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February 25, 2011

Chinese Proverb 55

A Mathematician beat the Emperor in checkers.

The Emperor said, “Name your prize.”


The Mathematician placed a grain of rice on their checkerboard.
“For each square, double this rice.”


The Emperor agreed.


The Mathematician laughed,
“There is not that much rice in all of China!”


The Emperor had the Mathematician executed.


Moral:
Might makes right!

21 comments:

  1. ha. & dont rub it in when you beat the king...lol

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  2. Hm. Not quite as clever as he thought. (Unless he was planning to drown the emperor in rice and take control!)

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  3. yeah- don't gloat when you are winning!

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  4. That emperor is far better at subtraction than multiplication ;-)
    Enjoyed that.

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  5. Two inflated egos in the same room?
    He should have done the math!
    Excellent 55 Bubba.
    Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End

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  6. I knew there was a reason I never majored in math.

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  7. Moral #2: Nobody likes a smarty pants. Quite the funny 55.

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  8. Ouchh.. Just eat the cake and walk away- no point wanting to have it and even take some..

    Good One Eric.. :)
    I landed onto your other blog at WP.. will bookmark both Love xx

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  9. It seems that the mathematician miscalculated!

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  10. That's the second time this week I've heard the checkerboard and grain of rice thing. Mmmmmm.

    Nice 55.

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  11. Ah yes, be careful who you mess with! Might does not always mean brains, I mean, look at our politicians...

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  12. Second meaning - don't lose your head over a mathematical joke.

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  13. Ouch.. clever Chinese wisdom - the mathematician needed Octavian's cunning mind.

    Great 55,

    joanny

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  14. Carry the two multiply by the frequency of the blinking eyes of a severed head....

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  15. I hate those rice math executions. We had one last week over Uncle Ben's long division. Not a pretty sight. Or sound.

    xo

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  16. Ha! Just goes to show, even in ancient times, there are "book smarts" and "street smarts". And it doesn't matter how much of the first you have if you have none of the second. :)

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  17. See, this is why I avoid math at all costs. LOL I knew there was a valid reason.

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  18. True enough. Just ask the governor of Wisconsin.

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  19. ouch!! Apparently, intelligence and wit aren't everything in tis world... sometimes it gets me to think what a scary place it is.. this world, i mean!
    Your 55 has gotten me thinking again, Eric!! Ohhh.. but I should be going to the gym instead!! :)

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