Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!ucbvax!brahms!weemba
From: weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener)
Newsgroups: net.math,net.med,net.philosophy,net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: The Twins
Message-ID: <12069@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 27-Feb-86 05:13:09 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12069
Posted: Thu Feb 27 05:13:09 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 04:02:38 EST
References: <11958@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <621@ihlpl.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 27
Xref: watmath net.math:2898 net.med:3465 net.philosophy:4304 net.jokes.d:1571

In article <621@ihlpl.UUCP> eisaman@ihlpl.UUCP (Eisaman) writes:
>>    They drew apart slightly, making room for me, a new playmate, a
>>    third in their world.  Then John, who always took the lead, thought
>>    for a very long time--it must have been at least five minutes,
>>    though I dared not move ...--and brought out a nine-figure number;
>>    and after a similar time his twin Michael responded with a similar
>>    one.  And then I, in my turn, after a surreptitious look in my book,
>>    added my own ... a ten-figure prime ....
>> 
>
>I was dissapointed with the end of this, all along I was expecting a
>punch line at the end.  As soon as they started thinking long and hard
>to come up with a nine-figure prime and then put to the test of a 
>ten-figure prime.  I visioned, calculator tape coming out of thier
>mouths, smoke and sparks coming from the ears, and finally thier
>heads blowing up, with springs and resistors flying about the room.
>And then the guy says, "Damn, blew another fuse."
>
>I like my ending better.

I don't.

When reading the account, I was expecting Dr. Sacks to experiment
and offer them a large composite.  Would they start screaming or
go catatonic (or not notice)?  We'll never know.

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720