Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!noao!mcdsun!sunburn!gtx!al From: al@gtx.com (0732) Newsgroups: talk.bizarre,comp.misc Subject: NSA's googol ad Message-ID: <458@gtx.com> Date: Fri, 4-Dec-87 13:14:37 EST Article-I.D.: gtx.458 Posted: Fri Dec 4 13:14:37 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 10-Dec-87 05:34:56 EST Reply-To: al@gtx.UUCP (Al Filipski) Organization: GTX Corporation, Phoenix Lines: 31 Xref: mnetor talk.bizarre:5933 comp.misc:1724 The December issue of the IEEE Spectrum (p. 79R) has a full page ad for the NSA that begins: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 You're looking at a "googol." Ten raised to the 100th power. One followed by 100 zeroes. Counting 24 hours a day, you would need 120 years to reach a googol. [more deleted, culminating in recruitment pitch] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This claim, "Counting 24 hours a day, you would need 120 years to reach a googol.", raises some interesting questions. Did they put this gross error in as a test for prospective employees? Do they have the technology to count at rate of 10^90 Hz? Can they use it to break DES? Is my name being put on a list somewhere? Enquiring minds want to know. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Alan Filipski, GTX Corp, 2501 W. Dunlap, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, USA | | {ihnp4,cbosgd,decvax,hplabs,seismo}!sun!sunburn!gtx!al (602)870-1696 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "away beyond the ishkabow and over the foofram sea there is a place called boofland where very soon you'll be"