiliyorlar. Tek evlilik istisna gibi görünüyor.

Gücük'ün Kuruluşu

1850 civarlarında Kafkasya’dan yoğun göçler başlamış. Bu göçler Anadolu, Suriye ve Ürdün ağırlıklı. Anadolu’ya gelen Behli isimli Çeçen bir imam köye adını vermiş. Köyün çeçence adı Behli Öyl (Behli’nin Köyü).

Zaman içinde Behli ile köylü arasında anlaşmazlık çıkmış ve Behli köyü terketmiş. Behli giderken köyde hiçbir zaman cinayet işlenmemesi dileğinde bulunmuş. Köyün ilgünç özelliklerinden biri o kadar ters insan olmasına rağmen bugüne kadar köy içinde cinayet işlenmemiş olması. Bunda kan davası korkusunun da payı büyük. Babam İstanbul’da üniversite’de iken Behli’nin Ürdün’den gelen kızını görmüş. Köyün resmi ismi önce Gücüksu olmuş, sonra Küçüksu olarak değiştirilmiştir.
Emin Bayazıt (dedem) köyün kuruluş yerinin hırsızlık yaptıktan sonra kolayca saklanmaya izin verecek bir yer olmasından dolayı seçildiğini söyler. O zamanlar köyün yerinde orman varmış ve ilk gelenler bu ormanın ortasına yerleşerek çevrelerinde terör estirmişler. Türklerin kullandığı bir söz varmış: “Dağlardan bir millet geldi. Gözleri göö, yedikleri darı, giydileri deri.”