lost in the underflow

adj. Too small to be worth considering; more specifically, small beyond the
limits of accuracy or measurement. This is a reference to floating underflow
, a condition that can occur when a floating-point arithmetic processor
tries to handle quantities smaller than its limit of magnitude. It is also a
pun on undertow (a kind of fast, cold current that sometimes runs just
offshore and can be dangerous to swimmers). Well, sure, photon pressure from
the stadium lights alters the path of a thrown baseball, but that effect
gets lost in the underflow. Compare epsilon , epsilon squared ; see also
overflow bit.

