Re: virus: maxims and ground rules and suppositions

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Wed, 12 May 1999 23:29:21 -0700

Eric wrote:

>[1] Much talked about -- it seems these numbers, amoung many other
>things, specify the differing groups into which flowers can be
>sorted -- via the number of petals they possess. (it also explains
>the apparent rareness of four leaf clovers...) My math professor says
>that an excellent intelligence test is asking for the general (nth)
>term of this sequence -- one will not stumble upon it by chance. It
>is just the type of thing an intelligent group of aliens might require
>of a species before "first contact"...

You (and anyone else with a love of numbers and many of the other topics that frequently come up on this list) should see the movie "pi" (the symbol) if you get a chance. I'm sure it must be out on video by now. In addition to covering the above in amazing detail, it also has some really good B&W cinematography, great direction (especially for a first film), is rather distrubing & distrubed (a plus in my book), and has a really kick-ass soundtrack to boot.

-Prof. Tim