Re: A physicist, and engineer and a economist are all trapped on an island...


<mensanator@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1175177542.299461.61900@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mar 29, 7:41?am, "Randy Poe" <poespam-t...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Mar 29, 8:27 am, "kProductivity.com" <Francis.Ma...@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:





On Mar 28, 8:59 am, "kProductivity.com" <Francis.Ma...@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

A physicist, and engineer and a economist are all trapped on an island
with a box of canned food that they cannot get open. The physicist
says, "If I build a fire and then we heat up the cans eventually the
cans will blow up from expanding gasses and then we will be able to
eat the food." The engineer then suggests, " If I can make a three to
one pulley system perhaps we can rig up a machine to open up the
cans." The economist then chimes in saying, " You guys are making this
far too hard let's just assume we have a can opener."

Besides the downgrade economists receive in this joke (always living
in an imaginary world?: not really!), we can perceive the differences
between all three on the methodologies involved in their state of
mind. Mathematicians, as well as physicists, make further use of the
theory; engineers are more practical, they make use of the theory to
accomplish the practice; economists mix this and that due to
complications of Social Sciences.
So, who's the best?. None and all: everyone of us OR colleagues should
be a little bit of everyone deppending on the job...

The debate is open!

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Francisco Marco-Serrano

PS This debate has been opened in 3 different groups (maths, economics
and operational research).

Most of you don't get it. It's not about the joke, I know it's awful!.
The joke is a mere excuse for the following discussion. However, this
is a maths group.

A physicist, an engineer and a mathematician all wake up in
hotel rooms where the curtains are on fire and there is a
nearby trash can full of water.

The engineer grabs the trash can, pours it on the fire
and puts it out, then goes back to sleep.

The physicist grabs a nearby napkin, does some quick
calculations, and pours just enough water at just the
right rate to put the fire out, then goes back to sleep.

The mathematician looks around the room, does some
pondering, announces "a solution exists", and goes back
to sleep.

--------------

Are there any of these where the mathematician wins?

No, because mathematicians look down on applied mathematics.

Theoretical Mathemateics: Roger Penrose proves a plane
can be tiled aperiodically
using tiles of his own design.

Applied Mathematics: Roger Penrose sues a paper manufacturer
over royalties on his tiles used to make
toilet paper.

Nick's reply:

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/pda/A6582675?s_id=5

Nick


.

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