HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: This week's heat insulator
Date: 11 Apr 92 06:40:55 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:143/207.1 - Sunnyvale Fido Conn, Sunnyvale CA


The Polymath writes about "This week's heat insulator" to All  [10 Apr 92 20:44]

TP> I'll bet you thought this couldn't be done (-:. The back slashes 
TP> escape the forward slashes in the search string, so it's actually 
TP> killing any article with /T/ on the Subject: line. Bye-bye, Mr. 
TP> Tai.

The point software that I use to access my BBS has a filter function (a primitive
one, though--the next release will be smarter), and lets me filter all messages
with Tai or /T/ in the From or Subject line.  (The next version will let me
selectively filter subject, from, and to, seperately.)

As I wrote a week ago, "Bye, Tai."
 
/207 143/207
--  
Mike Steiner
UUCP: uts.amdahl.com!kennel!207.1!Mike.Steiner
INTERNET: Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG
"The views expressed above are those of Mike Steiner only."
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Re: Who's in charge here?
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 92 15:50:53 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

In article <2210.29E83201@kennel.FIDONET.ORG> Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mike Steiner) writes:
>
>Sue Miller writes about "Re: Who's in charge here?" to All  [11 Apr 92 23:24]
>
>SM> Ummmm, what's RIME? And yeah, it's definitely relative. I experienced 
>SM> usenet first, compared to it fidonet seemed (and is) relatively 
>SM> well-controlled and structured. Each has its advantages
>
>RIME is another BBS network.  It is literally owned by one woman in the Washington,
>DC area--she owns the software technology for Relaynet, and has complete control
>over what BBSs are allowed in her network, what conferences are in the network
>and who moderates those conferences.  She is known (behind her back) as the
>Dragon Lady.
>
>SM> In fact now that I think about it, I may (depending on resources) 
>SM> look into the idea of setting up a point in my new location. 
>SM> I seem to remember that fido was relatively popular in the UK. 
>SM> Sorry to stray from Mensa. Anybody wanna talk about my test scores? 
>SM> I got a 98% on my Wasserman!! (heheheh)
>
>You should be able to plug into this forum there if you can get usenet access.
> There used to be some British boards on the Mensa Fido echo from over there,
>but they dropped off it about 18 months ago.  Maybe you can stir up something
>to get them back into it.
> 

Well, we'll see how it goes.  I won't be able to do anything right
away what with the tremendous culture shock that I'll be undergoing. :-)
I'll probably get all the software I need loaded onto the old battleaxe
(the '286 box) and then just do some configuration when I get there
and find out what's happening.


Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Subject: Re: do sat/gre scores correspond to iq?
Reply-To: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Organization: Project EOS - North Carolina State University
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 02:51:57 GMT

hegenber@ganzer.ecs.umass.edu writes:

>I noticed that the sat/gre scores listed
>in the mensa application materials were
>about ten times the iq scores. Is this
>a coincidence, or is my sat/gre score
>actually ten times my "iq", for what
>it's worth? 

No, not really. There's a coincidental 
1:10 ratio between the GREs/SATs and
IQ scores in  roughly the IQ 140 - 150
area . The ratio increases as the IQ
score decreases. I doubt these were intended
this way... I don't think an "average"
person would make a 1000 on his SATs.
From: mcbeanb@brandonu.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Canadian/American schools
Date: 1 Apr 92 17:15:48 GMT
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

The following was a piece of e-mail I received in response to one
of my postings here.  I was given permission to post it.  Does anyone
agree with it?

Subj:	Canadian schools ARE different

Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1992 0:12:48 CST
From: LUMENSA@LUB001.LAMAR.EDU
 (Dale Parish)

>Once again, maybe this is just because I live in Canada, but all through
>my public school/high school education, I was singled out to be put
>through these advanced type programs.  There was rarely a year in which
>I wasn't run through something like that.  Not *once* did anyone ever
>give me even a negative attitude about it.  Everyone either thought it


I was envious when we attended the join AG in Montreal in 88 and got to
talk to  some of the Canadian educators.  I imagine that they still make
fun of us, but it was really nice to know that there are places
somewhere (NOT TEXAS!) where the gifted kid in public school who DOESN"T
PLAY FOOTBALL isn't ridiculed.  

What was worth the trip was to hear that Canadian educators are some of
the highest paid professionals out of college, and that a coach would be
a teacher who volunteered his/her time after classes.  Down here, there
are a *few* good coaches in so far as academia is concerned.  Three, I
think.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian McBean  -  McBeanB@BrandonU.Ca
From: Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Who's in charge here?
Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1992 21:21:58 -0500

I wrote:

 DA> Then is there nobody "empowered" to speak on behalf
 DA> of the newsgroup itself?

phil%miracle@merk.com (Phil Hill) replied:

 PH> NO!

 PH> This is an "unmoderated" newsgroup.  Which means it's 
 PH> a free-for-all.  Some
 PH> people will gain more "respect" than others, while other will gain some
 PH> "disrespect".  I'm posting the FAQ and have posted a lot of information
 PH> about Mensa, so I guess that gives me a little 
 PH> respect.  On the other hand
 PH> I've also gone on a flame war or two, so I guess that it all evens out.

 PH> Why do you ask?

 Mainly because I wanted to know if there was someone who could render a
 final decision on what, if anything, the Official Topic of this group
 is and how close we must stick to it, and such questions as might arise
 later, such as the Official Policy on various things like flames,
 crossposts, commercial advertising, obscenity, etc. etc. etc.

 In Fidonet, echoes are almost never moderated in the Usenet sense of
 preemptive censorship (the technology exists but it's nonstandard), but
 almost always moderated in the sense that there is someone in charge,
 who makes and posts the rules, tells people when they're out of line
 (and kicks them out if "need" be), etc.  So it surprised me to find
 that many newsgroups, even on the "official" hierarchies (analogous, I
 guess, to our "backbone", which requires that all echoes carried there
 have moderators), aren't moderated even in the Fidonet sense.

 Seems to work OK when the users are mature enough.  Maybe the
 prerequisite of net access acts as a slightly better twit filter than
 the Fidonet filter, which is merely access to any machine with a modem.
From: Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Swearing in
Date: 8 Apr 92 04:18:17 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:143/207.1 - Sunnyvale Fido Conn, Sunnyvale CA


David O Hunt writes about "Swearing in" to All  [07 Apr 92 14:39]

>DOH>  Actually, I had to take say that when I worked for the U.S.
>DOH> Army.
>
>No, you didn't, David.  You always had the option of "affirming" rather than
>"swearing," and if you affirmed instead of swore, you didn't have to say "so
>help me God."   Even the president doesn't have to swear, but can affirm, when
>he assumes office.
>
>Mike Steiner

DOH> Actually, the person who swore me in didn't mention this option... 

In that case, the person who swore you in did not do his/her job properly.

Of course, the alternative to affirm was incorporated for the benefit of those
religious people who believed that swearing was taking the name of the Lord
in vain, but that doesn't prevent one who doesn't believe in God from affirming
instead of swearing (assuming, of course, that s/he knows of the option).
 
/207 143/207
--  
Mike Steiner
UUCP: uts.amdahl.com!kennel!207.1!Mike.Steiner
INTERNET: Mike.Steiner@p1.f207.n143.z1.FIDONET.ORG
"The views expressed above are those of Mike Steiner only."
From: Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Who's in charge here?
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 00:16:22 -0500

I wrote:

 > I wanted to know if there was someone who could render a
 > final decision on what, if anything, the Official Topic of this group
 > is and how close we must stick to it, and such questions as might arise
 > later, such as the Official Policy on various things like flames,
 > crossposts, commercial advertising, obscenity, etc. etc. etc.

gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) replies:

 g> C'mon, folks!  Don't you agree that unmoderated e-trash gives you just
 g> as much if not more information than a moderated, well-thought-out
 g> post?  Just about something other than the explicit "topic" of
 g> the post?

 Yup.  I just wanted to know if there was someone who could settle it
 once and for all.  However, the lack of such a person has ALSO settled
 it, in favor of there not being an official topic per se.  Fine by me!

Now, how 'bout them 'Skins?  B-)

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: michaelg@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Michael Greenwald)
Subject: Re: A REAL CHALLENGE: Fermat's last theorem..
Organization: CS Department, Stanford University, California, USA
Date:  7 Apr 92 04:49:29 GMT

cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA) writes:

>Are you sure.?.  I just got mail from Derek Bell <dbell@maths.tcd.ie>
>saying that       
>it *had* been proved true, but for all n upto 10,000 *barring 3*.

>If it's "been done", could you let me know when, & by whom .. (maybe
>after you've
>done your taxes :-)  I'd love to get a look at the proof (if it's not
>too 
>formidable).

Look at any number theory text.  It's been proved for a long time.
For example, see Hardy and Wright Section 13.4.

If you're interested in Fermat's Last Theorem, you should check out
the book "13 Lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem."  It's accessible to
the non-mathematician (but assume you're a little mathematically
sophisticated).
From: JLM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Who's in charge here?
Date: 15 Apr 92 03:44:38 GMT
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

In article <1992Apr13.230954.20109@uc.msc.edu>, eab@uh.msc.edu (Edward Bertsch)
says:
>
>Again, I am in charge of this newsgroup.  But I will not exercise my powers
>as a network GOD until I receive the weekly $50 payment from each reader
>and poster of this newsgroup.
>
>The Ed has spoken



 Oh Great All Mighty Ed

 I can't afford to send  .___
the 50 bucks,            |
                         |
 So I've built you a     |--
temple instead.          |
                         |___
                          ||
                          ||
                         /  \
                        /    \
                        |    |
                        |    |
                        |    |_____________________
                       /      \                    \
                      /        \                    \
                     /          \                    \
                    /|           \____________________\
                     |           |                    |
                     |           |                    |
                     |     _     |                    |
                     |    / \    |                    |
                     |   |   |   |                    |
                     |   |   |   |                    |
                     |___|   |___|____________________|
From: mcbeanb@brandonu.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Harsh Language in Recent Post
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:30:06 GMT
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

In article <cdsFpCW00UhB474W94@andrew.cmu.edu>, dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu (David O Hunt) writes:
> 	<1992Apr4.125338.1511@brandonu.ca>
> Organization: Masters student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
> Lines: 21
> In-Reply-To: <1992Apr4.125338.1511@brandonu.ca>
> 
>>> and "so help me God" out of various oaths I'll
>>> watch my language.
>> 
>>Which of these oaths have you felt a need to say?
> 
> Actually, I had to take say that when I worked for the U.S. Army.
> 
> As to "In God We Trust", I resent having to see it every time I pay for
> something.  How about putting "In Satan We Trust" on money.  Would you be so
> neutral then?

Why would I care any more or less what is printed on American money?  Sure
it may be alarming to know that America could very well have a majority
of Satanists (or whatever they're called), but only if they tended to
drink the blood of Canadian cows (or whatever they do)!

About the army, you didn't *have* to join the army there (and apparently
you didn't need to mention God either according to Mr. Steiner).
 
> David Hunt

Brian McBean  -  McBeanB@BrandonU.Ca
From: bathurst@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Bruce Bathurst)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Books that last
Date: 10 Apr 92 17:38:17 GMT
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU

The responses I just read to the problem of the "informational elite" sound
interesting?  Am I missing something?  I thought access to computers and 
telecommunication was just the trap of another time-saving device: something
that waste's our time.  (It does mine!)

We geologists take whatever jobs we can get, so for a couple years I worked
at a National Supercomputer Center.  (Now, if I'm really lucky, it will be
Toto's Sandwich Shop.)  At the Supercomputer, it was taken for granted that
every scientist was an expert Fortran programmer.  In fact, only those
scientists whose research depended critically on the current upper limit of
crunching numbers programmed well, or at all.  These were almost always
applied scientists modeling things, occasionally a number theorist.

Scientists and mathematicians don't program.


A friend who is a philosopher never had enough time, when visiting colleagues
abroad, to finish collaborating on papers.  So--I introduced her to e-mail and
the UNIX tools.  It was a mistake.  Now, she reports, she wastes much of the
morning responding to e-mail.  "I used to have so much time!"

Who is this "informational elite"?  Is the information worth anything?

Bruce
-- 
Department of Geological and Geophysical Sciences
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
bathurst@phoenix.princeton.edu bathurst@pucc.bitnet !princeton!phoenix!bathurst
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: phz@cadence.com (Pete Zakel)
Subject: Re: decimal prefix
Organization: Cadence Design Systems
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 01:00:54 GMT

In article <702507541.F00005@blkcat.UUCP> Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson) writes:
> Power  USA name        UK name
> -----  --------        -------
> 27     octillion       thousand quadrillion
> 30     ?               quintillion
> 33     decillion       thousand quintillion

30 zeroes is "nonillion" (I used to assume it was "novillion" since the others
match the month name prefixes for months that used to be seven through ten).

Beyond "decillion" (yes -- the British system names parallel the American
system names other than changing every 6th power of ten rather than every
3rd power of ten) are:

				American power		UK power

	undecillion		    36			   66
	duodecillion		    39			   72
	tredicillion		    42			   78
	quattuordecillion	    45			   84
	quindecillion		    48			   90
	sexdecillion		    51			   96
	septendecillion		    54			  102
	octodecillion		    57			  108
	novemdecillion		    60			  114
	vigintillion		    63			  120

	centillion		   303			  600

Information courtesy of the numbers table from my Webster's Ninth New
Collegiate Dictionary.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@cadence.com or ..!uunet!cadence!phz)

This fortune is false.
From: roger@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Roger Lustig)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: MCAT scores?
Date: 15 Apr 92 13:16:47 GMT
 <1992Apr14.195433.13724@uwm.edu>
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU

In article <1992Apr14.195433.13724@uwm.edu>
 radcliff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (David G Radcliffe) writes:
>mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:

>: Just an off-shoot of this:  Why is a test such as the MCAT considered
>: to be applicable to Mensa?  Any idiot savante (or anyone who could read
>: even) could study their butts off for the MCAT and do quite well.
>: It only tests knowledge in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology.  The
>: Reading Comprehension part is a snap if you read efficiently, and the
>: written portion is so subjective that I can't see it being integrated
>: very easily into an overall score anyway.  Mensa is the organization for
>: high IQ, but MCAT has nothing to do with IQ.  It's more a test of education
>: and the ability to utilize that education.

>I would think that you could study for an IQ test and significantly
>raise your score. 

Of course.  IQ tests assume that you haven't seen the form in question
beforehand.  Especially things like "general knowledge" and the digit
sequences.

Any such testing would be considered invalid.

> Like anything else, IQ scores should improve
>with practice.  As a wild guess, I would think that improvements
>of 30 points should be possible with sufficient training and practice.

Depends on the test.  Of course, people with higher IQ's should be able
to improve more, too, given their greater capacity to learn,
organize information, etc.

>But this is just speculation.  Is there anybody out there who has
>studied for an IQ test, who can report on the results?  Also, can
>anybody give references for research into this question?  

Since the tests assume that one doesn't do this, it's unlikely that
there's much research into the practice.  (On the other hand, a friend
of mine who has learned to build memory palaces, really freaked out a
tester when doing the digit-sequences...)

>My feeling is that IQ tests, SAT's, etc. test irrelevant skills.

Irrelevant to what?  Memory, visualization, abstraction, etc. are hardly
irrelevant to most intellectual pursuits.  

The SAT is designed to predict first-year performance in college.  It
does a good job of this, and admissions officers find it quite relevant
to their work.  I don't understand what you mean by "irrelevant."

>For evidence of this, I need only point to Marilyn Vos "Idiot"
>Savant's column.  Does anybody seriously believe that she is the 
>smartest person in America?


 Do you seriously belive that 

a) one observation tells us much about the value of a test?

b) that her test results are reliable or relevant?  (She takes them
every few months.)

c) that the information from test scores as far out in the tails of a
disctribution as hers are is worth anything?  (Hint: what's the variance
out there?)

The IQ tests weren't designed to make fine gradations, and certainly not
among outliers.  

Roger
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller)
Subject: Re: Harsh Language in Recent Post
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 16:29:47 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

In article <1992Apr3.055308.5355@ncsu.edu> tai@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott Tai) writes:
>dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu (David O Hunt) writes:
>
>> Jesus FUCKING Christ [...]
>

WoooooooWooooooWooooooooWooooooo<screech of tires>

>In all seriousness, this makes me sicker than anything I've ever seen here.
>This is simply uncalled for!  I realize that not everyone has the same
>religious preferences.  However, please respect others and watch the
>language in future posts.
>

HooRAY!!  The net cop is here!!  Poppa, we're SAVED!!
From: jess%miracle@merk.com (Shi'nayne)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: /T/T/ Weekend Plans
Date: 10 Apr 92 13:58:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: miracle.ZZP1iB1w164w
Organization: Miracle Computer Consultants

killer@robin.cs.hut.fi (Kalle Kivimaa) writes:

> In <1992Apr8.004659.3196@ncsu.edu> tai@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott Tai) writes:
> 
> >I wasn't.  Look at any standard calendar--Sunday is the first day of the
> >week, and hence, doesn't constitute the 'weekend'.  :)
> 
> DISCRIMINATION!!!!
> 
> Any calendar I can easily find will have Sunday as the LAST day of the
> week, so it DOES constitute weekend.
> 
> Now YOU are discriminating people on the basis of their calendar!
> 
> ---
> 

I hate to admit it, but Scott is right.  At least as far as American
calendars go, Sunday is the *first* day of the week.  Apparently in
Finland it is different???

Warrior Queen


Vampire Hunters Inc.
jess%miracle@merk.com
If you have vampire problems, call!!  We'll
stake your problem right through the heart!!
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Cusp Cases (was Mensa Requirements)
Date: 6 Apr 92 19:04:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: ttidca.34336
Organization: The Cat Factory

schwarz-marc@CS.YALE.EDU (Marc Schwarz) writes:

} How does Mensa handle scores on the cusp?

There is no cusp.  There's a cutoff.  You're either at or above the
98th %ile, or you're below it.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@soldev.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {rutgers|pyramid|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: terryk@encore.com (Terence M. Kelleher)
Subject: Re: Which is the Best RG? (Was: Re: A Truly International Gathering)
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation
	<14181@claris.com>
Date: 15 Apr 92 19:06:41


In article <14181@claris.com> Mike_Steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

   In article <TERRYK.92Apr15083451@fenix.encore.com>, terryk@encore.com (Terence M. Kelleher) writes:
   > 
   > In article <15Apr92013514@miracle.com> phil%miracle@merk.com (Phil Hill) writes:
   > 
   >    RG at the end of the Universe   Manchester, MA <<---------------+
   >                                                ^^                  |
									|
   Didn't the original say Manchester, NH? >>---------------------------+

No.  Manchester, MA is on the Massachusetts north shore, between
Glouchester and Salem.

Of course, I wasn't there, so I am assuming this is the Manchester
Phil was refering to.

--

                                 +----------------+
Terence Kelleher              +--+-------------+  |
Encore Computer Corp.         |  | E N C O R E |  |
terryk@encore.com             |  +-------------+--+
607-687-2644                  +----------------+
From: ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: A REAL CHALLENGE: Fermat's last theorem..
Date: 7 Apr 92 10:24:55 GMT
  <1992Apr6.031114.17308@Princeton.EDU> <1992Apr7.014214.11741@ncsu.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

[Note: weird line breaks were in the original...don't blame me!]

Someone at a university in North Carolina writes:
> Are you sure.?.  I just got mail from Derek Bell <dbell@maths.tcd.ie>
> saying that       
> it *had* been proved true, but for all n upto 10,000 *barring 3*.
> 
> If it's "been done", could you let me know when, & by whom .. (maybe
> after you've
> done your taxes :-)  I'd love to get a look at the proof (if it's not
> too 
> formidable).

One of the standard introductory number theory books (Niven & Zuckerman)
gives the proof for n=3.  I think it's also in the Dove paperback "100
Great Problems of Mathematics -- Their History and Solutions".  The
book "Fermat's Last Theorem" by Edwards will tell you more than you
probably want to know about this.

The latest reference I have is a few years old, but it mentions that
all n upto 125,000 have been dealt with.

This is not some obscure problem that no one has ever heard of, by
the way.  The library of your university probably has at least one
of the books I mentioned, plus several others tha would have told
you all this.

							Tim Smith
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa