Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.datemas.de!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed4a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.072 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.86; '*S*': 0.00; ';-)': 0.03; 'from:addr:ethan': 0.09; 'from:addr:stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'from:name:ethan furman': 0.09; 'integral': 0.09; 'message- id:@stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'subject:skip:c 10': 0.09; '~ethan~': 0.09; 'adam': 0.16; 'east,': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; '>>>': 0.22; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; 'chris': 0.29; 'am,': 0.29; 'locations': 0.30; 'actual': 0.34; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'could': 0.34; 'anywhere': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'earth': 0.36; "he's": 0.36; 'east': 0.36; 'charset:us-ascii': 0.36; 'so,': 0.37; 'starting': 0.37; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'that,': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'enough': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'globe.': 0.60; 'color': 0.61; 'subject: ': 0.61; 'received:173': 0.61; 'back': 0.62; 'times': 0.62; 'such': 0.63; '30,': 0.65; 'north': 0.65; 'spot': 0.65; 'research,': 0.68; 'walk': 0.74; 'circles': 0.84; 'mile': 0.84; 'received:64.5': 0.84; 'north,': 0.91 Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 06:14:23 -0700 From: Ethan Furman User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20121010 Thunderbird/16.0.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] References: <535f0f9f$0$29965$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <8td53bxud5.ln2@news.ducksburg.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - gator3304.hostgator.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - python.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - stoneleaf.us X-BWhitelist: no X-Source-IP: 173.12.184.233 X-Exim-ID: 1WfULA-0000Qi-Ez X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Source-Sender: ([173.12.184.233]) [173.12.184.233]:34628 X-Source-Auth: ethan+stoneleaf.us X-Email-Count: 1 X-Source-Cap: dG9idWs7dG9idWs7Z2F0b3IzMzA0Lmhvc3RnYXRvci5jb20= X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 22 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1398865011 news.xs4all.nl 2940 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:45461 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:70778 On 04/29/2014 03:51 PM, Chris Angelico wrote: > On Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 8:42 AM, emile wrote: >> On 04/29/2014 01:16 PM, Adam Funk wrote: >> >>> "A man pitches his tent, walks 1 km south, walks 1 km east, kills a >>> bear, & walks 1 km north, where he's back at his tent. What color is >>> the bear?" ;-) >> >> >> From how many locations on Earth can someone walk one mile south, one mile >> east, and one mile north and end up at their starting point? > > Any point where the mile east takes you an exact number of times > around the globe. So, anywhere exactly one mile north of that, which > is a number of circles not far from the south pole. It is my contention, completely unbacked by actual research, that if you find such a spot (heading a mile east takes you an integral number of times around the pole), that there is not enough Earth left to walk a mile north so that you could then turn-around a walk a mile south to get back to such a location. -- ~Ethan~