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[Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

EarthNSky wrote:
> Perhaps the math thing is why scientist types lose it 
> early.  Advanced mathematics will make anyone lose their mind, even if 
> you like math!  
Math is very good for the mind and keeping it sharp.  I had several 
advanced math courses in college, classes such as non linear algebra and 
topology.  At one time I was deep into number theory, it was all fun.  
In my career I worked as an electronics engineer doing embedded software 
development.  I did some fairly hairy math with early 8 bit processors 
in assembly language and did work with early   TI DSPs and Intel RISC 
machines.  I helped buld LASER RADAR systems and systolic Array 
Processors directing LASERS with rubber mirrors.  A favorite project was 
a satellite passenger that looked at the sun through the upper 
atmosphere over the poles.  Doing milti order filters in 80286 assembly 
because there was not enough processor cycles to run them in C.

Now that I am no longer working with that I miss it.  I am currently 
taking a course on the PIC micro controller and have built a PIC 
programming board.  It just today accepted its first download and ran a 
diagnostics program.  A dumb little controller but cheap and fun.

--
Don Bowen           KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html