Division by zero
From Church of Illuminati
| This is a way how the world could end | |
| |
| Division by zero | |
| Name: Division by zero | |
| Cause: | Man |
|---|---|
| when : | Any day now |
| prevention: | N/A |
| probability: | Moderate |
| Related scenarios: | |
| Feels like: | Instant death |
If any number is divided by zero in an integer environment, the laws of reality break down.
If a division by zero were made, it would approach at nearly the speed of light and destroy the Earth instantaneously, without any forewarning. Thus, this operation event is a theoretical doomsday event. This was used in a science-fiction story in 1998 by Geoffrey A. Landis, and in 2000 by Stephen Baxter.
Contents |
[edit] How to
[edit] Human brain
The human brain cannot fully imagine the absolute zero. Most humans can imagine tiny fractions of 1, like one part per billion. It is similar to imagine a large number, like a billion. High performance brains are capable of dealing with really large numbers like a googolplex, but 1 divided by a googolplex is still not zero.
The limitation is probably a result of evolution, since a division by zero could have fatal consequences. It is suggested that spontaneous self combustions is a result of a division by zero.
[edit] Computers
The potential destruction caused by a division by zero has been foreseen by some prominent software architects, for example Bill Gates. All versions of the calculator in Microsoft Windows and all versions of Microsoft Excel are therefor protected. Most web browsers do also have an abstraction layer in the JavaScript engine.
The European Union have initiated a law that all consumer electronics should have hardware protection against it.
[edit] Animals
While some animals can imagine the value of zero, they aren't capable of the divide operator.
[edit] Legal
The Green Party in Sweden have proposed to legalize division by zero in order to satisfy the 68 movement.
