Archive for the ‘Edd Vick’ Category
The Long Walk
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007
Captain Awamura emerges dripping from the Pacific waves onto the southern California shore. At first, no one looks closely enough at his tattered khaki uniform, the flesh sloughing off his spare frame, the seaweed poorly concealing the hole where half his head had been.
At first.
The screaming begins. As more of his fellow soldiers wade from the waves, Awamura pulls his corroded bayonet from his belt and shambles after the retreating sunbathers. He comes upon a sandy mound that proves to be a half-buried man not yet awakened by the hubbub. Awamura kneels and draws his knife across the throat, opening a second mouth that bleeds into the thirsty sand. The man’s eyes open, then film.
Captain Awamura Jiro of the Imperial Japanese Army, in service to his Emperor, stands and turns toward his goal, this nation’s capitol. Its throat. Hand gripping his weapon, he orders his legions on to victory.
Final Exam
Friday, May 4th, 2007
1. Assume a four-dimensional hyperspherical universe fifteen billion years old. Populate it with one hundred billion galaxies.
A. Calculate the likelihood of life developing.
B. Calculate the likelihood of intelligent life developing.
C. Calculate the likelihood of more than one intelligent race developing.
D. Calculate the likelihood that in the assumed universe with x intelligent races, that any one of them will become aware of another.
E. Calculate the likelihood that any two races will make war on each other.
2. In a p-type universe, specify the preliminary and boundary conditions for each of the following types of singularity.
A. Indigenous species improves genotype beyond recognition.
B. Indigenous species creates mechanical aid that destroys said species.
C. Indigenous species creates intelligent mechanical aid that supplants said species.
D. None of the above.
E. Extra Credit: All of the above.
3. Create 12 p-type universes. Set preliminary and boundary conditions such that only one intelligent race develops in each and that they are unable to leave their parent system. Chart time to their self-destruction. Be sure to clean the laboratory afterwards.
4. Are you God? Show your work.