The Minuteman Algorithm

Good afternoon, Monsieur Le Bon. A good day to you, too, Monsieur Joly. How long has the patient been in a persistent vegetative state? I think since the mid eighties. And the patient is still alive? Yes, Maurice, the brain is still wholly intact, as are the organs... But Gustave, why does not the patient wake up? It seems that the patient is aware of everything that happens around him, but for some reason prefers to flee from reality. I understand, Gustave; this is tragic, very tragic but also not bad, because then we can openly talk while we play. All right, Maurice, lets get the patient to the table and let him watch our game...

Suppose that a code existed that was known only to the initiated, a hidden algorithm that defined exchange rate volatility and the parameters of stock market derivatives. What, then, would be the value of wealth and the civilization we live in, and what would be the value of our social system and social consensus? What if an algorithm cryptographically defined the randomness of everyday life? What, then, would be the identifiers for happiness and fate, success and failure in such a world? And what if this code was not of divine origin but man-made? If heaven and hell were earthly, and the rise and fall of nations were just a game in a sandbox that the hegemon created for the players? What task would a 'Messiah' have in such a world? And would he who were to finish the game be the Messiah or his antithesis? This is the story of a few of the players.

Good afternoon, Monsieur Le Bon. A good day to you, too, Monsieur Joly. How long has the patient been in a persistent vegetative state? I think since the mid eighties. And the patient is still alive? Yes, Maurice, the brain is still wholly intact, as are the organs... But Gustave, why does not the patient wake up? It seems that the patient is aware of everything that happens around him, but for some reason prefers to flee from reality. I understand, Gustave; this is tragic, very tragic but also not bad, because then we can openly talk while we play. All right, Maurice, lets get the patient to the table and let him watch our game...

Cities and Their Vital Systems asks basic questions about the longevity, utility, and nature of urban infrastructures; analyzes how they grow, interact, and change; and asks how, when, and at what cost they should be replaced. Among the topics discussed are problems arising from increasing air travel and airport congestion; the adequacy of water supplies and waste treatment; the impact of new technologies on construction; urban real estate values; and the field of "telematics," the combination of computers and telecommunications that makes money machines and national newspapers possible.