Bar Night #16, and our first of 2018. When ‘old’ friends get together after a long hiatus, a seat at the table with a frothy beer in hand is a good way to reacquaint and kick start our ‘bar nights’.
Once again, Caverly’s Irish Pub is our choice of watering holes, and why not? It has a good variety of beer at fair prices and a proper atmosphere, including a ‘house dog’. Navigating the parking lot potholes was the only impediment to the pub’s front door. Not uncommon following an overbearing winter in western New York.
Our usual table was full tonight and the bar was noisy, with patrons in a festive mood for a chilly mid week night. We convened in the back room, a wise move for four sets of Senior ears. Here, we could spin tales, and more importantly , hear them, away from the constant humdrum and boisterous dart games in the forward quarters.
We settled in, clinked our glasses…’here, here’… and commenced with our wit and wisdom. After the usual potpourri of small talk, we somehow melded into a ‘deep’ conversation of airplanes, rockets and mathematics, dropping names of icons; Robert Goddard, Wernher von Braun and Fibonacci**. No, not Liberace, Fibonacci.
The mathematician among us took the lead and enthusiastically, neigh, excitedly guided the conversation into sequences, ratios and solutions, a Fibonacci fanatic. The pilot at the table, a technocrat of sorts, listened attentively with approving smiles and nods. He got it. The one tool & die maker nodded, as well, but with eyes closed, as though resting. And the salesperson, while feigning understanding, did what all good sales pros do, found some way to ask a topical question to keep the conversation going. The answer was irrelevant, but the continuity was critical.
0-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-and so on…
Do you see the number pattern, the ‘sequence’? The next day, I dug into the Internet to learn more about Fibonacci and his Sequence. I absorbed enough to hone some math skills and learn a trick, or two, to share at our next ‘bar night’. Curious? Research it yourself, Google ‘Fibonacci’. .
“The Fibonacci Sequence is a set of numbers that starts with a one or zero, followed by a one, and proceeds based on the rule that each number (called a Fibonacci number) is equal to the sum of the two preceding numbers.” (definition from ‘WhatIs.com)
The wonderful part of ‘bar night’ is that we never know the direction of our conversation, but it always seems to lead us home with a belly full of gratification and a little beer from an evening well spent with friends. And, importantly, we learn from each other.
As for the beers, when we were young men we certainly would have climbed a few rungs on Fibonacci’s Sequence, but tonight, as mature gentlemen, we stopped at step 2, or one apiece.
Fibonacci, himself, would have been underwhelmed.
Steve
5/4/2018
srbottch.com
**Fibonacci was considered to be the most talented Western mathematician of the Middle Ages’ (Wikipedia)
To Moish, a S’amusing follower and math professor. Wish you had been here. I’m sure you would have enjoyed the conversation.
S'amusing 
I did not see the pattern, Steve. I am hopeless at that kind of thing. Fun post and really good to see you back in the blogosphere.
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Thanks, Robbie. Maybe ‘pattern’ was the wrong word, but it’s definitely a ‘sequence’. It has practical use, as well. One can see evidence of the Sequence in designs (spiral). There’s so much on the Internet about it but if math is not your thing, then it might get boring. And, yes, it’s good to finally write something. Have a great day!
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Great Steve as always. Thanks.
Jim Murdock
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Thanks, Jim. We have a wonderful group and our evenings out together are such a pleasure. Now that we’ve learned sophisticated math, maybe you’ll teach us to fly…😉
Steve
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Sounds like a wonderful gathering of the minds.
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Thanks, Linda. It’s always fun and interesting on ‘bar night’. 😂
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Thanks, Ida Beth. Yes, just getting together and and talking about ‘whatever’, is a good thing to do. Gathering with friends makes it more special. And learning something in the process is a bonus. I had never heard of Fibonacci but. I will never forget him. By the way, you started me on this ‘Bar Chronicles’ journey with your encouragement. And here we are at 16.
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I did see the pattern, Steve, which kinda shocked me because numbers are not our precious. We likes words. Words are our precious. 😀 And so I shall be saying ‘Fibonacci’ all the Monday long. Cheers!
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And since you are now a Fibonacci Fanatic, I’ll send you a math trick to impress your friends. Show ‘em that girls
Love all this STEM stuff (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) 🤓
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Fibonacci and beer – now that’s’amusing 🙂
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We’re free thinkers. Thanks, Derrick.
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I love this! Can I follow? Not really, but I get the important part- good friends always find something new and interesting together. In my classroom I call this Emergent Curriculum. It’s the best. Thanks for a great post, Steve. Now, I gotta look up that math guy…
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Thanks, Jennie. By all means, look it up and you might be so motivated to learn more, even some math tricks, and you’ll be challenging your friends with your wizardry!🤓
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😀
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Steve, Thanks for mentioning me in this article. What a great way to ‘schmooze’ over a beer. Next time you guys go to Ohio, you might want to visit the Fibonacci Brewing Company. It’s a “nanobrewery that produces high quality craft beers in a laid back, casual environment in Mt Healthy, Ohio.” I wanted to surprise your ‘klatch’ by ordering some of their beer sent to you. But, they told me that it would not be possible as they are an Ohio only firm. Why not visit their website http://fibbrew.com and send them a copy of the article? I’m sure that they will be excited. They might even post it on a wall in the store ! By the way, I use Opera as my browser of choice and a long time ago, added an shortcut just for your blog. It makes it easier to check your posts. Whenever I have ”a moment’ to clear my mind from work, I just click on my srbotth icon.
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Moish, this is a wonderful reply to my story. I’m flabbergasted (that’s a great word) and ‘ferklemphed’ (from old Saturday Night Live skit). Seriously, this is wonderful and il will share it with the group. They will love it, especially the retired RIT math professor. I can’t thank you enough for sending it. I read the story of the brewery and will definitely contact them. I am thrilled that you enjoy my stories, Moish. Thank you so much. And one day, if I get to Cincinnati, I’ll be sure to stop at the brewery and same a beer. 👍
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The patterns, the math, I leave to you:). But the beer and good friends–now THAT I get:).
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The beer really helps the dialogue. And a couple of them helps us relax enough to forget enough of the full topics and only remember that it was a good time and camaraderie. 😎
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