Re: Semi OT Grace Hopper lecture

Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

On Fri, 8 Nov 2024 11:15:50 +0100, Terje Mathisen wrote:
 

The standard paper size available in all printers and copiers is of
course A4, and that A4 sheet is exactly(*) one nanosecond tall (29.97
cm) as well as one nanosecond when travelling inside an optical fiber
wide!

 Hey, I never noticed that. Proof, if any were needed, that international
standard paper sizes and units of measurement were given to us by the
gods ...
 By the way, that must mean the refractive index of optical fibre is close
to 1.4. Is that plastic? Because glass would be closer to 1.5, wouldn’t
it?

You had to notice that one, didn't you?
:-)
Yeah, optical fibers, at least for long-distance communication, is very pure quarts with a refractory index typically in the 1.46-1.47 range, which for illustrative purposes is close enough to 1.4142, right?

 

Terje (*) Within your ability to measure with a ruler, or a paper
supplier to cut.

 Yes, the size of a sheet of paper can vary quite appreciably (by as much
as a few percent), depending on the humidity particularly.
 

Regards,
Terje
--
- <Terje.Mathisen at tmsw.no>
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"