Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: notes version 1.1.10 usg 11/8/83; site ihlpf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!whuxle!spuxll!abnjh!u1100a!pyuxn!pyuxww!gamma!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihlpf!weutil From: weutil@ihlpf.UUCP Newsgroups: net.jokes.d Subject: "Re: Re: Origin - (nf)" Message-ID: <263@ihlpf.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jun-84 23:16:35 EDT Article-I.D.: ihlpf.263 Posted: Wed Jun 20 23:16:35 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 06:32:12 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 32 #R:ih1ap:-34500:ihlpf:14100002:000:1302 ihlpf!ctb Jun 14 16:27:00 1984 . you're not the first to make such a proposal. i have a short story at home by isaac asimov with the same theme. it takes place in a time where computers are SOOO powerful the key thing is to get people to ask them the right questions. the people who REALLY know the right questions (it's a gift/talent in the book) are very rare, held in high esteem. anyway, to make a short story shorter, one of the talented question askers (they were called 'masters' or some such nonsense) decided to have the computer figure out where humor came from. the computer finally decides it's of alien origin. the next question: what will be the consequences of our discovering this? well, just like when a rat discovers a 'trick' in a maze, you discontinue the experiment. and there was never humor again!! dum-dum-dummmmmmmmm! (scary dramatic music!!) so be careful when you make bold statements like 'humor is of alien origin'. you may never laugh again!!! :-) the story is actually pretty neat, has a kind of surprise ending, (well, it used to. sorry to spoil it for you if you run across it sometime) and makes you think about the sujbect. asimov's lead character in the story also makes the statement 'jokes made by humans are "puns". the worse the pun, the better." replies to: ihdev!rjv