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                         Underground eXperts United

                                 Presents...

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         [  Detour  ]                                [  By The GNN  ]


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                                  "DETOUR"
                       by THE GNN/DualCrew-Shining/uXu


A man in a white coat crawled out from underneath the huge metal cube and
explained to the awaiting journalists: "It is ready."
   The crowd of specially invited journalists applauded. Another man in a
white coat pressed a red button, and a little lamp on the front of the cube
indicated that the world's largest and fastest computer was ready for work.
   "This is X12, the most advanced computer on planet Earth. It contains all
knowledge that humanity have gained through times", said the inventor and
constructor of the super-computer, Harry Faust.
   He turned to the cube. "Good morning, X12."
   "Good morning Mr Faust", the cube answered.
   "Aren't you the most advanced computer on planet Earth?"
   "Sure am, Harry!"
   The crowd laughed, and applauded once again. Then it was time for the
questions. A woman from the local paper was honoured to ask the first one.
   "Dear X12", she began. "I have a rather strange question for you..."
   "I am able to handle all kinds of questions", X12 replied.
   "Good", she said and continued, "as you probably know, humanity has tried
to find an answer to the question 'what is the meaning of life' for
centuries."
   "Millenniums", X12 corrected.
   "Yes, of course. Well, then, what is the meaning of life?"
   "I cannot answer that question. My data bank only contains the knowledge
you (the human race) have given me. There is no such thing as an answer to
the meaning of life in that data."
   "Oh, I see. Okay, let me reformulate the question. Since you're a
computer filled to the limit will knowledge, is it possible for you to (at
least) try to estimate (or something) how close we are to revealing the
answer? You need not actually know the answer, but with the knowledge you
possess it shouldn't be a problem to calculate how far we've (so to say)
travelled on the road to that answer (if you know what I mean)?"
   Despite the rather dull formulation, X12 said: "I know what you mean.
This calculation I can perform. Please wait."
   The excited journalists waited. After a couple of minutes, the machine
finally spoke again. "I will use the metaphor 'road' in the explanation of
the answer; since I believe that will make it much easier for you to
understand. Question: How far have mankind travelled on the road to finding
an answer to the meaning of life? Answer: Let us say that the road to the
meaning of life is ten feet. So far (counting from the dawn of man), you
have travelled around nine feet..."
   Overwhelmed by the positive answer, the journalists applauded for the
third time. But they stopped as X12 finished the sentence, revealing the
deeper truth about the millenniums of travelling: "... but unfortunately in
another direction."


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 uXu #397              Underground eXperts United 1997              uXu #397
                   Call DESTINY STONE II -> +61-924-62553
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