Microsoft Patents Ones, Zeroes | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[Dan Thomson]

I agree. Onion articles should be both 100% rediculous and 100% accurate.

2008/11/18 Lennart Sorensen <lsorense-1wCw9BSqJbv44Nm34jS7GywD8/FfD2ys at public.gmane.org>:
> On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 05:54:51PM -0500, Paul King wrote:
>> > http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29130
>> > --
>>
>> They have the best satirists. You have to read all the way to near the end to
>> get this gem:
>>
>>     "Because all integers and natural numbers derive from one and zero,
>>     Microsoft may, by extension, lay claim to ownership of all mathematics and
>>     logic systems, including Euclidean geometry, pulleys and levers, gravity,
>>     and the basic Newtonian principles of motion, as well as the concepts of
>>     existence and nonexistence," Yale University theoretical mathematics
>>     professor J. Edmund Lattimore said. "In other words, pretty much
>>     everything."
>>
>>     Lattimore said that the only mathematical constructs of which Microsoft
>>     may not be able to claim ownership are infinity and transcendental numbers
>>     like pi. Microsoft lawyers are expected to file liens on infinity and pi
>>     this week.
>
> Well cetainly not one of the best pieces the onion has made.  It just
> ignores too many things really make sense.  It ignores the whole limited
> time of patents, and such, which to me makes it just dumb, not funny.
> The onion usually does a lot better than this.
>
> --
> Len Sorensen
> --
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-- 
Dan Thomson
--
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