Everything is a set
I think I'm taking Zermelo's idea that "everything is a set" too seriously.
I saw a freeway billboard advertising a SUV or small truck, saying "Category of One". But the Pairing Axiom tell us that for any x, the set of x (written {x}) exists.
My family uses the following strategy to light the Hanukkah menorah: light the Shamash, use the Shamash to melt the wax at the bottom of the other candles and light the other candles, use one of the other candles to melt the wax at the bottom of the Shamash, put the Shamash in place. During Set Theory lectures, I always pointed out when the prof implicitly assumed that a set was nonempty in his proofs. I told my family that our strategy would not work on the 0th night of Hanukkah. (Question for any other Jews reading my blog: Is using another Hanukkah candle to melt the wax of the Smamash disallowed?)
I'm going to take Abstract Algebra I next semester at Pomona College. Groups, rings, and fields... this could be dangerous.
December 24th, 2003 at 7:16 am
ROTFLMAO :o)
I feel for you man…
As to the question of the Shamash, I wouldn’t take this on authority, but I think you aren’t allowed to do anything with the other chanukah candles after you’ve lit them…
“Ve’ein Lanu Reshut Lehishtamesh Bahem, Elah Lir’otam bilvad”
On our chanukiyah, the part with the shamash detaches physically from the chanukiyah, so you can use it to light the rest of the candles then just stick the shamash + base back on the chanukiyah as a unit…
At any rate, what really matters in my book is the tradition.
I wish you a very happy chanukah, and best of luck with math…
Wagwam!,
Da Hool
December 24th, 2003 at 2:10 pm
I saw the “Category of One” billboard again. It’s for the Range Rover.