What makes you go 'wow'?

SexyGreyFox · 25 Nov 2006 at 18:23

At one time it was that the internet was on all the time but I suppose I've got used to that.

The thing that makes me go 'wow' and I still can't get my head around it are PAR files.
To think you can have 85 x 50 meg RAR files in front of you and one of them can be faulty. I can then download the PAR2 file, all the smaller files and the first 50 meg PAR file and it will know the information in that corrupt or missing RAR file.
This I cannot get my head around no matter how many times I've had it explained and makes me go 'wow'.

What makes you go 'wow'.

SexyGreyFox · 25 Nov 2006 at 18:32

Zefan said:
That guy that can remember pi to 20,000 places.

What about that guy that could do complex maths and he saw a shape - wow.

SexyGreyFox · 25 Nov 2006 at 19:55

Dr.EM said:
The PAR file apparently uses Parity bits, we breifly covered them in electronics. We were looking at them in CD player error correction. Groups of 4 bits are counted by the playback system, and it sort of balances the groups; if there is an inbalance it detects it and will know how many bits to add to balance it, seamlessly correcting the error. I guess this recovering RAR files is similar.

Whoooosh

Dr.EM said:
It'll count 0101 then 0111 say, there is an imbalance of 1 bit, easily found with a logic system, and easily corrected with a logic system

And whooooooosh again.

Can't we just say its magic?

SexyGreyFox · 26 Nov 2006 at 01:17

Munkyman said:
watching a dvd of dream theater and just thinking 'how the hell do they do that.......'

I've just had Score so I know what you mean.