The Riddle of the Universe and Its Solution
Encyclopedia
The Riddle of the Universe and Its Solution is a short story
written by Christopher Cherniak
appearing in the 1981 book The Mind's I
. It describes a research
project in computer science
which includes content that produces catatonia
in anyone who views it. The material is harmful only if comprehended by its victim—in some cases there is an incubation period
before an exposed subject reaches the fatal conclusion. Often, the last thing said by such individuals before slipping irrevocably into a coma
is "Aha!"
Only after the lethal files tragically affect a team which fetches them remotely—hoping to avoid a presumed biological disease—is the true danger realised. Efforts to use ape
s to discover which part of the files has this effect fail: so the effect is limited to humans.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by Christopher Cherniak
Christopher Cherniak
Christopher Cherniak is a member of the Philosophy Department at the University of Maryland. Some of his research concerns more realistic, bounded-resource models of rationality, and optimal-wiring models of brain structure....
appearing in the 1981 book The Mind's I
The Mind's I
The Mind's I: Fantasies and reflections on self and soul is a 1981 book composed and arranged by Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett...
. It describes a research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
project in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
which includes content that produces catatonia
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
in anyone who views it. The material is harmful only if comprehended by its victim—in some cases there is an incubation period
Incubation period
Incubation period is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism, a chemical or radiation, and when symptoms and signs are first apparent...
before an exposed subject reaches the fatal conclusion. Often, the last thing said by such individuals before slipping irrevocably into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
is "Aha!"
Only after the lethal files tragically affect a team which fetches them remotely—hoping to avoid a presumed biological disease—is the true danger realised. Efforts to use ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
s to discover which part of the files has this effect fail: so the effect is limited to humans.
See also
- BLITBLIT (short story)BLIT is a short science-fiction story written by author David Langford. It features a setting where highly dangerous types of images called "basilisks" have been discovered; these images contain patterns within them that exploit flaws in the structure of the human mind to produce a lethal...
- BlipvertBlipvertIn the 1985 film Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future and the first episode of the 1987 science fiction television show Max Headroom, blipverts were a new high-speed, concentrated, high-intensity television commercials lasting about three seconds. The term Blipvert was first coined by George...
- Snow CrashSnow CrashSnow Crash is Neal Stephenson's third novel, published in 1992. Like many of Stephenson's other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics, and philosophy....
- Infinite JestInfinite JestInfinite Jest is a 1996 novel by David Foster Wallace. The lengthy and complex work takes place in a semi-parodic future version of North America, and touches on tennis, substance addiction and recovery programs, depression, child abuse, family relationships, advertising and popular entertainment,...
- The Funniest Joke in the WorldThe Funniest Joke in the World"The Funniest Joke in the World" is the title most frequently used for written references to a Monty Python's Flying Circus comedy sketch, which is also known by two other phrases that appear within it, "Joke Warfare" and "Killer Joke", the latter being the most commonly spoken title used to refer...
- Basilisk#Reuse in science fiction and popular culture