Machine name

[lethargic_man]

I've got a new (well, sort-of new) machine, to replace my ancient desktop phlogiston. I acquired phlogiston for writing up my Ph.D. thesis, and decided to name it after a universally accepted scientific theory which turned out to be completely wrong. When I got a laptop, I continued the naming convention by calling it luminiferous.aethernet. Then my father stuck a machine in my room in his place, and created a Linux partition on it for me, so I called it coronium. When my father started naming his Windows boxes after planets, I renamed it Vulcan, which fits both naming schemes.

Which leaves me with the question of what to name my new desktop. epicyclic (FQDN epicyclic.aethernet) is currently leading the pack; anyone out there got any better ideas?

Comments

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

I'd quite appreciate something along the lines of autogenesis or similar.

[daktron.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm all for "epicyclic," because I love Spirograph. :) And wrong-headed yet elaborate methods of explaining the observed motion of the planets from Earth.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

:-D Now there's a whole new idea, a marketing campaign for Spirograph aimed at mediaeval philosophers! :o)

[daktron.livejournal.com]

YES! Anything to make Spirograph produce the rings with teeth on the outer as well as inner rims, as they did in the original toy. I have two Spiro-toys (one genuine, one knock-off) but both can only make hypocycloids.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

It belatedly occurs to me you'd probably like the Java applet here (http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/BIBLIOGRAPHY/Online.html).

[daktron.livejournal.com]

Neat! Now that I'm on a computer that doesn't stall when presented with Java applets, I see the rotating infinite gears. :)

Even cooler is this page (http://www.math.uri.edu/~bkaskosz/flashmo/firstfin.html), which lets you create your own parametric art! You do need Flash Player to use it, however.