Fasters's definitions

Dash

A short horizon line between two numbers—year born and year dead—that represents an entire life from birth to death, which could last for decades, years, days, and minutes that the person buried six feet below ground was given.

A dash shows how short our finite or limited life is on this side of eternity, which can’t be added or multiplied, much less saved up to be used in the future.

by Fasters February 23, 2023

Pigiarist

Someone who pilfers other people’s results on the number π and passes them as their own.

Guesstimate the number of math educators- or mathematicians-turned-pigiarists worldwide, who eventually get tenured.

by Fasters February 19, 2023

Numerical Vanity

When superstitious (or arguably vain) people would dearly bid for items like car plates, phone numbers, and house units that display “auspicious” or “lucky” numbers, or a string of “patternful” digits.

Guesstimate how many million bucks the digital or numerical vanity business is worth every year in Asia and the Middle East.

by Fasters February 17, 2023

SFO

Short for “Sino Flying Object.” A quasi-symmetric (spherical, cylindrical, octagonal, …) object that has recently been spotted (or finally been detected) crossing near “US sensitive sites”—a few of them were shot down by a fighter jet because they allegedly or exaggeratedly posed a surveillance threat to the security of the country, or to the lives of the people.

The US had shot three SFOs or UFOs in three days following the take down of a Chinese spy balloon that floated their sky the previous weekend, but they themselves had hypocritically launched no fewer than a dozen of these slow-moving spy or surveillance objects over the Chinese or Russian airspace since last year.

by Fasters February 13, 2023

The π = 3 Church

When believers subscribe to the uncompromising view that any numbers or fractions mentioned in, or mathematical constants derived from, the Bible must be taken literally with zero room for approximation, adulteration, or subtraction.

Founded by a group of Bible literalists-turned-theomaticians, the π = 3 Church has so far failed to appeal to pre-believers and the converted, especially those who’re allergic to school or college math, despite regularly distributing free pies and pizzas to the poor in the community.

by Fasters February 12, 2023

Math

Arguably the most under-appreciated art form: patterns, symmetries, shapes, formulas, rules, proofs, applications, mysteries, myths, philosophies, ahas, and the like.

If math is the language of science and technology, why is it the world’s most disliked school subject for billions of students and their parents?

by Fasters February 11, 2023

Compound Poverty

When you condition your mind that there is not enough money rather than there is more than enough, because while growing up, money was scarce, and your parents or loved ones were struggling to make ends meet—when you focus on saving money rather than making money.

Poor people tend to focus on their lack, which over time leads them to develop a compound poverty mindset; wealthy folks look for new streams of income that would yield compound interest by embracing an abundance mindset.

by Fasters February 10, 2023