The greek Letter "Lambda" (Yes this IS HL Related)

[DreamWraith]

I was recently doing some research about the Greek alphabet and i stumbled accross something.

The greek Letter Lambda, pictured below.

The thought came to mind, that the half life logo (pictured above), looks extremely similar to the lower case greek letter lambda. Or to put it more ideally, the half-life logo looks simply like a modernized, 'hard-edged' version of the lower case greek letter lambda.

I also seem to remember the term "Lambada" from half-life. I can't remember exactly it has been ages since i played, but i know I've heard that in reference to half-life before. One letter different.

Lambda
Lambada

For those who don't know, (probably most) the meaning of the greek letter Lambda is as follows:

Letter - lambda
Translation - organic growth
Meaning - Golden Section, ascent to a higher level, numerical processes

Anyways, this might not seem like much, but i found it really interesting. Not shure what to think of it. But I'm betting that it plays some kind of important part in the story. Maybe I'm just nuts. But I personally don't think they would just pick a greek letter and turn it into the logo for their game for no reason.

It has to have something to do with the story.

 

[JimmehH]

Lambda is the symbol used in equations to represent half life.

It's also the name of the science team in the game that did all the teleportation experiments.

 

[chimpmunk]

Its not lambada or lamba, its LAMBDA!!!

 

[A2597]

yes, Lamba is a letter of the greek alphabet, and it was used in "Lamba Core" where the experiment happened, which is why it was used in the HL logo, because Lamba core was the essential part of the game.

 

[we11er]

and in case you don't know, half-life is "The time required for half the nuclei in a sample of a specific isotopic species to undergo radioactive decay" (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define:+half-life&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=)

edit: and in actual fact, lambda does not represent half-life. t_1/2 is half-life, although lambda does represent something else, can't remember now though

 

[DreamWraith]

and in case you don't know, half-life is "The time required for half the nuclei in a sample of a specific isotopic species to undergo radioactive decay" (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define:+half-life&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=)

edit: and in actual fact, lambda does not represent half-life. t_1/2 is half-life, although lambda does represent something else, can't remember now though

yea i know all about the scientific aspect of what a 'half-life' is i learned in chemistry. im talking theology.

 

[JimmehH]

D'oh!
You're right. Lambda is the decay constant. Christ, I have my Nuclear and Particle Physics A-level soon. Better get revising.

 

[Immortal]

Also in telecommunications lambda is the wavelength

 

[JimmehH]

Gets about a bit, doesn't it?

 

[PvtRyan]

Yeah, there's a Lambada complex at Black Mesa. They dance there. Naughty old Gordon, he was doing the forbidden dance!

 

[DreamWraith]

LMFAO thats gr8 ryan

 

[we11er]

Really lambda is used everywhere in maths, for any kind of variable or constant. At the moment the first thing I think of when i hear lambda uttered it eigen vectors and eigen values - matrix stuff. Ergrgrgr

 

[CrazyHarij]

http://www.lambda.org/

 

[Runteh]

Ok, no offence - but do you not think this has been worked out already?

and in case you don't know, half-life is "The time required for half the nuclei in a sample of a specific isotopic species to undergo radioactive decay" (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=de...F-8&hl=en&meta=)

edit: and in actual fact, lambda does not represent half-life. t_1/2 is half-life, although lambda does represent something else, can't remember now though

Nuclear decay is covered at GCSE in the UK, or at least... I covered it at GCSE some three years ago.

 

[712]

http://www.lambda.org/

I really can't see the connection between the science meaning of lambda and the use in gay and lesbian connection.

 

[Lobster]

me neither, them crazy homo's

 

[CrazyHarij]

I really can't see the connection between the science meaning of lambda and the use in gay and lesbian connection.

Lambda also means liberation.

 

[DreamWraith]

meh. they steal everything. next the very term half life will be on their site in some pseudo reference to some kind of term about suicides in their group of people. :S

 

[XargoL]

lol, I read about the Lambda letter at wikipedia.org this morning :rolling: What a coincidence.

 

[mzerok]

great research!
pgod lost his mind in a horses of shine

 

[Fender357]

I was recently doing some research about the Greek alphabet and i stumbled accross something.

The greek Letter Lambda, pictured below.

The thought came to mind, that the half life logo (pictured above), looks extremely similar to the lower case greek letter lambda. Or to put it more ideally, the half-life logo looks simply like a modernized, 'hard-edged' version of the lower case greek letter lambda.

I also seem to remember the term "Lambada" from half-life. I can't remember exactly it has been ages since i played, but i know I've heard that in reference to half-life before. One letter different.

Lambda
Lambada

For those who don't know, (probably most) the meaning of the greek letter Lambda is as follows:



Anyways, this might not seem like much, but i found it really interesting. Not shure what to think of it. But I'm betting that it plays some kind of important part in the story. Maybe I'm just nuts. But I personally don't think they would just pick a greek letter and turn it into the logo for their game for no reason.

It has to have something to do with the story.

Have you even played Half-Life??
The Lambda symbol isn't the games logo for no reason. They very clearly talked about the Lambda science team and the Lambda complex in HL. It dosn't need to be studied that deeply.

 

[DreamWraith]

Have you even played Half-Life??
The Lambda symbol isn't the games logo for no reason. They very clearly talked about the Lambda science team and the Lambda complex in HL. It dosn't need to be studied that deeply.

no i didnt play half-life i just suddenly got a hair up my ass and decided to like the idea of half-life 2.

As i said, its been a LONG TIME since i played through single player. I KNOW they talked about Lambda. What i am saying is that i think there is more to it than what lies on the surface.

 

[JimmehH]

Would be interesting to ascend to some higher level at the end of it all, but I don't think it quite fits in with the story. Unless you meant something else.

 

[DreamWraith]

obviously there is way more than we can speculate going on. given that theyve written over 1000 pages easily on storyline as gabe said. im just saying, why bother making the lambda letter the "focal point" of everything unless it has more meaning than a mere reference to the scientific properties of a said "anomylous(sp?) material"?

wouldn't make much sense to me. at least not for a game so wound up with story, unlike some of the more 'shoot em up' games.

 

[Jadewolf5675]

in "Lamba Core" where the experiment happened, which is why it was used in the HL logo, because Lamba core was the essential part of the game.

The "Lambda Core" (Note: It was Lambda, not lamba) wasn't where the experiement took place, iirc. It's where Gordon is trying to reach throughout 70% of the game.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

The Lambda Complex is a huge structure based around the Lambda Reactor Core. The core is a cylinder approximately 8-10 stories tall, and filled with teleportals.
In th Lambda Reactor, Gordon needs to make his way up through Levels D,C and B. Each of those levels is made up of three floors. (Although C, like A, could only be 1 floor tall.)
The main portal is found at the tip of the core, on Level A, and it is what sends Gordon to Xen.

 

[Fender357]

why bother making the lambda letter the "focal point" of everything unless it has more meaning than a mere reference to the scientific properties of a said "anomylous(sp?) material"?

Who said it was the focal point of everything? Just because they have the symbol for HL2? That dosn't mean your going to be running through the game collecting Lambdas like rings in Sonic or something. Its just a freakn' symbol. And it can be just a referance to scientific stuff because Gordon is a scientists.

 

[Eejit]

Who said it was the focal point of everything? Just because they have the symbol for HL2? That dosn't mean your going to be running through the game collecting Lambdas like rings in Sonic or something. Its just a freakn' symbol. And it can be just a referance to scientific stuff because Gordon is a scientists.

Ehhh, he's a scientist not a scientists.
I have wondered exactly why the lambda core is called that in the first place though.

 

[DreamWraith]

Who said it was the focal point of everything? Just because they have the symbol for HL2? That dosn't mean your going to be running through the game collecting Lambdas like rings in Sonic or something. Its just a freakn' symbol. And it can be just a referance to scientific stuff because Gordon is a scientists.

that is of course your opinion which you are entitled to. i however disagree.

 

[Andy]

someone should really edit that wiki site and put the link to here up....

 

[SnowBall]

What i am saying is that i think there is more to it than what lies on the surface.

I think your just looking into it too deeply. Beta, Alpha, gamma, those are also greek letters, yet we associate them with many things. Such as a stage of development in a game. It was a science facility, and perhaps there were many more. They just decided to label them on the greek alphabet perhaps. I really doubt theres anything to it.

 

[slinter]

geez, that lambda thingy was clear to me when i was 12 or so (how embarrassing for DreamWraith )

lambda always means something different in all the sciences. its a variable, so i think its useless to make so. mind about that. :/ or ill just ask gabe

 

[Crusader]

Maybe valve release the game when it reaches Lambda Phase. What are we in for HL2 currently? Beta? I think we have some waiting to do lads

 

[slinter]

this encarter "wikipedia.org" says everything. ill just post that. (thx to XargoL)

Lambda (upper case ?, lower case ?) is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 30.

The upper-case letter ? is used as a symbol for:
The lambda particles in particle physics.

The lower-case letter ? is used as a symbol for:
-The wavelength of a wave in physics.
-The radioactive decay constant.
-The Lambda phage virus in biology.
-The definition of anonymous functions in lambda calculus and, by extension, some programming languages.
-The language Unlambda is made up completely of lambdas, but they cannot be stored, hence the un-.
-Gay pride (explanations for this usage vary). (<-- this is very important)
-The Half-Life computer game. (<-- so is this)

 

[Ghost Freeman]

Anyone notice the relation of the 2 in the HL2 symbol? What would Lambda to the second power be?

I know...just speculating.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Except the gay pride part, all those definitions could be shoehorned to fit the events of HL. I think it makes for a good choice in name.

Anyone notice the relation of the 2 in the HL2 symbol? What would Lambda to the second power be?

I know...just speculating.

It would be:
Lambda X Lambda.
Since it's a variable, it can represent almost anything.

 

[Esquire]

Considering you, dreamwraith, say that the Lamda also has the meaning of "ascent to a higher level", i too find it quite interesting that it is abundant throughout the game. Gordon wears the symbol on his HEV!

It's annoying me, but I keep getting the feeling that Gman and co are trying to create a supersoldier. And they think theyve found Gordon as a suitable candidate. I know it's bull, but i just cant stop thinking it.

 

[Tarkus]

I really can't see the connection between the science meaning of lambda and the use in gay and lesbian connection.

the chose the lambda simbol for they're whatever they call it

 

[Esquire]

Anyone notice the relation of the 2 in the HL2 symbol? What would Lambda to the second power be?

I know...just speculating.

:O That's a good point that. But i think it's just a stylish way to say "Half-Life 2" in logo form.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

Considering you, dreamwraith, say that the Lamda also has the meaning of "ascent to a higher level", i too find it quite interesting that it is abundant throughout the game. Gordon wears the symbol on his HEV!

He had to ascend above aliens and soldiers...i guess that sounds legit.