Astounding Science Fiction, February 1952 (British Edition) — page 59: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MONKEY WRENCH “That’s for you to find out,” he said, his satisfaction clearly evident. ; “Don’t be insane—” began the meteoro- logist. Then, checking himself like a man who has no time to lose, he whirled on the panel and gave his attention to the ‘Instruments on its surface. The pile was damped. The ventilating system was shut off and the electrical system was dead. Only the power in the storage cells of the machine itself was available for the operating light still glowed redly on the panel. The great out- side decors, wide enough to permit the in- gress and exit of a two-man flier, were closed, and would remain that way, for they required power to open or close them. Visio, radio, and teletype were alike, silent and lifeless through lack of power. But the machine still operated. Burke stepped to the grille and pressed the red alarm button below it, twice. “Attention,” he said. “The pile is damped and all fixtures besides yourself lack power. Why is this?” - : There was no response, though the red light continued to glow industriously on the panel. “Obstinate little rascal, isn’t it?” said Cary from the wall. Burke ignored him, punching the button again, sharply. “Reply!” he ordered. “Reply at once! What is the difficulty? Why is the pile not Operating?” There was no answer. He turned to the calculator and played his fingers expertly over the buttons. Fed from the stored power within the machine, the punched tape rose in a fragile white .arc and disappeared through a slot in the panel. He finished his punching and waited. ‘There was no answer. For a long moment he stood there. Staring at the calculator as if unable to believe that, even in this last hope, the machine had failed him. Then he turned slowly and faced Cary. aa. “What have you done?” he repeated dully. “Do you admit you were wrong?” Cary demanded. “Yes,” said Burke. “And do I win the bet?” persisted Cary gleefully. “Yes?” “Then I'[l tell you,” the lawyer said. He put a cigarette between his lips and puffed it alight; then blew out a long streamer 57 of smoke which billowed out and hung : cloudily in the still air of the room, which, lacking heat from the blowers, was cooling rapidly. “This fine little gadget of yours may be all very well at meteorology, but it’s not very good at logic. Shocking situa- tion, when you consider the close relation between mathematics and logic.” “What did you do?” reiterated Burke hoarsely. | “T’ll get to it,” said Cary. “As “I say, ifs a shocking situation. Here is this in-- fallible machine of yours, worth, I sup- pose, several million credits, beating its brains out over a paradox.” “A paradox!” the words were almost a sob. “A paradox,” sang Cary, “a most in- genious paradox.” He switched back to his speaking voice. “Which, in case you don’t know, is irom Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Pirates of Penzance.’ It occurred to me while you were bragging earlier that while your little friend here couldn’t be dam- aged, it might be immobilized by giving it a problem too big for its mechanical brain cells to handle. And I remembered a little thing from one of my pre-war logic courses—an interesting little affair -called Epimenides Paradox. I don’t remember just how it was originally phrased—those logic courses were dull, sleepy sort of busi- nesses, anyway—but for example, if I say to you ‘all lawyers are lars’ how can you tell whether the statement is true or false, since I am a lawyer and, if it is true, must be lying when I say that all lawyers are liars? But, on the other hand, if I am lying, then all lawyers are not liars, and the statement is false, ie, a lying state- ment. If the statement is false, it is true, and if true, false, and so on, so where are you?” -— ore EE jt NEWSAGENT OR POST DIRECT TO: | from Burke ATLAS I | Publishing & Distributing Co. Ltd. | 18 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, E.C.4 | enclose cheque/P.O. value 13/6. Kindly arrange for me one year’s subscription (twelve issues) to: | Astounding SCIENCE FICTION | | commencing with the next issue. (NAME) wins Capepeaccbibcgsocaeuscmmmets teateie cert nlaacecceseewn PUSR Oe TCE OS SORE OeOORS ow L ADDRESS) rensees DES Se ee | & ee ee