Not for the faint of art. |
Complex Numbers A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number. The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi. Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary. Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty. |
Compared to the previous couple of days, yesterday was easy: Walk around Bruges, drink beers. The rescheduled private Bruges beer tour happened, and the Ukrainian guide introduced me to more beer. We started at the Beer Museum, and yes, there is a Beer Museum in Bruges and it contains a taphouse. You might think, "But Waltz, haven't you tried them all already?" No. No, I have not. I haven't even tried all the ones that make it to the US, let alone the good stuff they keep to themselves here. Tant de bières, si peu de temps. There exist over 400 breweries here. Most of them produce more than one brew. And things keep changing, so I don't think I could try all of them even if I wanted to (which I do). It's enough that I have the impossible dream of visiting every brewery in the US (we're up to around 10,000, but we keep losing and gaining them). The ones I did try, though, were generally good. There are some styles I just don't enjoy as much, so mostly, it's a matter of personal taste, not a reflection of actual quality of product. In addition to this, I fulfilled a long-standing fuck-it list item and visited the Torture Museum here. What they don't tell you at the link there (Atlas Obscura) is that you have to walk down a flight of dark, ominous stairs to get to the museum in the basement, and that there's a cheery café on the ground floor which doesn't seem to have any connection to the museum... or does it? Unlike with beer, I have no desire or inclination to try all the devices in the museum. Still, it was a good reminder that humans can really suck, sometimes. And sometimes we can do great things, like create beer. Pictured: La Corne du Bois des Pendus, another beer with unique glassware, on a table on a terrace by a canal. |