Every story and comment from the Hacker News API, in a layout borrowed from 2001.
A comment on Pythagorean Theorem Found on Clay Tablet 1k Years Older Than Pythagoras. Parent comment
1. lay out a straight line 2x in length.
2. find midpoint (easy by drawing an arc with a string from each end point. Basic compass & ruler technique.
3. draw another arc from the midpoint, of radius 1x. Try different spots on the arc until it is equidistant from each of the endpoints of the line.
4. voila! an accurate right angle. Laying out the rest of the square is now trivial.
There are no comments on this comment yet.
1. lay out a straight line 2x in length.
2. find midpoint (easy by drawing an arc with a string from each end point. Basic compass & ruler technique.
3. draw another arc from the midpoint, of radius 1x. Try different spots on the arc until it is equidistant from each of the endpoints of the line.
4. voila! an accurate right angle. Laying out the rest of the square is now trivial.