Good Morning Professor HAL

[Gamma]

dennis quaid!

[Jawge]

It's intresting to see the name IBM popping up everywhere; even in the eary drafts of the novel. Physicists and mathematicians tend to disagree that IBM not a soft crypher for HAL. I guess you may even move to say tht Lewis Carrol (a mathematician) had no cyphers in his works.

I can understand not saying IBM was the central character in a movie or novel. Who usually wants to say "ah my cypher has been decoded?"
BTW have you read Dr.Singh's book (The Code book) per chance?

[Jawge]

I think the point Cllarke was trying to convey is that maybe our life form is protected by some advanced species (hence no other civilization can touch us) until we are highly developed (in term of intelligence, culture and intereaction in terms of race). Granted humans are presently using only a tenth of the brain.

If you notice after they (the beings) kick started life on the other planet and we are given an extra sun our space probes could not go near the planet. Could be a deeper message but I've never really explored it.