Another One for the Quote File

Found this reading my Radar for Meteorologists text:

When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager, unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced the state of science.

-- William Thompson, First Baron Kelvin

I had been noodling along these lines for a couple of weeks. It has occurred to me that, since going back to school in January, with regard to concepts and ideas, I haven't learned a thing. What I have learned are the mathematical means for expressing and quantifying such ideas and concepts. For example, the fact that air density decreases and temperature increases - that's not new to me. But how to calculate the relationship - that is. Or the idea that light (and radar) waves scatter when hitting air molecules of varying types - I've known that since I was a kid. Figuring how much and in which directions - that's new.

Cthulu of the Caribbean

Toni and I finally saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest this afternoon. First impressions:

• Liked it, but it wasn't as funny as the first one. I think the absence of Geoffrey Rush was part of it.
  
• The entire cannibal sequence could have been left on the cutting room floor, IMHO. It made the movie start too slowly and didn't seem important to the plot. Just a way to get Will and Jack back together.
  
• It seemed almost a horror film, and there were a few moments of gratuitous squick that could have been left out.
  
• Bill Nighy was fabulous as Cthulu Davy Jones - his delivery was terrific as were the facial effects. Loved his organ playing via the tentacles.
  
• Jack Davenport looked very different as Norrington. It was cool to see him more scruffy (as "cleaned-up" Norrington I kept seeing Steve from Coupling).
  
• Overall, a likable film, but it didn't outdo the first one. Of course, I'm not sure that would have been easy for anyone to pull off.