Negative area

[Mintaka]

So can area be negative? Since we happily accept negative numbers, I can’t see why not.

Rigil

[cr1t]

marked in blue?

[Hermes]

Without South Africa, Africa would have been smaller, so South Africa must be a positive area.
Without Lesotho, South Africa would have been bigger, so Lesotho must be a negative area.

[brianvds]

I’m sure mathematicians could work out a whole theory of negative area, and within a few decades it will have found extensive application in physics, economics and land reform.

[BoogieMonster]

Anywhere an AA meeting is being held.

[Tweefo]

So if I buy a negative plot of land the seller or the bank must pay me? I can live with that. To get the paperwork done at the deed office might take awhile though.

[Mintaka]

@Hermes post:3

Without South Africa, Africa would have been smaller, so South Africa must be a positive area.
Without Lesotho, South Africa would have been bigger, so Lesotho must be a negative area.

Have now mulled this over for two days and I still have no idea WHY it makes sense. Because God knows it shouldn’t. What gives? The closest I could come to a tentative solution is that SA is assumed part of Africa, while Lesotho is inconsistently assumed separate from SA. Hence sneaking in a false negative … ???

Rigil

[BoogieMonster]

I don’ told ya, Lots of alcoholics!

[cr1t]

@Rigil Kent post:7

@Hermes post:3

Without South Africa, Africa would have been smaller, so South Africa must be a positive area.
Without Lesotho, South Africa would have been bigger, so Lesotho must be a negative area.

Have now mulled this over for two days and I still have no idea WHY it makes sense. Because God knows it shouldn’t. What gives? The closest I could come to a tentative solution is that SA is assumed part of Africa, while Lesotho is inconsistently assumed separate from SA. Hence sneaking in a false negative … ???

Rigil

The trick is the first sentence makes you think of Africa with out South Africa ie missing. The second sentence only makes you think
removing the borders of Lesotho the fact is if Lesotho was missing then SA would stay the same but Africa would me smaller.

[st0nes]

@cr1t post:9

@Rigil Kent post:7

@Hermes post:3

Without South Africa, Africa would have been smaller, so South Africa must be a positive area.
Without Lesotho, South Africa would have been bigger, so Lesotho must be a negative area.

Have now mulled this over for two days and I still have no idea WHY it makes sense. Because God knows it shouldn’t. What gives? The closest I could come to a tentative solution is that SA is assumed part of Africa, while Lesotho is inconsistently assumed separate from SA. Hence sneaking in a false negative … ???

Rigil

The trick is the first sentence makes you think of Africa with out South Africa ie missing. The second sentence only makes you think
removing the borders of Lesotho the fact is if Lesotho was missing then SA would stay the same but Africa would me smaller.

Wouldn’t it be the same size, but with a hole in it? Sort of like a lifesaver?

[Hermes]

@st0nes post:10

Wouldn’t it be the same size, but with a hole in it? Sort of like a lifesaver?

Wouldn’t a lifesaver have a bigger surface area if (s)he had no holes?

[st0nes]

@Hermes post:11

@st0nes post:10

Wouldn’t it be the same size, but with a hole in it? Sort of like a lifesaver?

Wouldn’t a lifesaver have a bigger surface area if (s)he had no holes?

No, smaller. A hole increases the surface area; so if Lesotho were done away with, South Africa would be much bigger. If you look at the accompanying picture of lifesavers you’ll see what I mean.

http://forum.skeptic.za.org/science-technology-medicine/negative-area/?action=dlattach;attach=852

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[Hermes]

@st0nes post:12

A hole increases the surface area; so if Lesotho were done away with, South Africa would be much bigger.

Which proves that Lesotho has a negative surface area, but considering how mountainous it is, the negative surface area may not fit into the hole.

[st0nes]

@Hermes post:13

@st0nes post:12

A hole increases the surface area; so if Lesotho were done away with, South Africa would be much bigger.

Which proves that Lesotho has a negative surface area, but considering how mountainous it is, the negative surface area may not fit into the hole.

Ah yes, you mean lifesavers like this:-

http://forum.skeptic.za.org/science-technology-medicine/negative-area/?action=dlattach;attach=854

I see the difficulty.

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[Faerie]

@st0nes post:14

@Hermes post:13

@st0nes post:12

A hole increases the surface area; so if Lesotho were done away with, South Africa would be much bigger.

Which proves that Lesotho has a negative surface area, but considering how mountainous it is, the negative surface area may not fit into the hole.

Ah yes, you mean lifesavers like this:-

http://forum.skeptic.za.org/science-technology-medicine/negative-area/?action=dlattach;attach=854

I see the difficulty.

I fail to see how those two lifesavers can increase the surface… oh wait, right, I see… :-[

[brianvds]

@Faerie post:15

I fail to see how those two lifesavers can increase the surface… oh wait, right, I see… :-[

Those two life savers do have negative brain surface though.