A Pinch of Thought 4-27-18
Published April 27, 2018
A Pinch of Thought Edit
Welcome to ‘A Pinch of Thought.’ In this article, I wish to inform NSA of cool facts and information from different subjects and areas of learning. I hope you enjoy this article and learn something from it. By the way, I'm Hudson Roseboom, the Spiritual Life Leader here at NSA.
Boggling the Mind Edit
Because prime numbers are indivisible (except by 1 and themselves), and because all other numbers can be written as multiples of them, they are often regarded as the "atoms" of the math world. Despite their importance, the distribution of prime numbers among the integers is still a mystery. There is no pattern dictating which numbers will be prime or how far apart successive primes will be. The seeming randomness of the primes makes the pattern found in "Ulam spirals" very strange indeed. In 1963, the mathematician Stanislaw Ulam noticed an odd pattern while doodling in his notebook during a presentation. When integers are written in a spiral, prime numbers always seem to fall along diagonal lines. This in itself wasn't so surprising, because all prime numbers except for the number 2 are odd, and diagonal lines in integer spirals are alternately odd and even. Much more startling was the tendency of prime numbers to lie on some diagonals more than others — and this happens regardless of whether you start with 1 in the middle, or any other number. Even when you zoom out to a much larger scale, as in the plot of hundreds of numbers below, you can see clear diagonal lines of primes (black dots), with some lines stronger than others. There are mathematical conjectures as to why this prime pattern emerges, but nothing has been proven.
(Taken from: https://www.livescience.com/26584-5-mind-boggling-math-facts.html)
Reader Hater Edit
So, you don’t like to read. In fact, the only thing that is causing you to READ this article about READING is the fact that is was titled Reader Hater. Catchy title, ey? =D
Are you someone who only reads when you are forced to…by either a parent or a teacher? Do you only read the description for movies, or the ratings of video games? Have you not stepped into a library for months? Do you roll your eyes when somebody enthusiastically says, “I LOVE READING!!”? If so…keep reading. I am going to put it rather simple…nothing I can say can cause you to LOVE reading. I can’t make you jump at the chance to join a book club. However, I can help you stop punching the nearest thing to you when you have to do a book report or getting mad at your mom when she tells you to put down your basketball or your phone, and take up a book.
Here’s how. When you have to pick and read a book (it doesn’t matter the circumstance!) do these things:
1) Pick The Book: Ask yourself: What interests me? Are you someone who knows all the scores for every match in every single sport? Are you someone who dies when your crush says Hi? Do you spend hours planning or thinking about how you are going to take over the world? After thinking through what interests you, pick a book on those thoughts. For example, if you love sports, read a biography about Babe Ruth or a fictional story about a baseball team in small town America. If all you talk about is boys, then pick up a romance like Papa’s Wife or Ella Enchanted. Ask your local librarian (they don’t bite u_u) what books there are for teenagers on adventure, or mystery, or romance!
2) Start The Book: So now you have the book…and it is sitting very comfortably at the bottom of your desk drawer in your room. Dig it out and don’t open it yet. Instead, read the back, look at the cover, examine it. If you read the back and decide that it would make a good movie plot, then that’s a good sign. If not, go back to the library and choose another. The book must interest you if you are to read it. Now, once examining it, open it and read the first sentence. Breathe. Now go and get a drink- water, coke, tea, whatever works. Retrieve the book and sit on the most comfortable chair in the house. Read the first page. Pause again, breath, and take a drink. You may be completely bored- that’s ok. Read another page, dramatically emphasizing anything awesome in your mind. Pause again, take a sip. If it is still a bit boring, that’s still ok. Try reading the next page out loud to yourself. Try using different voices for each character. Get through the first chapter this way. Pausing after each page and using different techniques.
3) Persevering Through The Book: You have read the first chapter. The book has probably stirred a bit of interest in you by now. You must now set a schedule/goal to make sure you read the book-the WHOLE thing. Decide on reading the book for a certain amount of time- if it is a chapter a day, set a time each day where you will sit down and not stand up again until you are done with that chapter. If you must read for 30 minutes each day, sit in an isolated room in a comfortable chair, set a timer, and give your full attention to that book till the timer goes off. If by the 5th chapter the book is as boring as it seemed in the beginning…you may want to choose another book.
4) Ending The Book: When you finish the book (it’s totally possible by the way!) throw yourself a party. Spend 30 minutes…an hour…a day, in what YOU like to do. Play basketball, make up a secret language, play video-games, call a friend and talk aimlessly…the list is endless. You must reward yourself for your perseverance! You may not think that these techniques will work…that you could NEVER finish a whole book. However, you read this whole article which shows you have perseverance…and that’s all it takes. Good luck…and may the odds be ever in your favor! =)
Conspiracy Theories? Edit
1.) Moon Landing? - Many people still believe that the U.S. did not actually land on the moon and was actually an attempt to fool the Russians.
2.) Chemtrails - Chemtrail conspiracy theorists believe that chemicals are deliberately sprayed into the air by unmarked planes.
3.) HAARP - More than 200 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska, is the Pentagon’s High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program. It is believed to be a weapon that can control weather patterns.
4.) Black or Unmarked Helicopters - An alleged symbol and warning sign of a military takeover of part or all of the United States. Rumours would circulate that, for instance, the United Nations patrolled the US with black helicopters, or that federal agents used black helicopters to enforce wildlife laws.
5.) Shakespeare? - Theorists believe there is a lack of evidence proving that the actor sometimes known as Shakespeare of Stratford was accountable for the body of works that bear his name. Very little biographical information exists about Shakespeare.
Wacky Holidays Edit
1 April Fool's Day
1 Easter Sunday - date varies
1 International Fun at Work Day
1 International Tatting Day
2 Children's Book Day
2 Dyngus Day always the Monday after Easter
2 National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
2 Reconciliation Day
3 Don't Go to Work Unless it's Fun Day
3 Tweed Day
3 World Party Day
4 Hug a Newsman Day
4 Walk Around Things Day
4 School Librarian Day
4 Tell a Lie Day
4 World Rat Day
5 Go for Broke Day
5 National Dandelion Day
6 California Poppy Day
6 National Tartan Day
6 .National Walk to Work Day
6 New Beer's Eve
6 Plan Your Epitaph Day
6 Sorry Charlie Day
7 Caramel Popcorn Day
7 National Beer Day
7 No Housework Day
7 World Health Day
8 All is Ours Day
8 Draw a Picture of a Bird Day
8 Zoo Lover's Day
9 Name Yourself Day
9 Winston Churchill Day
10 Golfer's Day
10 National Siblings Day
11 Eight Track Tape Day
11 Barbershop Quartet Day
11 National Submarine Day
12 Big Wind Day
12 Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
12 National Licorice Day
12 Russian Cosmonaut Day
12 Walk on Yor Wild Side Day
13 Blame Someone Else Day
13 Friday the 13th
13 International Plant Appreciation Day
13 Narional Peach Cobbler Day
13 Scrabble Day
14 Ex Spouse Day
14 International Moment of Laughter Day
14 Look up at the Sky Day
14 National Dolphin Day
14 National Pecan Day
14 Reach as High as You Can Day
15 Income Taxes Due
15 Rubber Eraser Day
15 That Sucks Day
15 Titanic Remembrance Day
15 World Art Day
16 Easter Date varies
16 Mushroom Day
16 National Eggs Benedict Day
16 National Librarian Day
16 National Stress Awareness Day
16 Patriot's Day
16 Save the Elephant Day
17 Bat Appreciation Day
17 Blah, Blah, Blah Day
17 National Cheeseball Day
17 Pet Owners Independence Day
18 International Juggler's Day
18 Newspaper Columnists Day
19 National Garlic Day
19 National High Five Day
20 Look Alike Day
20 Volunteer Recognition Day
21 Husband Appreciation Day
21 Kindergarten Day
22 Earth Day (U.S.)
22 Girl Scout Leader Day
22 National Jelly Bean Day
23 Lover's Day
23 National Zucchini Bread Day
23 Take a Chance Day
23 World Laboratory Day
24 Pig in a Blanket Day
25 Administrative Professionals Day
25 East Meets West Day
25 World Penguin Day
26 Hug an Australian Day
26 National Pretzel Day
26 Richter Scale Day
26 Take Your Daughter to Work
27 Arbor Day
27 Babe Ruth Day
27 National Prime Rib Day
27 Tell a Story Day
28 International Astronomy Day
28 Great Poetry Reading Day
28 Kiss Your Mate Day
29 Greenery Day
29 National Shrimp Scampi Day
30 Hairstyle Appreciation Day
30 National Honesty Day