Walking around the world -- compiling Gentoo Prefix

Given that I'm compiling Gentoo Prefix on a 2.3Ghz Linux host and it is taking several hours I started imaging how much work the computer is actually doing.

2.3 Ghz = 2300000000 cycles per second.

Assuming we only use 10% of the CPU because we are waiting on I/O we are still talking 230000000 cycles per second.

Each cycle represents a very small operation and perhaps only 10 little operations make up some quantum of what a human would consider an "operation" like, "take one step forward." Now we are talking about 23000000 human steps per second.

The average human stride is perhaps 34 inches... leading to 12342 miles worth of steps per second. That means that every two seconds I am asking the computer to walk around the earth. Gentoo prefix is taking several hours to bootstrap so you can figure 3600 seconds in an hour for 3 hours equates to 5363 "walks around the earth" to just bootstrap prefix once.

Oops, the bootstrap just died. I need to tweak something and restart it...

Each of those lines of code has been carefully written/re-written/debugged/versioned by human hands. A person can only write so much code in their lifetime: how many lifetimes of code are flying by me every time I press enter?

New Years Meta-Resolution

Each new year brings oodles of expectations including the dreaded/coveted "new years resolution." My resolution is actually a meta-resolution and it is "to not need resolutions next year." If I live well enough from day to day then I don't need a special date to make my life better.

Cheers!

The Physics Factory

Home: http://www.physicsfactory.org

This is an interesting phenomenon with a bus-full of great demonstrations and wacky physicists who put on a great show and engage the audience with wonderful results! I spent a bit of time with the gang in the earliest days and have been pleased to see their successes grow.

It seems that they are starting to look at accomplishing one of their earlier goals of an actual Physics Factory in some way since Tucson should be on the market for something like this! Check out their progress and contribute if you can!

f1r2t b10g! .. ok, maybe I'm a little late in the game for that one but it's MY first anyway.

For lack of a specific topic, this will be about interesting things I come across with a small'ish splash of my own thoughts. Enjoy! ;)