Archive for the ‘school’ Category
Death Star
Tuesday, November 21st, 2006Black Holes
Tuesday, November 14th, 2006I’m here in my Astronomy lecture learning about black holes. I’ve been told some interesting things.
There are three things about a black hole that scientists can measure (in theory): mass, spin, and electric charge. And that’s it. There is no way to tell anything else about a black hole.
There is no way to tell what a black hole is made of. It could be made of hydrogen and helium that used to be part of a star, or it could be made of ice cream. It could be made of photons that can’t get away, or it could be made of puppy dogs that don’t want to leave.
Black holes aren’t very dangerous, unless you really want a closeup look. For example, if the mass of the Sun were compressed until it formed a black hole, and said black hole were placed at the top of the tower at the University of Texas, I could relocate to Round Rock and I would be just fine. Everything within a 3 kilometer radius of the hole would, unfortunately, be consumed.
In that case, black holes would be made of students, faculty, staff, statues of Civil War heroes, and Spanish-style architecture.
TACC Tour
Friday, November 10th, 2006Today I went on a tour of the Texas Advanced Computing Center. I saw a lot of computers. The main room that was full of equipment was hot in some places and cool in some places, depending on which row I was standing in.
When I’m older, I want a big rack of computers in my closet or my basement. My website will be a lot faster then.
It’s Got My Name on It
Thursday, April 7th, 2005It’s barely noon, and I have had one exciting day so far. My Computer Science professor allowed me to take the exam this morning at 09:00, for which I will be eternally grateful. Because we had to walk to an empty room and get me situated, she gave me until 11:05 to finish.
I didn’t answer everything, but I had to stop at 10:50 so I could go to my 11:00 Government class and take an exam there. The Government exam was significantly easier, and I finished it in about twenty minutes. Unfortunately, I was boxed in on both sides and didn’t want to disturb the students around me, so I waited another fifteen or twenty minutes before I left.
I’m certain only about 20% of the student in this Government class come to the lecture every time, so I am always surprised to walk in on a test day to see the hall filled to capacity. This is the second time someone has taken my seat, too.
Wouldn’t that just frustrate you? Here I am, I come to every class and sit in the same seat every Tuesday and Thursday, and on test day some lazy student who probably never comes to the lecture just moseys on in and sits in my seat like it’s fair game. It was probably only the fourth time she’s been in that hall all semester, no doubt.
At least I remembered to take the test.
The Excitement I Was Asking For
Wednesday, April 6th, 2005Swimming gives me time to think. Today, in the pool, I was thinking about what I needed to do later his week. I was trying to remember when my exam for Computer Science was, so I could be prepared. I suddenly remembered that my Computer Science exam was held last night.
That’s right, I completely forgot about it, and rearranged the furniture in my apartment instead.
As I write this I am waiting for a response from my professor regarding whether I can take a makeup exam or not. If you hear a knocking, that’s the sound of my head hitting the wall repeatedly for the next hour.
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock and so forth.