RSA token patterns

So, my work requires that if you log into the network from home to use one of those RSA token cards with 6 digits that change every 30 seconds.

However, it seems that almost every number that comes up, there's a pattern.  Like repeated digits, or even multiple repeated digits, or the first 3 numbers being very close to the last 3 numbers.

So, I bring to you the probability of there being at least 2 duplicate digits for an n-digit number.

1- 0%
2 - 10%
3 - 30%
n - n!/(n-2)!2! * 10%

... okay I'm too lazy.  And I'm wrong too.  This formula counts a bunch of permutations repeated times, and I'm too lazy to figure out the right answer.  I first figured out it was wrong when 5 digits came out at 100%.  Oh well.

Nutrition code of conduct

This is about a week old in my head.  You'll see how in a sec.

We're going to prove by induction how to eat healthily.

Base case 1: not eating junk food is healthy.
Base case 2: eating junk food makes you want more junk food.

Inductive case: After eating bite N of junk food, you're going to want bit N+1 of junk food.

Therefore, to eat healthily, you must either not eat junk food, or understand that somewhere after eating some amount of junk food, that YOU WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED, so you might as well stop now.  Or rather, to understand that eating the next bite isn't going to make you want to stop eating.

This was my health conduct last week.  Last week, I pulled the carrot sticks out of my fridge in my office when I had the munchies. 

Today, I ate half a donut and a butterfinger.  Before lunch.

Proxy rant

Sorry, not all posts are going to be updates on my condition.  For now I just have a rant about computers.

So, at work, to get on the internet (my browser's dictionary just flagged 'internet' as a misspelled word), I have to change the proxy settings to "Automatically detect proxy settings".

When I bring my computer home (I'll leave the question as to whether my computer is a laptop or not as an exercise to the reader), I have to change it to "No proxy".

Rant:
Why can't "Automatically detect proxy settings" automatically detect that there's no proxy?

What to do during an MRI

Had a second set of MRIs today.  The doctor wanted to see whether the tumor had spread up or down the spine, so he order a thoracic (t) spine and a cervical (c) spine mri.

This time, I left my eyes closed most of the time, as last time, I came out dizzy and had to spend some time laying down.  This time I was all right.

So, if you're like me, which you're probably not, what do you do during an hour-and-a-half MRI?  You invent and solve math problems.

(I did all the coding in my head that there was to do on Monday.  Problem with coding in your head is you have to go do it on the computer, which takes longer.)

So, here's what I came up with today.

Suppose you can put multiple MRI scanners in one room (which I don't think you can).  The scanner takes up 2 vertical units of area.  In order for a scanner to be present, it has to be surrounded by empty units of area.  Sorry, I'm too lazy to make pictures.

So, for one scanner to be in one room, you need 3 units wide by 4 units tall. 

For each subsequent scanner, you need 2 additional units horizontally, or 3 additional units vertically.

Question: Given N units of area, what is the optimal arrangement of scanners?

I had solved this up to the point where I would have to differentiate 1/x, at which point I couldn't keep track of all of it in my head anymore.

Well done, XKCD

One of my favorite comics, xkcd.com, has hit its 1000th comic.  A few of them are a bit on the edge, but most of them are absolutely hilarious to a geek like me.

Duh!!!1

I taught my children about how in online forums you'll see "Some sentence"!!!1  And for the last 20 minutes they've been "Duh!!1" to each other.  No, not typing, but speaking.