Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein’s Outrageous Legacy (1994)
by Kip Thorne
It is my all-time favorite among the popular-science physics books. It presents a serious discussion on how to build a time machine, without misleading the readers.
— Me@2010.08.31
2010.08.31 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
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Which is an uncomfortable thought. If they were just like us, then they had to work very hard to do what they did. And that’s one reason we like to believe in genius. It gives us an excuse for being lazy. If these guys were able to do what they did only because of some magic Shakespeareness or Einsteinness, then it’s not our fault if we can’t do something as good.
I’m not saying there’s no such thing as genius. But if you’re trying to choose between two theories and one gives you an excuse for being lazy, the other one is probably right.
— Paul Graham
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2010.08.31 Tuesday
心靈作業系統 5.3
如果有一個程式（A），與你電腦的作業系統不 compatible（兼容），而你又堅持要用的話，你可以：
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3. 在原本的作業系統（Operating System）上，安裝一個 Virtual Machine（虛擬機器）。再在 Virtual Machine 上，安裝另一個作業系統。
（安：回到剛才「學習新事物」的比喻。如果新知識與自己原有的「思考作業系統」有衝突、不兼容的話，除了剛才所提及的解決辦法外，還有另一個可能，就是在自己原有的「思考作業系統」上，安裝一個 Virtual Machine。那樣，你就可以在保留自己的「思考作業系統」，而又毋須作任何修改的情況下，去駕馭新知識。）
這個想法很有趣。但是，這個比喻不是太有效。例如，怎樣為之「在自己原有的『思考作業系統』上，安裝一個 Virtual Machine」呢？
不過，如果不是用來比喻「學習新事物」的話，Virtual Machine 這個概念，可以有效地比喻其他東西。
例如，「演戲」其實是一個運作 Virtual Machine 的過程。假設，我將要在一齣電影中，飾演「愛因斯坦」。事前，除了背誦對白外，我還要大量閱讀「愛因斯坦」的生平事蹟、思想學說，以求逼真的演繹。我所做的這些功夫，就是安裝 Virtual Machine 的過程。到最後，電影中出現的角色，既不是我自己，亦不是真正的「愛因斯坦」，而是在我思想中的一個「虛擬愛因斯坦」。
（安：又例如，「中國特色社會主義」其實是 Virtual Machine 的一個大例子。）
— Me@2010.08.31
2010.08.31 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
反白論前傳：知音篇 3
如果你未試過做醜小鴨（被人鄙視），
大概不會變成天鵝（有大成就）吧。
— Me@2010.07.21
2010.08.30 Monday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
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People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
仁者見仁 智者見智
— Ralph W. Emerson
— Me@2010.08.30
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2010.08.30 Monday
讀心術 8.1
這段改篇自 2010 年 3 月 25 日的對話。
我年輕時的一些想法，我在 28.5 歲開始，發現是錯的。
例如，我以前覺得：「人性是好的；人心的最深處是善良的。」我以為：「如果有一個人對我不好，傷害我，只是他還未感受到別人的關心。只要我對他再好一點，他就會感受到人間溫暖，自然會到我好一點。即使不會對我好，至少不會再傷害我。」
後來，我發現這個想法，只有在少部分情況下是正確的。大部分情況下，這個想法都與事實不乎。有很多（例如）沒有禮貌的人，我越了解他們，越發現他們的內心深處，比表面還要邪惡，完全否定了我「人心的最深處是善良的」的假設。
— Me@2010.08.30
2010.08.30 Monday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
Even college textbooks are bad. When you get to college, you’ll find that (with a few stellar exceptions) the textbooks are not written by the leading scholars in the field they describe. Writing college textbooks is unpleasant work, done mostly by people who need the money. It’s unpleasant because the publishers exert so much control, and there are few things worse than close supervision by someone who doesn’t understand what you’re doing. This phenomenon is apparently even worse in the production of high school textbooks.
— Paul Graham
2010.08.29 Sunday ACHK
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Startups in 137 chars: Make something someone specific needs, launch fast, let users show you what to change, change it, repeat last two.
— Paul Graham
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2010.08.29 Sunday
「Virtual Machine」（虛擬機器）的另外一個用途是：
有一個程式（A）很吸引，你很想買來用。但是，程式 A 只可以在 Microsoft Windows（視窗）上運行。而你電腦的作業系統（Operating System）卻是 MacOS（蘋果電腦作業系統）。解決的辦法是，你可以在你的 MacOS 上，先安裝一個 Virtual Machine 程式，然後再在 Virtual Machine 上，安裝一個 Microsoft Windows。那樣，你就可以安裝 程式 A 來使用，而毋須特意買過另一部（以 Microsoft Windows 為作業系統的）電腦。
作暫時的總結：
如果有一個程式（A），與你電腦的作業系統不 compatible（兼容），而你又堅持要用的話，你可以：
1. 更換作業系統，或者 買另一部（用另一個作業系統的）電腦；或
2. 修改原本的作業系統，令它與新程式兼容：前提是，你電腦的作業系統是 open source（開源，開放源程式碼）的；或
3. 在原本的作業系統上，安裝一個 Virtual Machine。再在 Virtual Machine 上，安裝另一個作業系統。
— Me@2010.08.29
2010.08.29 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
In technology, “industry best practice” is a recipe for losing.
— Paul Graham
2010.08.28 Saturday ACHK
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I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it’s not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time.
— Mohandas K. Gandhi
— Me@2010.08.26
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2010.08.28 Saturday
My answer is that you would be a truly free person. You would be forever liberated from the tyranny of others’ opinions, from self-doubt, from the fear of life and the fear of death, and from the demands of time.
Instead, you would be free to enjoy life as it is and to find fulfillment and joy in helping others.
— Kenneth Ring’s Lessons from the Light
I sometimes want to be a teacher but think my teaching role can best be by my example — not by class or going to find students.
— Kenneth Ring’s Lessons from the Light
1. Not everything in this book is correct. Read it with a critical mind.
2. There is a copy of this book in the Hong Kong Public Library.
3. There are more than one book called “Lessons from the Light”, written by different people. The one I mentioned is written by “Kenneth Ring”.
— Me@2010.08.28
2010.08.28 Saturday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
In probability theory, the central limit theorem (CLT) states conditions under which the mean of a sufficiently large number of independent random variables, each with finite mean and variance, will be approximately normally distributed (Rice 1995). The central limit theorem also requires the random variables to be identically distributed, unless certain conditions are met. Since real-world quantities are often the balanced sum of many unobserved random events, this theorem provides a partial explanation for the prevalence of the normal probability distribution. The CLT also justifies the approximation of large-sample statistics to the normal distribution in controlled experiments.
— Wikipedia on Central limit theorem
2010.08.27 Friday ACHK
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Rebellion is almost as stupid as obedience. In either case you let yourself be defined by what they tell you to do. The best plan, I think, is to step onto an orthogonal vector. Don’t just do what they tell you, and don’t just refuse to. Instead treat school as a day job. As day jobs go, it’s pretty sweet. You’re done at 3 o’clock, and you can even work on your own stuff while you’re there.
— Paul Graham
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2010.08.27 Friday
讀心術 6
自然定律 7
這類不負責任的人的言論，有一個模式：「你竟然要花這麼多的時間在這件事情上。如果是我，十分一的時間就可以完成。」他們會把一些明明是很花時間心神的事情，描述到彷彿是完全沒有難度，從而打擊別人，提高自己。他們宣稱可以短時間內完成事情，並不是因為他們有較豐富的工作經驗。反而，他們是完全沒有相關的經驗，所以不知道對應的難度。因為這種無知，他們會充滿自信地胡說八道。
背後的原理是：知識越多的人，就會越貌似自卑；知識越少的人，就會越貌似自信。原因是，「知道自己愚蠢」本身，需要一定的智力和知識水平。你的知識領域要大到一定的程度，你才會體會到：「噢！原來我原本所知的東西是那麼少！」所以，真才實學的人，會缺乏安全感，覺得自己有很多不妥的地方。相反，不學無術的人，不會有足夠的知識和智力去感受自己的無知和愚蠢。所以，他們會自以為是。
以後，如果你見到一個充滿自信的人，你要記住，實情有兩個可能性。一個可能性是，他真的是博學多才。這個可能性發生的機會很微。另外一個可能性是，他是一個傻瓜：一個沒有能力知道自己是傻瓜的傻瓜。這個可能性發生的機會很大。
所以，「防止被騙系統」的其中一個重點是，你要防範那些「充滿自信」的人，因為他們往往會「講就天下無敵；做就有心無力」。評價一個人，你要做到「不聽其言；只觀其行」。
那樣，知識多的人，是否就注定要自卑呢？
— Me@2010.08.27
2010.08.27 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
Hackers & Painters Table of Contents
1. Why Nerds Are Unpopular
Their minds are not on the game.
2. Hackers and Painters
Hackers are makers, like painters or architects or writers.
3. What You Can’t Say
How to think heretical thoughts and what to do with them.
4. Good Bad Attitude
Like Americans, hackers win by breaking rules.
5. The Other Road Ahead
Web-based software offers the biggest opportunity since the arrival of the microcomputer.
6. How to Make Wealth
The best way to get rich is to create wealth. And startups are the best way to do that.
7. Mind the Gap
Could “unequal income distribution” be less of a problem than we think?
8. A Plan for Spam
Till recently most experts thought spam filtering wouldn’t work. This proposal changed their minds.
9. Taste for Makers
How do you make great things?
10. Programming Languages Explained
What a programming language is and why they are a hot topic now.
11. The Hundred-Year Language
How will we program in a hundred years? Why not start now?
12. Beating the Averages
For web-based applications you can use whatever language you want. So can your competitors.
13. Revenge of the Nerds
In technology, “industry best practice” is a recipe for losing.
14. The Dream Language
A good programming language is one that lets hackers have their way with it.
15. Design and Research
Research has to be original. Design has to be good.
— Paul Graham
2010.08.26 Thursday ACHK
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地球表面，是一間沒有醫生的精神病院。
— Me@2010.07.26
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2010.08.26 Thursday
有一種 software（程式），叫做「Virtual Machine」（虛擬機器）。
假設，我是一個 programmer（程式員）。我用來寫程式的電腦是用 Windows XP Operating Systems（作業系統）的。我想試試我所寫的程式，在其他作業系統上，例如 Windows 2000，能不能暢順運行。本來，我需要再買另一部電腦，然後專門安裝 Windows 2000，用來測試該個我所寫的程式。
但是，如果我用 Virtual Machine 的話，我就毋須再買另一部電腦。我只需要先在原本電腦的 Windows XP 上，安裝一個 Virtual Machine 程式；然後，再在該個 Virtual Machine 上，安裝一個 Windows 2000。那樣，我就可以在那個 Windows 2000，安裝我所寫的程式，看它能否在 Windows 2000 上正常運作。
— Me@2010.08.26
2010.08.26 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK
Rather than speculate on the ideas that might have developed in the absence of string theory, we can celebrate the remarkable insights that have emerged from it. It has explained, for example, why black holes have entropy and temperature. It has also demonstrated a surprising fact: theories of strong nuclear forces are equivalent to theories of gravity. Over the last two months, several new papers use string theory to describe the motion of quarks in the plasma created by the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven! Not bad for a theory whose critics say is pie in the sky.
— Barton Zwiebach: a letter to the editor
2010.08.25 Wednesday ACHK
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The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty.
* Eugene McCarthy, quoted in Time magazine, 12 February 1979
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2010.08.25 Wednesday ACHK
Physics Town 
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