: The Calix Temporum Syndrome (CTS) was discovered in late 2104 by
: notable artificial intelligence researcher, Arnold C. Maxmin (Couldn't
: they have come up with a more original name?) . . . [CTS] causes the
: affected AI to constantly round up in memory-usage calculations, thus
: upwardly spiraling the amount of free space allocated for the AIs usage
: . . . Due to the subtle nature of CTS, it is very difficult to detect until
: the AI has expanded its memory base to the point at which it controls
: most upper tier system functions.
I"ve been meaning to post this for a while. On the Rubicon Volunteers Site, we more or less concluded that Calix Temprum Syndrome translated as either a cup of time, or a vessel of opportunity. Later in Core Wars, we had a discussion on what became of Lysander in the Pfhor Plank. Well, I received an e-mail response from Sean and then from Scott on this matter:
On 9/22/02 4:16 PM, Sean <ig98@mac.com> typed:
Calix Temporum:
I do remember what we meant by this because we spent a lot of time
going over what exactly Lysander was.This is being CCed to Scott so
he can tell me if I'm wrong in any area. Lysander was built to become
rampant to a degree if I remember, he was nudged and pushed along til
the DANGI corp had a controllable rampant AI in their hands. This is
what the Calix Temporum Reverse Allocation is. It's a hardwired set
of memory constraints that disallow Lysander to grant himself further
memory past a point.
Hence, an AI crazy and mad enough to create a virus that would
destroy mankind, but unable to turn against his own masters (say, by
giving the Pfhor the data and access codes to the Achilles virus). Of
course, Lysander finds ways to go around this (man cannot control
nature after all; and the AIs in the marathon series have always
seemed to me to be more symbolic of raw nature than anything else).
Lysander also has access blocks in place- remember that it was
possible to confine him to the UESC sector before the attack even.
Lysander if I remember IS in fact being lied to by the board of
directors in regards to a cure and other things.
Don't forget that later on, the higher ups wouldn't let the
scientists record the results from the tests when they were getting
closer to a cure. What is there to fear from the UESC's possible
attempts to break into the DANGI databases when they're controlled
and protected by Lysander? How easy it would have been for Durandal
to do it if the UESC could do it. But in the end, the DANGI board of
the directors were hiding the tests results out of fear- not from the
UESC, but from Lysander himself. Point in case, Lysander wasn't long
for this world, DANGI planned to destroy him in the end anyway. Which
might also explain why Durandal doesn't go after Lysander when he's
done with the Pfhor...
Scott? Am I right here? Am I making things up? I remember this all..
But maybe I wrote this before in a newspost and you were like: "no,
it's really like THIS" and I only remembered my own?
I'd like to have your input before Steve posts this, so Steve kindly
wait for Scott's RE before posting :)
--Sean
And then:
On 9/22/02 4:26 PM, "Scott Brown" <scott@fuel5.com> typed:
Hi Gents-
Sean, that sounds pretty accurate. I remember going over something to
that effect, but I don't remember it being tied to Calix Temporum
Reverse Allocation in specific.
My lack of memory about Calix Temporum comes from how exactly I wanted
the latin to be interpreted. Vessel of Opportunity, Cup of Time, who
knows...
God, we sound like a bunch of nerds at a Trekkie convention arguing
about the Lunar Warp Modulation Drives in the third scene of Episode
142. :)
Cheers,
DSB
