Hasty Briefsbeta

A Story About 'Magic'

2 days ago
http://www.catb.org/esr/jargon/html/magic-story.html
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  • #MIT
  • #hackers
  • #PDP-10
  • A mysterious switch labeled 'magic' and 'more magic' was found on a PDP-10 at MIT AI Lab.
  • Despite appearing non-functional with only one wire connected, flipping the switch caused the computer to crash.
  • The switch was later removed by Richard Greenblatt, and the computer ran fine afterward.
  • Theories suggest the switch may have affected electrical capacitance or caused a voltage drop.
  • The switch is now kept by the author, usually set to 'more magic'.
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