Category: Life & Happiness

Posted in Life & Happiness

Eleusis Game

Posted on by Jinavie

The victory condition for this card game, named after an ancient Greek city, is quite simple: discover the pre-determined law via induction.
This game needs at least four people, with one person acting the position of God. God decides on a certain law (in the form of a single statement) and writes it down on a paper, thus creating the way of the universe. 
Next, the deck of cards is split evenly between the other players, then one person places a card in the centre. After “the world begins to exist”, God looks at the card and says “This card qualifies” or “This card fails”. The next player also places a card in the centre and the God judges whether it fits the way of the universe.

Players carefully study which cards qualify or fail to try discover the way of the universe. If someone thinks they figured the law out, he or she proclaims themself as the prophet, who begins to take over the role of God to announce whether the cards qualify or not. If at any point the prophet is wrong, he is dismissed. If the prophet correctly judges ten cards in a row, he states his hypothesised law and compares it to the piece of paper. The prophet wins if the two laws coincide, but is dismissed if it is not. When all 52 cards are played without a successful prophet, God becomes victorious.

However, as this is a game, the way of the universe cannot be too complex. To make it fun, the God player must devise a law that is simple yet difficult to discover. For example, the law “Alternate a card higher than 9 and a card lower than 9” is tricky as players tend to focus on picture cards or the colours of the cards. Also, laws such as “Only red cards qualify, except the tenth and thirtieth cards are disqualified” and “Accept all cards that are not the 7 of Hearts” are illegal, as they are too detailed. A God who comes up with such ways of the universe that cannot be found using logic and the scientific method loses his right to play the game. Ergo, the God must seek simplicity that is not easily conceived.

So what is the most successful strategy for this game? Even if there is the risk of being dismissed, proclaim yourself as the prophet as soon as possible for the best chance of winning.

(Source: http://iraka.deviantart.com/art/Playing-his-cards-right-55647521?q=boost%3Apopular%20in%3Aphotography%20playing%20cards&qo=21)

Posted in Life & Happiness

Feynman Problem Solving Algorithm

Posted on by Jinavie

Richard Feynman is a world-renowned genius physicist, famous for his ability of solving some of the most difficult problems in physics. He said that his intelligence was all thanks to his unique yet “normal” problem solving method, which he used to solve most of his problems. Here is the algorithm:

    1.  Write down the problem.
    2.  Think very deeply.
    3.  Write down the answer.

If that does not yield the answer:

    4.  Sleep.
    5.  Wake up, then think deeply again.
    6.  Write down the answer.

Nothing is impossible.

Posted in Life & Happiness

Coffee

Posted on by Jinavie

The coffee that we order from cafés tend to be espresso coffee, which is made by roasting fresh coffee beans, grinding them up and extracting 30ml of coffee from exactly 8g of coffee beans at 9 atmosphere pressure. This concentrated form of coffee can be drunk straight as espresso, or short black, but there are many more variations that can be seen on the menu.

Firstly, there is the basic method of diluting it with hot water, now called a long black or americano. If it is chilled with ice, it becomes an iced americano.
Other than espresso and long black, most coffee use steamed milk and foam. For example, if only a dollop of foam is placed on the espresso, it is a macchiato; if only steamed milk is used, it becomes a flat white or a latte (a latte has more froth).

To make a more complicated drink, layering both steamed milk and foam produces a cappuccino, well-known for its dry foam that coats the drinker’s lips. As every country has a different recipe for it, it is often a subject of debate, even to the point of Italy publishing an official standard recipe for traditional Italian cappuccinos.
As a cappuccino has more foam than steamed milk, it has a richer taste. A flat white has a much smoother taste as it has the most steamed milk.
Furthermore, a mocha is made by adding chocolate to a latte, and an Irish coffee is made by adding whiskey to long black.

A glass of this aromatic drink can brighten up a morning, let you enjoy a relaxing, luxurious afternoon, or casually sipped while chatting to friends.

Posted in Life & Happiness

1 + 1 = 3

Posted on by Jinavie

“One plus one is three. When a person meets another person, three things are established: co-operation, understanding and solidarity.” ~ Edmond Wells (featuring in works by Bernard Werber)

Through this magnificent equation, society and nature alike evolve as two things come together to form something even greater than the sum of themselves.

Only those who can transcend the hard, absolute mathematical logic of 1 + 1 = 2 and appreciate the beautiful philosophy of 1 + 1 = 3 can live life to the fullest and deepen their thoughts.

Posted in Life & Happiness

A Little

Posted on by Jinavie

There’s always a little truth behind every “just kidding”

A little knowledge behind every “I don’t know”

A little emotion behind every “I don’t care”

And a little pain behind every “It’s okay”

Posted in Life & Happiness

The Mermaid Theory

Posted on by Jinavie

The myth of mermaids originates thousands of years ago from sailors who had been out in the waters for many months. Without seeing a woman for such long times, they reached a point of desperation where manatees on the rocks appeared as beautiful women with strangely attractive fish tails. This portrays the basic male drive and the way we perceive the world.

This applies to modern days as well. Upon meeting any woman, regardless of their level of attractiveness, a “mermaid clock” begins ticking inside a man’s head. The time that takes for this clock to expire varies for every woman, but ultimately a time comes when the man will see the woman as attractive and will not be able to take his eyes off of her. This is The Mermaid Theory, which thus proves that the attractiveness of a woman to a man increases in direct proportion to the time exposed to her. Or put even more simply, no matter how attractive or unattractive a woman is, eventually a man will want to sleep with her. This process may be accelerated by the usage of alcohol and the level of depravation of the man at the time. 

image

The Mermaid Theory proves to be potentially dangerous, for example when the woman in question is a close friend of the man or even his partner. Sometimes the mental shock that someone once so unappealing is now so beautiful looking may be crippling as well.

True story.

Posted in Life & Happiness

Blueberry Pancakes

Posted on by Jinavie

Let’s make some blueberry pancakes, a tasty and nutritious brunch item.

Ingredients:

Flour 115g
Baking powder 5g
Salt 1g
Milk 100ml
Egg 1
Sugar 30g
Butter 30g
Blueberries 20~30 

  1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl
  2. Mix the egg, milk and sugar together, and whisk well
  3. Mix 1 and 2 together with the pre-melted butter to make the batter
  4. On a pre-heated frying pan, drizzle some cooking oil on it, then pour a scoop of batter on (or all of it to make one large pancake)
  5. Cook on a weak flame and when bubbles start to fill the surface, sprinkle some blueberries (as much as you want) and flip the pancake carefully, to keep the shape 
  6. Let the bottom surface cook for a bit longer, and then serve on a plate, then repeat until there’s no batter left
  7. Serve with blueberries, jam, honey, maple syrup, whipped cream, banana, icing sugar, bacon etc. according to your taste and enjoy 

Pancakes are easy to make, soft, warm, moist and delicious which makes it ideal for brunch. Also, blueberries contain potent antioxidants which have anti-aging and anti-cancer properties.

Posted in Life & Happiness

New Year’s Resolution

Posted on by Jinavie

On the last day of the year, almost anyone is bound to make a few New Year’s resolutions. However, realistically it is rare for those resolutions to be kept, and instead forgotten within weeks. But according to Dr Richard Wiseman’s experiment, it was found that utilising other techniques instead of just keeping them to oneself was more effective in carrying out those resolutions. Here are ten methods to help keep one’s New Year’s resolution successful:

  1. Make one resolution only: Rather than making many false promises, it is better to concentrate your efforts into one.
  2. Tell someone to remind you: A resolution only in one’s mind is bound to be forgotten. Instead, tell a friend or a loved one to remind you, or write up a big sign or post a picture somewhere visible.
  3. Plan ahead: Making resolutions requires planning; instead of making an impromptu resolution on the night, think for a few days beforehand for a more effective plan.
  4. Be specific: Vague plans always fail. Instead of “I will quit smoking”, try something specific like “I will smoke one cigarette less for every two days”.
  5. Do not reuse old resolutions: Reusing resolutions will only bring regret and frustration from constant failure, so either make a fresh resolution or use a different approach, such as changing “I will get better grades” to “I will study more”.
  6. Set S.M.A.R.T goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based goals are significantly more effective and efficient. For example, if you are looking for a new job, rewrite your CV, set goals you can keep for every new week and apply for a job twice every week.
  7. Think positively: Rather than thinking of the repercussions of not making a resolution, think of the rewards of keeping the resolution.
  8. Carrot over stick: Think how your life will improve from the resolution. For instance, deciding to socialise more will bring more friends, more fun and more happiness into your life.
  9. Visualise: Seeing yourself carrying out the resolution and reaping the reward will help keep the resolution.
  10. Be Persistent: Forming habits take time, so do not blame yourself or give up when you slip up a few times. Instead, you must keep trying with perseverance and confidence.

Lastly, the research also found that women are worse at keeping resolutions compared to men (30% vs 37% respectively).

Posted in Life & Happiness

Humour

Posted on by Jinavie

Humour is language that can make people laugh. However, being a language, every person responds to it differently. This is due to age, culture, religion, nationality and many other factors defining their way of thinking. In 2001, a famous psychologist called Dr Richard Wiseman tackled this problem scientifically. He used the question: “Is there a joke that is funny anywhere in the world?” as a basis to design the experiment called “LaughLab”. The design was quite simple: design a website where anyone can upload a joke that is rated by the world on a scale of 1 to 5. Using this method, Dr Wiseman found the World’s Funniest Joke:

Runner-up:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip, and after finishing their dinner they retire for the night, and go to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.” “I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes” exclaims Watson. “And what do you deduce from that?” Watson ponders for a minute. “Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?” “Watson, you idiot!” he exclaims, “Somebody’s stolen our tent!”

World’s Funniest Joke:

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?”. The operator says “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says “OK, now what?”

Dr Wiseman says that effective jokes are usually short but gives the audience a feeling of superiority, while relieving stress and featuring a sudden twist.