Below is a story about "Extraterrestrial Script". Hopefully the list server
won't line wrap the mathematic equations into senseless spaghetti. A Model
T laptop enthusiast named Leonard Erickson was the first person to decipher
the alien symbology used in the equations. Then on November 11, 2000
Leonard submitted the story and its mathematic equations to "Best Brains" as
a math puzzle where it subsequently was deciphered in stages by several
folks -- final stage was done by Martin Julian DeMello of Rice University
who wisely employed Occam's razor on November 14, 2000. See URL
[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.callahans/qmjueTh0aY8]
======== Story about the Extraterrestrial Script and the Model T ========
EXTRATERRESTRIAL SCRIPT
While working with my Model T laptop, extraterrestrials attacked me. I
was tied up and tortured for hours. I could "hear" them -- they used an
unspoken thought exchange to "ask" me questions. All questions had the
same aim. They wanted to know where I keep the Primordial Bit, born of
the Big Bit Bang. Each time I refused to answer the torture grew worse.
Eventually I became unconscious. When I awoke, I laid still and silently
observed the extraterrestrials' activities. They were gathering bit
samples from my Model T laptop and making some arithmetic calculations
manually on a substance similar to paper. I "heard" them plainly. Their
mission is to take bit samples from Model T laptops, and "question" the
humans who own these impressive devices. These extraterrestrials know
that this is the most direct path to finding the Primordial Bit.
At an opportune instant I snatched my Model T laptop from them, and
used it as a weapon. I bashed them repeatedly and they retreated toward
their craft. I ran away and hid before they could recover and counter
attack. After a brief search for me, the extraterrestrials boarded their
craft and left. A few minutes later helicopters landed -- humans. Then
more and more came -- an alphabet soup of agencies arrived: CIA, FBI, and
so on. They found the paper like substance, which the extraterrestrials
had left behind in their hasty retreat, and pondered the strange script
written on it. That's when I came out of hiding and explained that the
script is calculations written by the extraterrestrials. Of course I did
not mention the extraterrestrials' mission -- I trust no one enough to
reveal where I'm keeping the Primordial Bit.
Scientists from all the agencies asked me a lot of questions about the
script during long "debriefing" sessions. They are certain that the
calculations in the script are navigational and likely indicate where the
extraterrestrials come from, or where they are heading. I managed to
steal a copy of the script before they released me. It's shown below. I
did overhear the scientists discuss their analysis of the script. Here's
what they know about it.
o the script is five mathematic equations.
o each equation is written as a horizontal series of symbols.
o the two adjoined symbols in the first equation are an exponential
function such as Y raised to the X power.
o all the other equations have simple mathematic functions: addition,
subtraction, multiplication, or division.
o some symbols are arithmetic operators: add, subtract, multiply, etc.
+-----+
| * |
| * |
+-----+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | * * | | * | | * * |
| * * | | * | | * | | |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| * | | * | | * | | * * | | * |
| * | | * | | * | | * | | * |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| | | * * | | * * | | * * | | | | * |
| * | | * | | * * | | * | | | | * * |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| * * | | * * | | * | | | | * * | | | | * | | * |
| * * | | * * | | | | * | | * | | * | | * * | | |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
| * | | * | | * * | | * | | * | | * * | | * | | * | | * |
| | | * | | * | | | | * | | * | | | | * | | * |
+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+
=========================================================================
Keeper of the Primordial Bit (born of the Big Bit Bang), -= Ron Wiesen =-
