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Feb. 26th, 2013 11:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
riontelRead a funny anecdote in The Code Book. Charles Babbage supposedly sent the following letter to Alfred Tennyson:
Sir:
In your otherwise beautiful poem "The Vision of Sin" there is a verse which reads – "Every moment dies a man, Every moment one is born." It must be manifest that if this were true, the population of the world would be at a standstill. In truth, the rate of birth is slightly in excess of that of death. I would suggest that in the next edition of your poem you have it read – "Every moment dies a man, Every moment 1 1/16 is born."
The actual figure is so long I cannot get it onto a line, but I believe the figure 1 1/16 will be sufficiently accurate for poetry.
I am, Sir, yours, etc.,
Charles Babbage
Unfortunately Tennyson's response is lost to history.
Simon Singh, the author of The Code Book, followed in Babbage's footsteps and wrote his own criticism of bad science in poetry. He couldn't find a handy Tennyson so he had to settle for a song by some British pop singer.
Sir:
In your otherwise beautiful poem "The Vision of Sin" there is a verse which reads – "Every moment dies a man, Every moment one is born." It must be manifest that if this were true, the population of the world would be at a standstill. In truth, the rate of birth is slightly in excess of that of death. I would suggest that in the next edition of your poem you have it read – "Every moment dies a man, Every moment 1 1/16 is born."
The actual figure is so long I cannot get it onto a line, but I believe the figure 1 1/16 will be sufficiently accurate for poetry.
I am, Sir, yours, etc.,
Charles Babbage
Unfortunately Tennyson's response is lost to history.
Simon Singh, the author of The Code Book, followed in Babbage's footsteps and wrote his own criticism of bad science in poetry. He couldn't find a handy Tennyson so he had to settle for a song by some British pop singer.
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Date: 2013-02-27 06:01 pm (UTC)Творец, поддержаны тобой,
Да не падут на сушь и воды
И не подавят нас собой *
* Плохая физика; но зато какая смелая поэзия!
(С) Наше всё