Divide By Cucumber Error
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computer (not unlike the 'shamble', a kind of magical device used by the Witches of the Discworld) and is housed in the basement of the High Energy Magic anthill inside Building at the Unseen University (UU) in the twin city of Ankh-Morpork. Hex
Ponder Stibbons
is a computer unlike any other the Disc has ever seen, which is not particularly exceptional since previously all
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other "computers" on the Disc had consisted of druidic stone circles. Programmed via 'Softlore', Hex runs and evolves under the watchful eyes of wizard Ponder Stibbons, who becomes the de facto IT
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manager at UU because he's the only one who understands what he's talking about. Contents 1 Origins and evolution 2 Structure and technology 3 Other Discworld computers 4 Messages 5 Appearances 6 Real world connections 7 References Origins and evolution[edit] Hex has its origins in a device that briefly appeared in Soul Music, created by Ponder Stibbons and some student Wizards in the discworld novels High Energy Magic building. In this form it was simply a complex network of glass tubes, containing ants. The wizards could then use punched cards to control which tubes the ants could crawl through, enabling it to perform simple mathematical functions. By the time of the next novel, Interesting Times, Hex had become a lot more complex, and was constantly reinventing itself. Part of it is now clockwork, which interfaces with the ant-farm via a paternoster the ants can ride on that turns a significant cogwheel. Its main purposes were, in a sense, data compression and information retrieval: to analyse spells, to see if there were simpler "meta-spells" underlying them, and to help Stibbons with his study of "invisible writings" by running the spells used to bring the writings into existence. (These spells must be cast rapidly, and each one can only be used once before the universe notices they shouldn't work.) In Hogfather Hex contained several things that nobody remembered installing, and was asking about electricity. It was at around this time that the wizards become concerned that it may be trying to become something they didn't un
ant-colony (the sum in this case is far greater than the parts) tended by Ponder Stibbons and a group of like-minded, spotty, if-only-we-had-anoraks undergraduates. As Stibbons states it, operating Hex is largely intuitive, although you have to spend a lot of time learning it hogfather first. Hex can be cranky, recalcitrant, demand more cheese, occasionally be of use, and exhibit discworld wiki disturbing signs of sentience. Apart from the odd banana, not too much difference from here. Hex makes a major appearance in Interesting Times, terry pratchett quotes Hogfather and The Science of Discworld, where it helped facilitate the Roundworld project, and has also been used at other times to do complicated calculations for how exactly a spell is to be performed, or to control the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_(Discworld) operations of complicated magical instruments. Hex is started by initialising the GBL (pulling the Great Big Lever), and is basically a thinking-engine. Some people may think that Hex is alive, but Ponder Stibbons soothes his mind on that subject, telling himself that Hex "only thinks that he is alive". Hex started its existence as a very large calculator, using different movements of ants to solve simple math equations, but Hex eventually changed to something much more. Hex http://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Hex now seems to have a life of its own, changing, removing and even adding new parts to itself all the time. It now has an Anthill Inside sticker, a beehive in the next room (for memory storage), a screensaver (an aquarium on a spring), a beach-ball-like thing that goes "parp" every fourteen minutes. Hex has a large number of logic states, in addition to and, or, and their combinations and variants, Hex can use maybe, perhaps, suppose, and why, allowing it to think the unthinkable quite easily, such as expanding its capacity to understand the creation of Roundworld on the basis that one day it would be able to. Hex is even beginning to ask about electricity. Hex is able to cast a huge amount of spells in a very small amount of time (similar to early computers that were used to do multiple calculations in a short space of time), thus reducing the need for humans to do so (a source of disgruntlement to the Faculty) and garnering results that it would take a team of research wizards weeks, months or even years to get. For instance, Hex casts the spells required to create Roundworld in less than a minute, when the Dean predicted it would take months. Hex was unfortunately sent daft by a conversation with the Bursar during Hogfather. This was cured soon
Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall divide by cucumber Universe And Reboot +++See More 1Dan LadleTerry PratchettSaveLearn more at thepioden.deviantart.comDiscworld GeekDiscworld RulesDiscworld Terry PratchettPratchett AnkhDiscworld DelightsDiscworld ForeverGnu TerryTerry Pratchett'SThepioden DeviantartForwardDiscworld Geek: Ankh-Morporkby ~ThePioden Fan Art / Digital Art / Drawings / Other ©2005-2013 ~ThePiodenSee MoreAimee McMullenDiscworld bd7db6f0edcca2cca183669be068b26f
By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++ If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Page 1 of 3 123 Last Jump to page: Results 1 to 15 of 35 Thread: +++ Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++ Thread Tools Show Printable Version Display Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode 02-17-2011,03:05 AM #1 Canoodlefish View Profile View Forum Posts View Blog Entries That's so Shakespearean... Join Date Jun 2010 Posts 1,472 +++ Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++ "In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions, in an astral plane that was never meant to fly, the curling star-mists waver and part..." I couldn't find a thread on the brilliant Discworld series by Terry Pratchett here and thought of making one for it. Anyone else a fan? I became one from the other way in, browsing through the Wit & Wisdom of Discworld and the quote that had me putting in the huge investment in getting all 37 books (this was before the release of I Shall Wear Midnight): "I’m sure you won’t dream of trying to escape from your obligations by fleeing the city..." "I assure you the thought never even crossed my mind, lord." "Indeed? Then if I were you I’d sue my face for slander." I love all the story arcs: Rincewind/wizards, witches, Death, City Watch, Moist, though reading the series in one uninterrupted streak might have something to do with my finding Jingo and Interesting Times slightly inferior. Since I've never played D&D and games of similar ilk Discworld's my first entry into the world of Guilds, and my, what Guilds there are. Very thankful for the Discworld Companion for including elaborations only found in the calendars and definitely looking forward to Snuff and Raising