From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id a6492b15 for ; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 11:52:34 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id A805B9B5F1; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:52:33 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DFA3C9B553; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:52:14 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id C56659B553; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:52:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (mail.cs.dartmouth.edu [129.170.212.100]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 30FFE9B552 for ; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:52:11 +1000 (AEST) Received: from coolidge.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (coolidge.cs.dartmouth.edu [129.170.213.217]) by mail.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPS id x9IBq98A014284 (version=TLSv1.3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO) for ; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:52:09 -0400 Received: from coolidge.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by coolidge.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTP id x9IBq9KP001810 for ; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:52:09 -0400 Received: (from doug@localhost) by coolidge.cs.Dartmouth.EDU (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) id x9IBq95P001809 for tuhs@tuhs.org; Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:52:09 -0400 From: Doug McIlroy Message-Id: <201910181152.x9IBq95P001809@coolidge.cs.Dartmouth.EDU> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:52:09 -0400 To: tuhs@tuhs.org User-Agent: Heirloom mailx 12.5 7/5/10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: [TUHS] Space Travel, was New: The Earliest UNIX Code X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" > 10-36-55.pdf user-mode programs: pool game This game, written by ken, used the Graphic 2. One of its earliest tests--random starting positions and velocities on a frictionless table with no collision detection--produced a mesmerizing result. This was saved in a program called "weird1", which was carried across to the PDP11. Weird1 was a spectacular accidental demonstration of structure in pseudo-random numbers. After several minutes the dots representing pool balls would evanescently form short local alignments. Thereafter from time to time ever-larger alignments would materialize. Finally in a grand climax all the balls converged to a single point. It was stunning to watch perfect order emerge from apparent chaos. One of my fondest hopes is to see weird1 revived. Doug