OC.TREI@CU20B.ARPA (05/20/85)
From: Peter G. Trei <OC.TREI@CU20B.ARPA> A while back, when all the discussion of Asimov's Multivac stories was taking place, I asked the burning question: 'What does the AC at the end of Multivac et. al. stand for?'. I received 9 responses, of which 5 were correct. I guess that this shows that net-landers read the classics (or maybe we're just old). The first correct answer came from Bob Carter <carter@rutgers>, whose two-word reponse was 'Analogue Computer'. While I strongly suspect Asimov used the US spelling of 'analog', this is close enough and Bob may have his ten bonus points. Check 'The Last Question' in Nine Tommorows for this answer. The other correct responses came from (in order of reception): Peter Alfke <jpa144@cit-vax>, Stephen Balzac <LS.SRB%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC>, 'deej' <d102@CMU-CC-TD>, and 'jbl' <levin@BBNCCT.ARPA>. Incorrect responses centered around analogies to Univac: (UNIVersal Automatic Computer). This is a very easy error, and I suspect that The Good Doctor had Univac in mind when he wrote the story. Other suggestions were Algorithmic Computer, Analytic(al) Calculator, and Asimov's Computer (or Asimov and Clarke (!)). Other observations: "Multivac is to Univac as Unix is to Multics." Bruce Leban. "Multivax would be a good node-name for an VAX 11/782." Robert Krawitz. Peter -------
ran@ho95b.UUCP (RANeinast) (05/29/85)
> A while back, when all the discussion of Asimov's Multivac >stories was taking place, I asked the burning question: 'What does the >AC at the end of Multivac et. al. stand for?'. > I received 9 responses, of which 5 were correct. I guess that >this shows that net-landers read the classics (or maybe we're just >old). The first correct answer came from Bob Carter <carter@rutgers>, >whose two-word reponse was 'Analogue Computer'. While I strongly >suspect Asimov used the US spelling of 'analog', this is close enough >and Bob may have his ten bonus points. Check 'The Last Question' in >Nine Tommorows for this answer. > Incorrect responses centered around analogies to Univac: >(UNIVersal Automatic Computer). This is a very easy error, and I >suspect that The Good Doctor had Univac in mind when he wrote the >story. Other suggestions were Algorithmic Computer, Analytic(al) >Calculator, and Asimov's Computer (or Asimov and Clarke (!)). I'm afraid that YOU are wrong. Asimov, in his autobiography ("In Memory Yet Green", p663, large-size paperback), states the origin of "Multivac". He (erroneously) thought that Univac had one vacuum tube (Uni-Vac), so a big, future machine would have many, many vacuum tubes (Multi-Vac). Therefore the AC at the end of Multivac DOESN'T STAND FOR ANYTHING. However, you are correct in that the AC at the end of Univac DOES stand for Analog Computer. -- ". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch." Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95b!ran) AT&T-Bell Labs