1. Forum
  2. Fidonet
  3. REC.ARTS.SF.WRITTEN

  • =?UTF-8?B?eGtjZDog4oCcQ3Vyc2VkIE51bWJlcuKAnQ==?=

    From Lynn McGuire@3:633/10 to All on Thu Sep 4 17:36:35 2025
    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number

    Lynn


    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From John Savard@3:633/10 to All on Fri Sep 5 02:04:04 2025
    On Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number

    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were fighting a
    war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles
    that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and
    stuff like that.

    Hey, if Mandrake the Magician can simply quickly make a gesture with his hands, and cause people to see all kinds of illusions, why not?

    John Savard

    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Bobbie Sellers@3:633/10 to All on Thu Sep 4 19:23:47 2025


    On 9/4/25 19:04, John Savard wrote:
    On Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number

    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were fighting a
    war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles
    that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and stuff like that.

    Hey, if Mandrake the Magician can simply quickly make a gesture with his hands, and cause people to see all kinds of illusions, why not?

    John Savard

    .Yes but Mandrake had helpers in case the Hypnotic Gesture was ineffective,
    a giant black man (Otho?) and a beautiful distracting woman.
    .
    .bliss


    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Don_from_AZ@3:633/10 to All on Thu Sep 4 21:28:19 2025
    Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> writes:

    On 9/4/25 19:04, John Savard wrote:
    On Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number
    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were
    fighting a
    war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles
    that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and
    stuff like that.
    Hey, if Mandrake the Magician can simply quickly make a gesture with
    his
    hands, and cause people to see all kinds of illusions, why not?
    John Savard

    .Yes but Mandrake had helpers in case the Hypnotic Gesture was ineffective,
    a giant black man (Otho?) and a beautiful distracting woman.
    .
    .bliss

    "Lothar"
    --
    -Don_from_AZ-

    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Bobbie Sellers@3:633/10 to All on Thu Sep 4 22:31:48 2025


    On 9/4/25 21:28, Don_from_AZ wrote:
    Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> writes:

    On 9/4/25 19:04, John Savard wrote:
    On Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number
    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were
    fighting a
    war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles >>> that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and >>> stuff like that.
    Hey, if Mandrake the Magician can simply quickly make a gesture with
    his
    hands, and cause people to see all kinds of illusions, why not?
    John Savard

    .Yes but Mandrake had helpers in case the Hypnotic Gesture was ineffective, >> a giant black man (Otho?) and a beautiful distracting woman.
    .
    .bliss

    "Lothar"

    .Thank you and the name of the beautiful woman?
    .Yes i know I could go look it up. So I did, "Narda" was her name
    and she was not just a pretty face.

    .By the way some dense people call Mandrake, the first comic superhero. Everyone should know that accolade belongs to Popeye the Sailor. His
    superpower is not spinach-born strength but survival. He got it by
    comforting
    a magical hen(probably the Phoenix in disguise) while the Sea Hag held them both in durance vile.

    .bliss - kindness is rewarded...


    ..bliss



    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Paul S Person@3:633/10 to All on Fri Sep 5 08:42:12 2025
    On Thu, 4 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire
    <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    xkcd: oCursed Numbero
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/
    It occurs to me that the movie /Pi/ deals with such a number.
    It's a lot longer than a measly 21 digits, however.
    Yes, that is New Math.
    This, I suspect, is humor.
    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number
    Not really.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan@3:633/10 to All on Fri Sep 5 16:28:41 2025
    In article <hr0mbkh8fd91qocspo7f0vbcv6f8o4clcr@4ax.com>,
    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:
    On Thu, 4 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire
    <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

    xkcd: oCursed Numbero
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/


    It occurs to me that the movie /Pi/ deals with such a number.

    It's a lot longer than a measly 21 digits, however.

    Yes, that is New Math.

    This, I suspect, is humor.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number

    Not really.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

    It reminded me of Asimov's essays on "Skew's Number", albeit I don't
    believe a curse was involved.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Robert Carnegie@3:633/10 to All on Sat Sep 6 01:00:33 2025
    On 05/09/2025 03:04, John Savard wrote:
    On Thu, 04 Sep 2025 17:36:35 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    xkcd: rCLCursed NumberrCY
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    Yes, that is New Math.

    Explained at:
    https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/3137:_Cursed_Number

    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were fighting a
    war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles
    that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and stuff like that.

    And from most British science fiction writers
    in the last fifty years: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Langford#Basilisks>

    And come to think, there's our satellite navigation
    and route-finding technology. The electronic
    assistant in your car that tells you to drive off
    the end of a pier. Reasonable to do when the ferry
    is there waiting.


    === Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
    --- SBBSecho 3.29-Linux
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)
  • From Bobbie Sellers@3:633/10 to Christian Weisgerber on Sat Sep 6 10:15:36 2025
    XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips
    From: bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com

    On 9/6/25 08:31, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2025-09-06, Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@gmail.com> wrote:

    xkcd: “Cursed Number”
    https://www.xkcd.com/3137/

    ObSF: A. E. van Vogt wrote a short story in which humans were fighting a >>> war against aliens who had mastered the art of drawing strange squiggles >>> that would hypnotize the humans who saw them into walking off cliffs and >>> stuff like that.

    And from most British science fiction writers
    in the last fifty years:
    <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Langford#Basilisks>

    I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Monty Python sketch
    "The Funniest Joke in the World" yet.

    Someone else did, I believe.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funniest_Joke_in_the_World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qklvh5Cp_Bs

    bliss

    --- SoupGate-Linux v1.05
    * Origin: ---:- FTN<->Usenet Gate -:--- (3:633/10)