How to be a perfect parker |
by Robin Yapp
For millions of drivers,it is a manoeuvre that can be
the road to ruin. You spot a convenient parking space between two
stationary vehicles at the roadside - but will you be able to reverse into
it? Many of us invariably end up shunting back and forth, seething with
frustration, as we try in vain to edge our way in. Meanwhile, a queue of
traffic is building up behind us - and horns are starting to honk.
Alternatively,we swing hopefully into the space - and bash other cars.
Dr Hoyle, a lecturer in mathematics at
Surrey University, Guildford, was
commissioned to come up with the formula by Internet car insurer
esure. The firm estimates that £l5l
million of damage is caused to vehicles each year by misjudged parking
manoeuvres and is calling for parking to be madea part of the driving test.
Colin Batabyal,technical director at esure,said: "We haveto learn to
park better as a nation. Everyone loves to park on the road if they
can, so millions of drivers a day are trying to squeeze into tight spaces
and many, have little idea what constitutes a good parallel park." |
Daily Mail Apr 19
2003
Lazy option is best when waiting for the bus 23 January 2008 NewScientist.com news service
Ever lose patience waiting for a bus and decided to walk instead? Next time,
stick around, it's nearly always the best strategy. Scott Kominers, a
mathematician at Harvard University, and his colleagues derived a formula
for the optimal time that you should wait for a tardy bus at each stop en
route before giving up and walking on. "Many mathematicians probably ponder
this on their way to work, but never get round to working it out," he says.
The team found that the solution was surprisingly simple. When both options
seem reasonably attractive, the formula advises you to choose the "lazy"
option: wait at the first stop, no matter how frustrating
(www.arxiv.org/abs/0801.0297).
The formula does break down in extreme cases, Kominers says, when the time
interval between buses is longer than an hour, for example, and your destination
is only a kilometre away. If you do choose to walk, you should make your
decision before you start waiting, he says. You will still reach your destination
later than the bus you'd have caught, but it will be much less frustrating
than waiting for a while and then watching the bus shoot by. "It certainly
has changed the way I travel," Kominers says. |
Formula for perfect pancake unveiled by scientists |
Dr Ruth Fairclough, a mathematics professor, has cooked up a complicated
formula for the perfect pancake - just in time for Shrove Tuesday. By Richard
Alleyne, Science Correspondent Last Updated: 8:35AM GMT 24 Feb 2009 Dr
Fairclough, a lecturer of mathematics and statistics at Wolverhampton University,
has plotted the pancake's creation down to the last detail. She says the
frying pan's temperature is one of the most important parts, together with
the preparation of the tasty batter. However, the secret recipe in full is:
100 - [10L - 7F + C(k - C) + T(m - T)]/(S - E) with the closer you get to a 100 - the better the pancake. In the complex formula L represents the number of lumps in the batter and C equals its consistency. The letter F stands for the flipping score, k is the ideal consistency and T is the temperature of the pan. Ideal temp of pan is represented by m, S is the length of time the batter stands before cooking and E is the length of time the cooked pancake sits before being eaten. She said: "I came up with it because I love making pancakes for my two girls, they can't get enough of them. "The first thing to do is that you must get the pan temperature exactly right. When the oil starts lightly smoking you need to pour the mixture in. "The next thing is that you have to get the consistency of the mix spot on - it can't be too runny as if it is the pancake just falls to bits. "Saying that, it can't have any lumps in it either. "You can check it's right by lifting up a spoon and the mixture should just fall lightly off it. "You should let the mix stand for 20 minutes so the flour has time to absorb into the milk. Make sure you have a medium sized pan, too big and it could be really hard to flip it. "The pancake should be served piping hot off the pan with sugar and lemon." Meanwhile Asda has seen a 13 fold increase in the number Non Stick Aluminium Frying Pan perfect for Pancake Day. Honey is all up 105 per cent year on year and maple syrup is up more than three fold in the same period. |
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