Author Archives: mathscinotes

Mathcad Matrix Example

Posted on 4-December-2014 by mathscinotes

Introduction A friend of mine recently converted his propane-fueled grill to a natural-gas fueled grill and he mentioned to me that he had to get a new pressure regulator and different-sized gas orifice, neither of which I knew anything about. … Continue reading →

Posted in General Mathematics | 4 Comments

Industrial Design Sometimes Defies Logic

Posted on 2-December-2014 by mathscinotes

I just had one of those moments when my entire career flashed before my eyes – I hate when that happens. We have worked hard to make sure that our wireless products have only internal antennas because our product design experts said that we needed a "clean" external design. That means no external antennas sticking out. As part of this design effort, we have become very good at making internal antennas perform about as well as external antennas. Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Management | 2 Comments

Submarine Fuel Math

Posted on 26-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Introduction I just read an interesting article about an arctic environmental problem being presented by a Soviet-era nuclear submarine that had been scuttled back in 1982 (Figure 1). Apparently, scientists are now concerned that the submarine's reactor could leak dangerous … Continue reading →

Posted in General Science, Military History, Naval History | 3 Comments

Engineer's Thanksgiving Humor

Posted on 24-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day If it bleeds it leads; if it thinks it stinks. — Journalism maxim I received the following photo this morning from an engineer who is responsible for preparing his family's Thanksgiving meal.

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Engineer's Thanksgiving Humor

An Estimate of the Heart's Chemical to Mechanical Efficiency

Posted on 22-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day I like opera, I just don't want to be around the people who like opera. — Justice Clarence Thomas, during a discussion of Justice Scalia and Scalia's love of opera. I also have experienced being around … Continue reading →

Posted in General Science, Health | 3 Comments

How to Drive a Bobcat

Posted on 21-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. — Douglas Adams One of the engineers I work with has a Bobcat (Figure 1) that he uses for digging holes and … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on How to Drive a Bobcat

Making IP Addresses Sortable By Number

Posted on 21-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day Abolition was a pipe dream in 1835 – it was reality 25 year later. — Tom Rick, defense analyst, quoting his historian wife about how fast things can change in the US. My oldest son called … Continue reading →

Posted in software | Comments Off on Making IP Addresses Sortable By Number

Heart Energy Per Day Versus Truck Energy Consumed Over 20 Miles

Posted on 18-November-2014 by mathscinotes

During my web browsing, I sometimes encounter a statement that just seems too incredible to believe. Figure 1 contains such a statement. It states that the human heart "creates" daily an energy equivalent to driving a truck for 20 miles. I thought about this statement for a minute and it makes no sense. Continue reading →

Posted in General Science, Health | 28 Comments

The Limits of Human-Generated Power

Posted on 15-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day I will do nothing, but I will do it very well. - Campaign slogan of an Italian politician Introduction My wife and I attend a card club of former neighbors once a month and last night … Continue reading →

Posted in General Science | Comments Off on The Limits of Human-Generated Power

Estimating the Weight of Philae on Comet 67P

Posted on 14-November-2014 by mathscinotes

I have been following the Rosetta mission for years and I have been completely captivated by the Philae probe (Figure 1) landing on the surface of the comet C67P (Figure 2). In addition to watching the television coverage of the landing, I have been reading all the articles I could find. Most of the articles I have read quote information from the ESA website. There is quite a bit of information available on technical details like the battery capacity, lander mass, and power usage. Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy | Comments Off on Estimating the Weight of Philae on Comet 67P