The Pythagoreans are attacking with Dagmor!!!

Okay, so we won't dwell on my English class, because I pretty muchly don't like it or the teacher, to be honest. Instead...more trig!!!!

Prof: (in describing undefined cotangent terms) "So, the cotangent is out to lunch. That's the technical term for it."

Prof: (after getting sidetracked on a story) "My mind wandered off and rudely left the rest of me behind."

Prof: (while working problems in the text, and deciding to do more then the text asked for) "Let's be trigonometric over-acheievers!"

Prof: (in dismissing the class) "Have a trigonometrical weekend!"

It's funny. The prof gets to class either right on the dot of 10:00, when the class starts, or, like today, he comes in at 10:01. I wasn't exactly expecting a tardy teacher. But oh well. :p

So, today, we were learning about Pythagorean Identities (I won't write them out here, cause I don't want to seem too smart), and he's telling us about the "club" based around a fellow named Pythagoreus Assini (or something to that effect. I'll look it up later and tell you his real name). He was a Greek dude who lived back in the 400 B.C. time period. Real smart, had a bunch of followers. Basically, everybody in his club was very well versed in Music, Math, Science, and Religion. Not much is known about their religious beliefs. Their Science is equally sketchy. Their Music and Math, however, are still with us today.

Math, you know about. The whole Pythagorean Theorem that EVERYBODY learns forwards and backwards in highschool? a(squared) + b(squared) = c(squared). Yah, you know it. Well, that's based on a lot of Pythagoreus's work.

Now, Music. The Pythagoreans developed many of the mathematical functions for describing musical harmonics. Stretch a string tight, and pluck it. It vibrates at x hz. Now grab it exactly in the middle, and pluck either half. Now it vibrates at 2x hz. This is (musically speaking) an octave higher then the full length of the string.

Prof: "So, if y = C, then y/2 = the C an octave above. From C to shining C!!"

You can cut it into any integral fraction (preferably smaller numbers), and a mathematical function will describe it. Well, part of the reason why in one octave we have 12 possible notes (like on a piano), is related to the mathematical functions developed and described by the Pythagoreans.

Prof: "You know what I think of when I hear "Pythagoreans"? Villans on a really stupid Star Trek Episode. You know, like 'Captain, I've never seen anything like it! The Pythagoreans are attacking!'"

Okay, so there's my trig class today, in condensed form. Cliff's Notes, maybe. :p

Choir auditions are tomorrow!! I'm psyched!

Okay, so you know someone is a Lord of the Rings enthusiast when you can ask them "what is Dagmor", and they promptly respond "Beren's Sword"...now...can anyone tell me what "Dagmor" means? In Westernesse, or course.
Or when you ask who said "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens", and they quickly respond "Gimli!!"