Hap & Happiness

[Philosophy Now]

Stephen Anderson meditates on misfortune and meaning.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/155/Hap_and_Happiness

[Agent Smith]

"I have discovered something," announced Ishmael, looking up, exhausted, from the desk he'd been bent over since last Thursday, i.e. exactly 58 hours, 18 minutes, 23 seconds. "Good news/bad news?" asked Saeed. "I dunno, can't say, who can, right?" came the reply. "Well, tell me, what have you found?" inquired Saeed. "You're the smarter one, here take a look," Ishmael pushed a piece of paper in front of Saeed. On it were all sortsa shapes, numbers, they looked random. "What am I looking for?" Saeed queried. "This!" Ishmael pointed to a 23 digit number. "Well, this is just another composite number. I can already see it can be factored, quite easily that too" Saeed was unimpressed. "You were always smarter than everyone Saeed. It is, true, a composite number, but it's a very unique number, look at the digits, the flux of quantities, the relations. Allow the number to speak to you." Saeed yawned, "well it says "Ishmael wasted his precious time", hahaha." Ishmael could no longer stay awake, his eyes closed, automatically and then fell into a deep sleep, but he did manage to mutter "polar bears .... Saeed ... how ...?" Saeed covered Ishmael with a blanket, turned off the light, closed the door behind him, and out on the porch he lit up a cigarette. "Polar bears ... polar bears ... solar flares ... solar flares ... molar wears ... molar wears ..." Saeed sang to a tune he'd forgotten but now remembered.