247: Factoring the Time

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Factoring the Time

Title text: I occasionally do this with mile markers on the highway.

Explanation

This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

Transcript

[One man is sitting at a computer. Another man is sitting at a separate desk. There is a clock which reads 2:53]

Man at desk: 253 is 11x23

Man at computer: What?

Man at desk: I'm factoring the time.

Man at desk: I have nothing to do, so I'm trying to calculate the prime factors of the time each minute before it changes.

Man at desk: It was easy when I started at 1:00, but with each hour the number gets bigger

Man at desk: I wonder how long I can keep up.

[Man at desk reaches back and touches the clock] <<beep>> [Clock now reads 14:53]

Man at desk: Hey!

Man at computer: Think fast.

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Discussion

I used to find the prime factors of the remaining distance until the next turn. It starts off difficult (for me) at 99 miles, etc. When it gets down to 30 miles, it gets easier. Then, at 9.9 miles, I have a tenth the time to factor 99 again, and it gets easier as the numbers get smaller. This is actually a pretty good way to pass the time while driving. 108.162.219.202 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Paying attention to your driving might be a benefit. To yourself and others. Just sayin'.Jakee308 (talk) 20:00, 24 April 2015 (UTC)

I wonder how much time Randall spent trying to find a time that is not prime but the time + 1200 would be. -- Flewk (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Took me about 5 minutes with a script after getting a list of primes from the internet: 1:19; 1:21; 2:09; 2:47; 2:53; 2:59; 3:23; 3:43; 4:07; 4:13; 4:27; 4:37; 5:33; 5:53; 5:59; 6:11; 6:23; 7:07; 7:13; 7:31; 7:49; 8:03; 8:17; 9:13; 9:31; 9:43; 10:03; 10:07; 10:37; 10:43; 11:11; 11:33; 11:39; 11:41; 11:47; 11:57 (also the technical cases of: 12:03; 12:05; 12:07; 12:11; 12:19; 12:41; 12:43; 12:47; 12:53) . --173.245.52.27 06:18, 20 January 2016 (UTC)

You know, in the state of Massachusetts, which is where Randall said he lives in the book What If?, mile markers on the highway are placed every 0.2 miles, so he would get only twelve seconds per marker if he's trying to do each and every one (less if he's slightly speeding like everyone else does when there's no traffic). 198.41.235.221 02:09, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

I added another explanation for the title text. It seems to me that factoring the (often same) mile marker numbers is a bit boring. Lanmi (talk) 11:55, 23 April 2016 (UTC) Lanmi

Why would factoring become secondary problem after switching to km?

He could write a program to do that for him. 172.69.22.36 21:55, 23 August 2020 (UTC)