Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!lad-shrike!marcos
From: marcos@AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM (M V Lapolla)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Understanding Jokes
Summary: Humor, Humor, 6, ?, SF
Keywords: Humour,Humor,Sci-Fi
Message-ID: <134@killdeer.AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM>
Date: 16 Nov 88 21:24:39 GMT
References: <3244@sdsu.UUCP> <2070022@otter.hple.hp.com> <5263@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Lockheed Austin Div.
Lines: 21

In article <5263@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, smann@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Shannon Mann - I.S.er) writes:

> >This discussion brings to mind a story by Isaac Asimov (I forgot the name,
> >remember) in which his mythical world computer "Multivac" is put to the
> >task of determining from where jokes come. 

A computer or a famous scientist who liked telling jokes? I think the later.


> The name of the story is 'Jokester'.  Asimov wrote it because he loves telling
> jokes, and he wanted a sci-fi story to have his six favourite jokes in it.
> (Actually, Larry Shaw dared him to do it.  Who's Larry Shaw?  I don't know, 
> but it is probably someone who knows Isaac :-)
> 

If I recall correctly, he or it concluded that there were only 6 types 
of jokes, no new jokes only new puns. I wonder, has anyone thought up
a new joke, ever?

M.