2023-01-13 01:17:40 <KipIngram   > One thing that's interesting about these astronomy algorithms is that often they really have *no* "causal concepts" woven into them.  Some quantity might be given as a polynomial in time, with t being the time in seconds since some date, or something like that.
2023-01-13 01:18:14 <KipIngram   > Those terms do NOT have physical origins - what they're giving you in those cases is a *model*, pure and simple.  A curve fit that iwll work well enough within some particular range of time values.
2023-01-13 01:18:30 <KipIngram   > But will go catastrophically wrong as t moves out of that window of goodness.
2023-01-13 01:18:53 <KipIngram   > Such polynomials always exist.
2023-01-13 01:19:34 <KipIngram   > This is kind of what happened t string theory - they were all hot and bothered over it initially, thinking we were "nearly done" with physics.  But it turns out that string theory can model anything.
2023-01-13 01:19:56 <KipIngram   > If you set the free parameters right.  So it offers no avenue to experimental confirmation.
2023-01-13 01:26:51 <dave0       > https://jupiter-ace.co.uk/
2023-01-13 01:28:33 <dave0       > oh
2023-01-13 01:28:37 <dave0       > site requires javascript
2023-01-13 06:44:04 <veltas      > KipIngram: There are some ideas for testing string theory, not sure how soon they can do that
2023-01-13 07:57:41 <KipIngram   > It's really something - when the gadgets like that Jupiter Ace were new, they were amazing.  :-)
2023-01-13 13:18:14 <KipIngram   > Well, I'm gradually pulling together the gear I'll need to reflash an HP-30B.
2023-01-13 13:19:17 <KipIngram   > Gotta have a USB-to-serial chip somewhere in the chain.
2023-01-13 13:19:38 <KipIngram   > I saw a diy design for a connector that pressure-contacts the pins against the pads inside the calculator.
2023-01-13 13:21:15 <KipIngram   > The sad thing is that the vinyl overlay and stickers for re-labeling the keyboard aren't readily available anymore.  You can get an image for it, though.
2023-01-13 13:21:56 <KipIngram   > So I could envision printing it out on some suitable material, but I don't really know how one would cut out the individual key stickers.
2023-01-13 13:24:12 <KipIngram   > These guys have a new project going.  It's a mod for the Swiss Micros DM-42.  The "WP-430C" or "WP-43C."  Saw a video on it last night.
2023-01-13 13:24:23 <KipIngram   > Same basic approach - re-flash it and re-label the keys.
2023-01-13 13:25:52 <Zarutian_iPad> KipIngram: could you print it out on vinyl that a vinyl cutter that fablabs have?
2023-01-13 13:26:13 <Zarutian_iPad> or so e such sticker material?
2023-01-13 13:26:47 <Zarutian_iPad> s/so e/such/
2023-01-13 13:27:12 <KipIngram   > Maybe - I'll have to check out fablabs.
2023-01-13 13:32:03 <KipIngram   > Hmmm.  So what is this exactly?  Is it a way for me to get special projects done, or is it a way for me to tool up to do things myself?
2023-01-13 13:32:45 <thrig       > Aesop's fablabs
2023-01-13 13:33:16 <Zarutian_iPad> fablab is a place to do projects like these. they have tools that might be too expensive and rarely used by individuals
2023-01-13 13:33:42 <thrig       > high end makerspace
2023-01-13 13:34:00 <KipIngram   > Oh, so I go there and do the work myself using tools on site.
2023-01-13 13:34:08 <KipIngram   > I guess I pay for time on equipment?
2023-01-13 13:34:23 <Zarutian_iPad> basically, they have various big tools like a vinyl cutters, lazer cuters, and huge planar cnc machines etc
2023-01-13 13:36:04 <KipIngram   > Oh, that's not far from me at all.   Almost on a route I could take to or from the office.
2023-01-13 13:36:18 <Zarutian_iPad> and it is also a good place to mert tech minded folks and pick their brains
2023-01-13 13:36:28 <Zarutian_iPad> meet*
2023-01-13 13:36:33 <KipIngram   > Yeah - I know a guy I might wind up running into there.
2023-01-13 13:36:47 <KipIngram   > Big time into solar related stuff; mechanical engineer.
2023-01-13 13:36:58 <KipIngram   > Used to work for me back in the "good old days."
2023-01-13 13:37:18 <KipIngram   > Don't know how good his health would be now, though - he was older and that was over 20 years ago.
2023-01-13 13:37:43 <KipIngram   > So, dod you just get a membership in the place or something?
2023-01-13 13:38:27 <Zarutian_iPad> just show up and ask the peeps running it
2023-01-13 13:39:10 <KipIngram   > Here's the diy connector fitting the calculator I saw earlier:
2023-01-13 13:39:12 <KipIngram   > https://wass.net/images/Img_0195.jpg
2023-01-13 13:39:32 <KipIngram   > Those flanges clip under little plastic lips at the side of the port well.
2023-01-13 18:31:40 <KipIngram   > AH!  A DM-41 update.  Being processed through customs in New York.
2023-01-13 18:53:49 <KipIngram   > Wow - that guy that sells HP-30B calculators on eBay offers them in lots of a hundred.
2023-01-13 18:54:13 <KipIngram   > If anyone wants to go into the WP-34S business, there's your chance...
2023-01-13 18:55:03 <KipIngram   > $24 calculator - add a crystal and a couple of capacitors, reflash it, and dress up the keyboard and sell it for $150.  :-)
2023-01-13 18:55:25 <KipIngram   > Or at least that's the price listed on the 34S website; I paid about half that for mine back in the day.
2023-01-13 18:55:32 <thrig       > not sure how much of a calculator market there is
2023-01-13 18:56:36 <KipIngram   > I think there's not much of one, though high school kids still need them.
2023-01-13 18:56:55 <KipIngram   > Certain ones, though, which have been designed to get some sort of "safe for tests" certification.
2023-01-13 18:57:24 <KipIngram   > I've bought calculators for several daughters.  I'm sure the market is nowhere near what it used to be, but it's still there at least a little.
2023-01-13 18:57:31 <KipIngram   > Probably not for RPN calculators, though.
2023-01-13 18:57:46 <KipIngram   > I imagine those only sell to old codgers like me with fond memories of the past.
2023-01-13 19:08:02 <KipIngram   > The matrix support on the WP-34S is pretty good.  It's packaged in the form of elementary operations.  Swap rows, multiply a row by a scalar, etc.
2023-01-13 19:08:28 <KipIngram   > Also an operation that provides the core step of matrix multiplication.
2023-01-13 19:09:20 <KipIngram   > You can start a matrix at any register location (say reg N).  If it's an i rows, j columns matrix, you designate it using a "descriptor": N.iijj