Archimedes Conjecture

[Andy the Actuary]

Archimedes, so it is said, contended "Give me a fulcrum and a long enough lever and I will lift the world." This begs the question of where Mr. A had in mind to place the fulcrum?

[GMK]

Just guessing, but I think you put the fulcrum close to the end of the lever that is nearer the world.

(I know, nobody likes a smart aleck.)

[XTitan]

Please stop before this spirals out of control.

[GBurns]

I think that Mr A was smart enough to leave that decision and problem to the giver. If you can give him then he can perform.

It is easier to be brilliant on a hypothetical than on a practicaal action.

[Belgarath]

I once read something (doubtless written by an engineer) along similar lines. The engineer said that if you had several thumbs and no common sense, then you became a scientist. Engineers, on the other hand, had to be smarter than scientists because they had to create practical, WORKING solutions to the garbage posited by the scientists.

The parallels with the IRS and the actuarial/TPA community are too depressing to contemplate.