In my job, and life, there are times when I have to know if I'm hitting on all twelve cylinders in my thought processes. Or even more importantly, if I'm not. Accordingly, I have what I call "sanity checks," something you think of before you make any kind of important, irreversible decision. Especially those where the downside, if you're wrong, could be calamitous.
I'll do square roots, cube roots, fifth roots. Or think things that I know are wrong, and see if suddenly they sound like a good idea. And if they do, you know to just hang loose and defer that decision when you're thinking more clearly.
64: square root is 8, cube root is 4. Check.
125: 5 cubed. Check.
1,889,568: 18 to the fifth. Check.
X-rays and gamma rays do not reflect off mirrors except at very narrow oblique angles. Check.
Coffee, beer and radiological accuracy are not mutually exclusive concepts. Oops, time to go home, Jim. (this last one was inspired just this evening by our own Jimmy Sidecar)
So what are yours?
I'll do square roots, cube roots, fifth roots. Or think things that I know are wrong, and see if suddenly they sound like a good idea. And if they do, you know to just hang loose and defer that decision when you're thinking more clearly.
64: square root is 8, cube root is 4. Check.
125: 5 cubed. Check.
1,889,568: 18 to the fifth. Check.
X-rays and gamma rays do not reflect off mirrors except at very narrow oblique angles. Check.
Coffee, beer and radiological accuracy are not mutually exclusive concepts. Oops, time to go home, Jim. (this last one was inspired just this evening by our own Jimmy Sidecar)
So what are yours?