Jason Eckertjasoneckert@mastodon.social
Oct 2, 2026, 3:55 PMMaking dinner:
Kid: It says "5 potatoes cubed" which is 125 potatoes.
Me: No. It's still 5 potatoes, because potatoes are a root vegetable.
Replies
Ramon Fincken 🇺🇦ramonfincken@mastodon.socialOct 2, 2026, 3:56 PM@jasoneckert you made a square point
Felixepia_@social.bau-ha.usOct 3, 2026, 7:42 AM@jasoneckert
Hence all the complex carbohydrates.
David Nashdpnash@c.imOct 3, 2026, 3:34 PM@xepia_ @jasoneckert If you peel the potatoes first, though, that gets rid of the eyes, so you’re left with purely real carbohydrates.
- Felixepia_@social.bau-ha.usOct 3, 2026, 4:10 PM
@dpnash @jasoneckert True! Not sure about producing a non-vanishing residue in this day and age, though.
Oct 3, 2026, 8:34 AM@jasoneckert@mastodon.social this is just great ! :neohaj_laugh:
Lou.gkrnours@mastodon.gamedev.placeOct 3, 2026, 9:15 AM
Lars FosdalLarsFosdal@mastodon.socialOct 3, 2026, 9:33 AM@jasoneckert Good thing he didn't say "5 potatoes cubed !", because that would have been a lot!
schuelermineanselmschueler@ieji.deOct 3, 2026, 9:51 AM@jasoneckert it's actually 125 cube potatoes. All components get cubed incl. the unit
Slatianslatian@pleroma.envs.netOct 3, 2026, 9:52 AMHaven’t had such a good laugh in a while :drgn_lol_tear:
SabreToothTigress ZenDWingedSnake@mastodon.berlinOct 3, 2026, 10:42 AM@jasoneckert roflol
Anthony Davidadavid@aus.socialOct 3, 2026, 10:46 AMS-Tier Dadding.
Oct 3, 2026, 11:31 AM@jasoneckert wouldn't it be \(5^{\frac{1}{3}} \approx 1.71\) potatoes then ?
(open on original instance to see the TeX rendered)
D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 1:53 PM@minekpo1 … TIL mastodon (maybe) renders TeX. Wild! Thx for that 🙏
- Oct 3, 2026, 1:55 PM
@cascheranno mastodon itself does not render TeX, however some instances use a modified version of mastodon that does.
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 2:21 PM
@minekpo1 second q: why ^1/3? Seems Up 3, down 2, or … brb… \(5^{\frac{3}{2}} \approx 1.71\) potatoes
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 2:24 PM
@minekpo1 (whaaa? My TeX di’nt render. )
- Oct 3, 2026, 2:25 PM
@cascheranno : your instance does not support TeX rendering , thus it does not render.
as for why 1/3, its a root vegetable, not a square root vegetable
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 2:29 PM
@minekpo1 but-but, why does my texy reply not render in replies when I open a catgirl link to yours rendered by catgirl’s web interface. They’z on the same pa-age. Teck is dumb.
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 2:31 PM
@minekpo1 ps, should really be attending to waking up in a town I seldom see. Whining endeth. That it works even intermittently is cool. Cheers for the TiL.
- Oct 3, 2026, 2:32 PM
@cascheranno : your instance decides formatting, as it decides TeX isn't a thing, its passed along as text (which catgirl.cloud renders). catgirl.cloud renders TeX along with other markup (ex this is in italics), thus when I posed, the TeX gets rendered, while keeping the unrendered version as a backup, which your instance renders .
- Oct 3, 2026, 2:33 PM
@cascheranno note that AP, despite being designed for use as a protocol for social media apps still has a bunch of hacks.
- Oct 3, 2026, 2:35 PM
@cascheranno note that what we have here is not just glitchsoc, but the admin made some extra modifications to allow misskey formatting, ex spinny text
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 3:05 PM
@minekpo1 ah, a cube root
Σ(i³) = (Σi)²SvenGeier@mathstodon.xyzOct 3, 2026, 9:13 PM@cascheranno
In my client (Fedilab) I get that little sigma-symbol in the lower right and when I tap that I get your toot rendered just fine.A root toot, I suppose.
( 5^3/2 is about 11.2, by the way)
@minekpo1
myrmepropagandistfuturebird@sauropods.winOct 3, 2026, 11:43 AMMy students are going to groan and whine so much when I spring this one on them. Thank you.
Oct 4, 2026, 10:10 PM@futurebird @jasoneckert always fun to be a teacher and have the opportunity to share such gems - and know how quickly it will ripple on 😎
Max Hertzbergmaxhertzberg@wandering.shopOct 3, 2026, 11:56 AM@jasoneckert Am I the only one who thinks it should be 11.18 potatoes?
Ed Daviesedavies@functional.cafeOct 3, 2026, 12:19 PM@maxhertzberg No, you're not. I used a Python REPL to confirm you were indeed thinking what I was thinking.
There is an assumption there that “root” on its own means square root (i.e., root two) and not the root for any other base but I think that's justifiable.
- Oct 4, 2026, 10:13 PM
@edavies @maxhertzberg @jasoneckert but what if it's a new exceptional potato root? 🤓
- D2cascheranno@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 1:56 PM
@maxhertzberg @jasoneckert ah, first root. I just accepted a cube root is still a root, and granny often said little shorthand things in her recipes à la ‘I know what I mean ‘. this is the more-right math, tho.
Justin Skistsjskists@oldbytes.spaceOct 3, 2026, 12:08 PM
Lenapuncakelena@mastodon.socialOct 3, 2026, 12:52 PM@jasoneckert Fooled by maths! Again!
Oct 3, 2026, 12:54 PM@jasoneckert
It's funny coz it's true.
Deadly Headshotdheadshot@mastodon.socialOct 3, 2026, 12:55 PM@jasoneckert
Surely that makes 5 to the power of 1½?
Davidshieldsy05@aus.socialOct 3, 2026, 12:58 PM5 cubed potatoes? Nope, that’s worse. 5 to the power of three potatoes? Okay now we’re into some weird math.
Idle.HirnIdleHirn@federation.networkOct 3, 2026, 1:09 PM@jasoneckert@mastodon.social badumm ts
Medea Vanamonde 🏳️⚧️MedeaVanamonde@beige.partyOct 3, 2026, 1:35 PM
Ken Butlernxskok@cupoftea.socialOct 3, 2026, 1:49 PM@jasoneckert you sound like someone who would drink root beer in a square glass.
Michael Sumnermdsumner@rstats.meOct 3, 2026, 1:57 PM@jasoneckert I'm going to try cutting a potato into 25 pieces
Arthur van der HargArtHarg@mastodon.nlOct 3, 2026, 2:29 PM@jasoneckert I guess they’re not square roots then?
sivizius_sivizius@chaos.socialOct 3, 2026, 2:43 PM@jasoneckert not according to the botanical definition…it’s complicated
Michal BryxíMichalBryxi@mastodon.worldOct 3, 2026, 3:26 PM@jasoneckert 👏👏👏
Dave Wisedavetheresurrector@mastodon.socialOct 3, 2026, 3:38 PM@jasoneckert Next-level dad joke!
Alex 🇵🇸alexpalacefan@mastodonapp.ukOct 3, 2026, 3:58 PM@jasoneckert chapeau sir. Very good indeed.
A 😀
KnowAttitudeknowattitude@m.ai6yr.orgOct 3, 2026, 4:22 PM@jasoneckert
Now that is a good comeback! 😁
Oct 3, 2026, 7:08 PM@jasoneckert -sensible chuckle-
Mad Engineeringmadengineering@hachyderm.ioOct 3, 2026, 8:09 PM@jasoneckert So a little more than 11 potatoes, then?
(5^(3/2)) = 11.18
- David PeningtonDavidPenington@aus.socialOct 3, 2026, 9:36 PM
@madengineering @jasoneckert
With my family arguing similar issues & dimensionality I said: No, 5 potatoes cubed is 125 potato cubes (cubic potatoes) 
ChuckChuckMcManis@chaos.socialOct 3, 2026, 8:50 PM@jasoneckert Thanks for that chuckle.
Bryan Redeagle :bc:bryanredeagle@beige.partyOct 3, 2026, 10:20 PM@jasoneckert Yeah, but you gotta carve each of them into a big cube.
Oct 3, 2026, 11:44 PMOuch. I mean...very well played, but ouch. this pun hurts.
食 Shoku the UmbreonTheMNWolf@furry.engineerOct 4, 2026, 4:01 AM@jasoneckert bravo
lizzzzardlizzard@social.tchncs.deOct 4, 2026, 7:53 AM
Feral 3DFeral_3D@mastodon.socialOct 4, 2026, 1:42 PM@jasoneckert cute
WallOffTrumpdavidarnell@mastodon.worldOct 6, 2026, 11:08 PM
