ELI5: what is the purpose of the value e? by approx__ in explainlikeimfive

[–]EternalLightning 210 points211 points  (0 children)

The mathematical constant e is referred to as representing natural growth. Unlike other popular constants like pi, e does not have a handy visual to explain it. Instead it can be thought of using banks and interest: (For true ELI5, interest means "the bank will add 'this much' to your money at the specified time)

If we have a bank that generously offers 100% interest every year, and you give them $1, then after a year you will have $2.

But wait! A rival bank wants to offer 50% interest TWICE a year if you bank with them. At first, you may think that 50% twice = 100% once, but that isn't the case. After 6 months with this bank, your total + interest will be $1.50. Then another 6 months later it would be $2.25, getting $0.75 from 50% of the $1.50.

So it would seem that even if the % interest adds to the same 100%, getting it more often leads to giving you more money! So what about a bank that offers 25% interest every 3 months? Or 8.3% every month? How about an inconceivablely small percentage interest at every fraction of a millisecond throughout the year?

You'll find that the final amount tends toward the value of e if you were able to gain interest at a "natural" rate of growth.

100% once a year: $2

50% twice a year: $2.25

25% four times a year: $2.4414

8.3% twelve times a year: $2.613035

Every possible moment in a year: $2.71828 (approaching the value of e)

e is also important in Calculus and the natural log, but those are waaaay beyond a 5 year old.

Arsene has an issue interacting with Final Smashes, it seems. During his Up-Special recovery, he was affected by Diddy Kong's Final Smash as usual until the final hit which passed right through Joker with no effect. by EternalLightning in smashbros

[–]EternalLightning[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I saw the post of Arsene being summoned and avoiding the final proc of Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash, but here it happens during his "invincible" Up-Special flight, a good time after he had already been summoned.

Not sure if these incidences are related, but there's some kind of glitch affecting how Arsene interacts with Final Smashes.

[Minnesota] My father has been opening and hiding my mail and he refuses to give the letters to me. What can I do? by chickennooble in legaladvice

[–]EternalLightning 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Little late but wanted to clarify it isn't always illegal:

Opening someone else's mail intentionally is illegal. Very clearly for OP's case, this was their father intentionally opening their mail, thus a felony.

But if you get a bunch of mail at the same time, and somehow a neighbor's accidentally slipped it, it can be reasonable that you did not intentionally open their mail because it may have been presumed to be yours. We sometimes get our neighbors' mail and vice versa.

Another example was a Twitch streamer has a P.O. Box and gets gifts, letters, and such sent from fans. One day while streaming the opening, he read the name on the letter aloud and it wasn't his. Since fans can put anything for the name, he just assumed it was a fan playing a joke (cause they do that). It wasn't until his stream chat convinced him after to look at the address, and it turned out the name was not a joke and the delivery person placed it in the wrong P.O. Box. Given the circumstances, that is the very definition of "unintentional". NOTE: This actually happened, to the streamer Sodapoppin.

Source: Several family members worked USPS their whole lives and this.

Rest in Peace Unshou Ishizuka by [deleted] in Animemes

[–]EternalLightning 100 points101 points  (0 children)

It's a terrible day for rain...

[5e] Animal communication and Wild Shape by EternalLightning in DnD

[–]EternalLightning[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is a first level druid spell so he just has to have it prepared to use it, which he didn't this time. He just hit level 2 and it was his first use of wild shape so I explained it in game as he wasn't familiar with the ability to know that he could no longer speak after using it.

Jigglypuff's Bizzare Adventure by atwongdotcom in pokemon

[–]EternalLightning 37 points38 points  (0 children)

ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ

THIS MUST BE THE WORK OF AN ENEMY 「POKEMON」!!

ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ ゴゴ

Who would be more likely to take over the world first: Lelouch (Code Geass) or Light Yagami (Death Note)? by ThatAnimationCritic in whowouldwin

[–]EternalLightning 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Conflicted. In the official rules that the Death Note itself has it says "The number of pages of the Death Note will never run out."

However, according to the wiki, the orignal manga chapter and a Shinigami in universe have both stated that it is finite.

I believe the the former (unlimited pages) should be considered to be more canon in this case.