This is a recycled version of the old “How do you know you’re not a brain in a jar being kept alive by a mad scientist who is stimulating you to think you are perceiving the world?” One fallacy here is that the person raising the question wants to cast doubt on all human knowledge while relying on the fact you both know what are brains, jars, and mad scientists. Another fallacy is the fact that the question involves an assertion (that you might be just a brain in a jar) with no evidence. You need evidence to know and evidence to doubt. Arbitrary assertions without evidence are not worth listening to.
The answer was 42. The question was what is 6 * 9?The mystery is what was the process used from the question to the answer.I believe it is the same algorithm used in computerized tax packages and determining the BCS football bowl lineup.
John broached this same topic on Facebook. It reminds me of the novel THE HOMEWARD BOUNDERS, by Diana Wynne Jones. In the book, we’re all pieces in a game being played by a race called ‘them.’ The world is the board, and there are many different levels to move through. Good book. I recommend it.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy explains after 4 books that we have been doing math all wrong all these years and the answer to 42 is what is 9×6. Therefore the universe is fundamentally all cocked up the way we see it. Among other issues involving Frogs, tea, Restaurant Math propulsion, and Improbability Drive theory. And that forever subject of Male species vs. Female species trying to understand each other.
A friend & I once discussed the theory that the universe & all we know is just a small particle, held together with other small particles by something like black hole glue. We would be like an atom in someone elses larger universe. Maybe like an atom in a growing particle of wood (the expanding universe) & safe, until someone threw that wood into a fire. Then our world would end. Crazy maybe, but no worse than other theories.
Today’s strip reminded me of an old story whose title & author I cannot remember. For a couple of summers – I worked my way through all the sci-fi books in the library from Asimov to Zelaney and as many stops as possible inbetween. …….. there was a scene in that short story of a sciencist and her research assistant…. sciencist created a spark, a ‘big bang’ in her lab and let her assistant ‘observe’. To test a theory that by observing, one ‘created’. ….yeah. I spent a lot of my summers on Mars.
Agent54 almost 12 years ago
She is not that talented. She would be an orphaned program fragment, wandering around.
vwdualnomand almost 12 years ago
so, that the matrix is real? we are just game avatars in some sim game where there is no rebirth/respawn points. no save points either.
pschearer Premium Member almost 12 years ago
This is a recycled version of the old “How do you know you’re not a brain in a jar being kept alive by a mad scientist who is stimulating you to think you are perceiving the world?” One fallacy here is that the person raising the question wants to cast doubt on all human knowledge while relying on the fact you both know what are brains, jars, and mad scientists. Another fallacy is the fact that the question involves an assertion (that you might be just a brain in a jar) with no evidence. You need evidence to know and evidence to doubt. Arbitrary assertions without evidence are not worth listening to.
rockngolfer almost 12 years ago
Years ago the show Red Dwarf turned out to be a computer game.
Burnside217 almost 12 years ago
It looks like that Zagnut is might actually drop one of these years.
PoodleGroomer almost 12 years ago
The answer was 42. The question was what is 6 * 9?The mystery is what was the process used from the question to the answer.I believe it is the same algorithm used in computerized tax packages and determining the BCS football bowl lineup.
Moriarty11 Premium Member almost 12 years ago
She isn’t a virus, she is bundled crapware…
sbchamp almost 12 years ago
Glitch in that ol’ Matrix…
mvw almost 12 years ago
A virus with a nice rack.
Thomas Scott Roberts creator almost 12 years ago
John broached this same topic on Facebook. It reminds me of the novel THE HOMEWARD BOUNDERS, by Diana Wynne Jones. In the book, we’re all pieces in a game being played by a race called ‘them.’ The world is the board, and there are many different levels to move through. Good book. I recommend it.
Happy, happy, happy!!! Premium Member almost 12 years ago
I just hope no one reboots until after my code/script finishes running.
Thomas Scott Roberts creator almost 12 years ago
The book does not establish that ‘they’ are living in their parents’ basements…
PoodleGroomer almost 12 years ago
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy book series reference.
Agent54 almost 12 years ago
@Redkaycei Repoc
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy explains after 4 books that we have been doing math all wrong all these years and the answer to 42 is what is 9×6. Therefore the universe is fundamentally all cocked up the way we see it. Among other issues involving Frogs, tea, Restaurant Math propulsion, and Improbability Drive theory. And that forever subject of Male species vs. Female species trying to understand each other.
charliefarmrhere almost 12 years ago
A friend & I once discussed the theory that the universe & all we know is just a small particle, held together with other small particles by something like black hole glue. We would be like an atom in someone elses larger universe. Maybe like an atom in a growing particle of wood (the expanding universe) & safe, until someone threw that wood into a fire. Then our world would end. Crazy maybe, but no worse than other theories.
PoodleGroomer almost 12 years ago
Reread Restaurant or the Wikipedia summary.
Hunter7 almost 12 years ago
Today’s strip reminded me of an old story whose title & author I cannot remember. For a couple of summers – I worked my way through all the sci-fi books in the library from Asimov to Zelaney and as many stops as possible inbetween. …….. there was a scene in that short story of a sciencist and her research assistant…. sciencist created a spark, a ‘big bang’ in her lab and let her assistant ‘observe’. To test a theory that by observing, one ‘created’. ….yeah. I spent a lot of my summers on Mars.