A Universal Ending...

[pmbguy]

Bluemaster

[pmbguy]

The owner who smokes ‘Bluemasters’ drinks beer has the fish

[Dave S]

The owner who smokes ‘Bluemasters’ drinks beer has the fish

And what colour is his/her House?

Start by writing down all the "knowns"

House colours: Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, and White
Cigars: Dunhill, Pall Mall, Bluemasters, Blends, and Prince

ETC.
Then figure out the order of the houses No1 = ?, No2 = ?, Etc.
OR Who lives in what colour, and so on.

Eventually you will arrive at a conclusion....

[ians]

Bit disappointing, still no explanation from Adrian or Andy.

[Dave S]

I think it is safe for us to assume that the Universe cannot end. Our minds are incapable of perceiving anything beyond this, even if "our" universe has an ending, another must begin at the same point and therefore presents another never-ending-universe. Space and time as we know it are limitless, there may be finite rules to the way we use time, but it is limitless nonetheless. For instance, when we perish, our time stops and our universe ends, but time in general carries on and so does the universe.

I know, it was really a silly question to ask if the Universe has an ending...

[adrianh]

Here is a sideways question: Lets say you were to place a chameleon in between 2 mirrors and a red filter between the chameleon and one mirror and a blue filter between the chameleon and the other. Given that a chameleon can see both sides simultaneously what colour will the chameleon be.

The isn't a trick question with a clever answer, it is just something that I've been wondering about.

[pmbguy]

It depends, I guess, on whether the chameleons skin turns colour bilaterally independently. It would be interesting to which degree if they could. (as a species). I Know a octopus is multilateral and so forth.....chameleons fascinate me, I am going to try this one day.....do some quick research, perhaps even phone chameleon head office

[vieome]

I think it is safe for us to assume that the Universe cannot end. Our minds are incapable of perceiving anything beyond this, even if "our" universe has an ending, another must begin at the same point and therefore presents another never-ending-universe. Space and time as we know it are limitless, there may be finite rules to the way we use time, but it is limitless nonetheless. For instance, when we perish, our time stops and our universe ends, but time in general carries on and so does the universe.

I know, it was really a silly question to ask if the Universe has an ending...

This reminds me of the Nick Bostrom's simuluation theory
His argument is that in the future we will have enough computer power to create simulations that mirror different time periods, he then goes on to argue that we are living in a computer simulated universe. My question to him was if indeed his theory is true, and given that a simulation might run for years, he will eventually get to point where the people living in the simulated universe create their own simulated universe, so a simulation in a simulation, a multi(universe). So if we living in a simulated universe our universe may be finite. Another interesting take on the universe is given by David Bohm who argues that the universe is holographic, a 2D energy field that projects itself as a 3d world.

[Dave S]

Here is a sideways question: Lets say you were to place a chameleon in between 2 mirrors and a red filter between the chameleon and one mirror and a blue filter between the chameleon and the other. Given that a chameleon can see both sides simultaneously what colour will the chameleon be.

The isn't a trick question with a clever answer, it is just something that I've been wondering about.

Adrian, this test has actually been done, or something similar. We mere mortals, believe what we heard in school, that a chameleon will change colour to suit it's surroundings, this is not entirely true. A Chameleon can only adopt certain colour of the Green/Blue/Red spectrum(s) and they can range from Grey to almost Pink in colour. In the scenario you provide, I imagine the chap would be a Brownish/Grey/Orange. I don't know to what extent his pigmentation is controlled, but if it is possible for him to change his sides to different colours, he would probably appear Grey/Brown on the Red filter mirror, and a Brown/Orange on the Blue filtered mirror. I am just guessing though?

I will try to find the actual experiment on the net when I have a little more time, the results should be quite interesting.

[Dave S]

Note to my last entry. The Chameleon colour chart is as dependent on species, mood, terrain, as it is on pigmentation within his dermis, or so I have read, a lot more research required I'm afraid.