HUMOR: Knowledge, Time and Money

Alexander Chislenko (alexc@firefly.net)
Tue, 01 Oct 1996 18:26:41 -0400

FWD:>
> After applying some simple algebra to some trite phrases and
> cliches a new understanding can be reached of the secret to wealth and
> success.
>
> Here it goes.
>
> Knowledge is Power
> Time is Money and as every engineer knows, Power is Work over
> Time.
>
> So, substituting algebraic equations for these time worn bits of
> wisdom, we get:
> K = P (1)
> T = M (2)
> P = W/T (3)
>
> Now, do a few simple substitutions:
>
> Put W/T in for P in equation (1), which yields: K = W/T (4)
>
> Put M in for T into equation (4), which yields:
>
> K = W/M (5).
>
> Now we've got something. Expanding back into English, we get:
>
> Knowledge equals Work over Money.
>
> What this MEANS is that:
>
> 1. The More You Know, the More Work You Do, and
> 2. The More You Know, the Less Money You Make.
>
> Solving for Money, we get:
>
> M = W/K (6)
> Money equals Work Over Knowledge.
>
> From equation (6) we see that Money approaches infinity as
> Knowledge approaches 0, regardless of the Work done.
>
> What THIS MEANS is:
>
> The More you Make, the Less you Know.
>
> Solving for Work, we get
>
> W = M K (7)
> Work equals Money times Knowledge
>
> From equation (7) we see that Work approaches 0 as Knowledge
> approaches 0.
>
> What THIS MEANS is:
>
> The stupid rich do little or no work.
>
> Working out the socioeconomic implications of this breakthrough is
> left as an exercise for the reader.

[ I didn't write the above, but can't help commenting: ]

There are, of course, alternative interpretations of these things.
E.g., the last equation (W=M*K) would be better read as "stupid people are
pretty useless, poor or rich". Or, substituting T for M, "stupid people
do not produce lots of results even if they work for a long time".
Here we can get into a conflict between mathematical and political
correctness...

Actually, "Time is Money" is supposed to mean that time is valuable, and
you can make money out of it if you use Knowledge and Work:

M = T*K*W

Here we'd get a different set of formulas though. It's called economics.

You can also use your time, knowledge and work to have Fun instead of
making money, so

[M+] F = T*K*W

Resolving for Fun and Knowledge and mistaking correlation for causality,
we can conclude that

"It is stupid not to have fun".

Well, enough fun for today...

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Alexander Chislenko <sasha1@netcom.com> www.lucifer.com/~sasha/home.html
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