Author Archives: mathscinotes

An Old Class Photo

Posted on 23-October-2014 by mathscinotes

One of my favorite old movies is the "The African Queen" with Humphrey Bogart (he played Charlie) and Katherine Hepburn (she played Rose). In that movie, Rose asks Charlie "Could you make a torpedo?" and Charlie responds: "A torpedo?...You don't … Continue reading →

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The Legend of the Management Cookies

Posted on 22-October-2014 by mathscinotes

I love having young engineers on my team. I also love cookies and we occasionally have cookies at some of our meetings – people might not attend otherwise, including me. However, our cookie selection is generally not particularly inspired. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Management | Comments Off on The Legend of the Management Cookies

Interesting Discussion on Lithium Battery Fire Hazard

Posted on 21-October-2014 by mathscinotes

We have all heard stories of the  fire hazards that lithium-ion batteries present – just to remind you, here is a partial list: Boeing Dreamliner Electric Cars Samsung Phones There have been many other documented "thermal events". I personally have … Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Electronics | 1 Comment

Network Data rates: Advertised Versus Actual

Posted on 20-October-2014 by mathscinotes

Introduction I often get questions from customers on what data rate can they expect from their particular network protocol, like Ethernet, MoCA, or HPNA. They often have expectations that have been set by marketing material and not reality. I thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics | 1 Comment

A Small Low-Voltage Landscape Wiring Project

Posted on 19-October-2014 by mathscinotes

Introduction I have a beautiful new decking thanks to the guys at Composite Decking Boards | WPC Plastic Decking | UK Supplier and my backyard is looking better than ever, but it's not quite finished. I want some lighting out … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Electronics | Comments Off on A Small Low-Voltage Landscape Wiring Project

Drawing a Perpedicular Out in the Wild

Posted on 18-October-2014 by mathscinotes

My most satisfying applications of geometry occur in my construction projects. Previously, I have discussed how to find the radius of circle on construction projects. In this post, I will discuss four methods for constructing a perpendicular to a line. … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Geometry | 2 Comments

Using an Excel Calculated Item to Breakout Vacation Time

Posted on 12-October-2014 by mathscinotes

In the fiber optic business, there are always more potential projects than we can execute, and we choose those projects we staff based on their Return On Investment (ROI). To generate these ROI analyses, I have to generate preliminary schedules … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial, Management | Comments Off on Using an Excel Calculated Item to Breakout Vacation Time

Risk Evaluation Math

Posted on 9-October-2014 by mathscinotes

Introduction I am always looking for ways to evaluate the risk of the projects that I am undertaking. Project planning can be very complicated (see Figure 1) and things do not always go well. It is important to understand the … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | Comments Off on Risk Evaluation Math

Untilting RF Video Signals

Posted on 6-October-2014 by mathscinotes

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

Posted in Electronics | Comments Off on Untilting RF Video Signals

How many people have been born over time?

Posted on 5-October-2014 by mathscinotes

I have been reading "Time Reborn" by Lee Smolin and it has been a very informative read. In the book, Lee Smolin mentions that there have been 110 billion humans born over time. I found this number interesting and I … Continue reading →

Posted in General Science | 3 Comments