assorted overflow post

[skald]

you guys are nuts

Comments

[skald]

Ptole... [Give her a second, she has to remember how to spell Ptolemy. She types it out as best she can, but doesn't hit enter.] Like this, right?

[She doesn't want him to end up getting it wrong if she just spells the answer incorrectly, after all.]

[megabond]

[Well, he isn't the type to ignore a small help, so once he checks on his computer, he corrects the spelling to make sure she doesn't make a mistake.]

There. I think that's the right spelling.

[skald]

Got it! Let's see, then.

[She hits enter, and it... doesn't take.]

Oh. I really thought you had that one? Maybe... [Did he spell it wrong? She goes back and changes the spelling again to Ptolmy XII, just in case, because it's not like she has a guess of her own. It doesn't work either, and then they get the response--]

--Okay, Ptolemy XIII is so close that I think you should just get that one.

[megabond]

[Well, he can't blame Tuuri for the spelling mistake. He did have that problem several times back then. Regardless, at least he has a point this time.

With that, it's now his turn to use his computer to generate a new question. This time, it's a geometry problem.]

If the length of each side of a shoe box is increased by ten percent, then the volume of the box is increased by what percent?

[Well, this is a problem. He doesn't know the answer to this.]

[skald]

[Geometry... not exactly Tuuri's strong point either, but she at least has the benefit of being fresh out of mandatory math classes, so.]

Wait, okay, length of each side... So 10 by 10 by 10 would go up to 11 by 11 by 11, which means... [She maybe shouldn't be thinking through the math out loud, except it doesn't matter; she falters as she realizes she's not sure what 121 times 11 is off the top of her head.] Umm... Something like 30 percent?

[megabond]

[Cue an X-shaped symbol on the computer screen after Augustine submits Tuuri's answer.]

Good answer, but that's the wrong answer. Although, now that I think about it after hearing your calculation, my guess is that the answer might 33.1.

[This time, the computer screen shows a green check sign to Augustine's answer.]