The Origin of Lambda

[CharybdisXV]

The Origin of the Alphabet

This is a very interesting article. According to this, the origin of the greek letter lambda came from a heiroglyph that represented a stick. I had wondered what the significance of the lambda is to the Half-Life series, and after reading this webpage, I looked at that stick the lambda represents, and immediately thought of Gordon's crowbar. It's an amusing idea, to think the lambda is a continuation of the crowbar theme. :E

 

[azazul]

Lambda is used in nuclear physics to represent the decay constant used to figure the half-life of a substance. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of the original element to decay into another element.

half-life=natural log 2/lambda

 

[CharybdisXV]

That's interesting. I was aware of half-lives and decay constants, but had never seen the lambda in that usage before.

 

[ríomhaire]

I always thought of Lambda in HL as 2 crowbars at ends with a handle

 

[Polaris]

Natural log 2 = 0,6931471805...

 

[Sid Burn]

Thanks for the info comrade.

 

[TerminallYDead]

Lambda is used in nuclear physics to represent the decay constant used to figure the half-life of a substance. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of the original element to decay into another element.

half-life=natural log 2/lambda

Which always makes my physics teacher have a rant. He keeps telling us that lambda is not half-life and then ranting about bad science...

... which leaves everyone else confused as they aren't gamers and wonder WTH he is on about.

Still... interesting that lambda was originally a symbol for a stick, although I doubt it ties in with the crowbar, think the nuclear physics (bad) reference is a little bit more likely.

 

[azazul]

Which always makes my physics teacher have a rant. He keeps telling us that lambda is not half-life and then ranting about bad science...

Yeah, the usual symbol for half-life is t_1/2 which isn't very cool for a video game, so they probably used the next best thing, something closely related to half-life, unfortunately it leads people to think lambda means half-life.

Edit to add:the <sub> tags represent a subscript(couldn't think of another way to do it)

 

[kupocake]

think the nuclear physics (bad) reference is a little bit more likely.

The use of the Lambda in the Half-Life games isn't really because anyone suposes it to be related to the scientific Half-Life: it's because of the Lambda Complex which contained a reactor. Even if taken as a reference, as azazul points out, it's intentionally wishy washy because the Lambda is a far cooler symbol

 

[Wolfenhex]

Maybe the lambda was used for the nuclear reasons, but maybe the crowbar was used as the starting/melee weapon because it ties in with lambda being a stick?

 

[Plug]

I reaally don't think halflife's crowbar significance is that mystical.
Fun to think about, but... you can't be serious!

 

[Sid Burn]

I belive lambda is the point of junction at the centre of the back of the cranium between the rear plate of the cranium (occipital bone) and the two upper plates (parietal bones).

 

[Adabiviak]

Lambda Lambda Lambda!

Check here for a great many uses of the lambda symbol. I've heard it used for some things not mentioned here too, like surface density. I believe the reference in Half Life is, as mentioned above, for one of the building complexes in the game.

 

[CharybdisXV]

Lambda Complex

A couple of replies:

Adabiviak, that link doesn't seem to be working. Pardon, but I'm going to post a version of that link that does work, for the HTML challenged who might not be able to figure out the site address from that link. It's got a lot of interesting stuff.

Lambda

As for the Lambda Complex being the origin of the Lambda symbol in the game, that is true, but haven't you wondered why the Lambda Complex is named Lambda? That's all I was speculating about.

 

[ríomhaire]

Yes but the point is that lambda is related to half-life, it doesn't have to be half-life, but it is related to half-life.

 

[kupocake]

Yes but the point is that lambda is related to half-life, it doesn't have to be half-life, but it is related to half-life.

Or more essentially, the nuclear reactor in the Lambda Complex. The reactor was the purpose of the complex presumably (the teleportation labs were a secret extra). Lambda was a symbol in the field of nuclear physics. They named the lambda complex because of that. The Half-Life games thereby got their name from the complex.

 

[head_crabs]

it has something to do with overcoming oposing forces. plus its a symbol for the gay liberation movement

 

[ríomhaire]

it has something to do with overcoming oposing forces

I don't think so.

 

[Sufferin-rebel]

plus its a symbol for the gay liberation movement

Seriously!!