Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more
The mark of the barcode
WHEN we considered conspiracy theory trends on 13 April, we unaccountably failed to mention barcodes, a major subject of scare stories over several decades.
In chapter 13, verse 17 of the Bible鈥檚 very strange Book of Revelation, which predicts the end of the world, the author, thought to be Saint John, claims that 鈥渘o man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name鈥�.
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Verse 18 continues (if not clarifies): 鈥淟et him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.鈥�
Two millennia later, there are those who claim that the advent of barcodes 鈥� the kind that we must now call old-fashioned, consisting of parallel stripes 鈥� is a sign of the 鈥渆nd times鈥� prophesied in Revelation.
In 1991, Feedback discussed the confusion between the three 鈥渄elimiter鈥� symbols in a barcode and the digits 鈥�666鈥� 鈥� and the related paranoia that the evil government was going to fulfil the prophecy of verse 17 by tattooing us all on our hands or foreheads (9 November 1991 and 23 November 1991).
Our colleague Jeff Hecht, who alerted us to all this back then, went on to write a science fiction short story about barcode tattoos speeding up shopping, which appeared in a volume entitled .
Now Jeff sends us a story from the UK Daily Telegraph concerning new mobile phones from Motorola that can verify their users鈥� identity by scanning a barcode tattoo on their body. No, we checked the date, it was not published on 1 April but on , reporting on a conference the day before.
Alex Allan sends us a photo of a sign in Western Australia. It reads: 鈥淐ottesloe Main Beach. WARNING. Water.鈥� Alex feels this 鈥渟eems somewhat overprotective鈥�
Biblical error
INCIDENTALLY, we at Feedback always strive to correct our mistakes when alerted to them. For the record, on 23 November 1991, we referred to Revelation chapter 12, verse 17. In the King James edition of the Bible this, in fact, reads: 鈥淎nd the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.鈥�
鈥淐hapter 12鈥� should have read 鈥渃hapter 13鈥� (see the barcode story, above). We are not, and have never been, part of any plot to misdirect seekers of hallucinatory truth. Honest.
Schr枚dinger鈥檚 beer
WHAT is it about substances consumed for pleasure, despite their risks, that attracts logic failures? Do they induce brain rot in those whose job it is to remind us what鈥檚 good for us? Feedback once noted a sign displayed at that lovely gateway to England, Heathrow Airport鈥檚 Terminal 1: 鈥淚t is against the law to smoke either within or outside this building鈥� (24 March 2009 and 4 July 2009).
Now Tim Charlton sends a photo of a sign in a service station on the UK鈥檚 M6 motorway: 鈥淎lcohol purchased in WH Smith cannot be consumed anywhere inside or outside these premises.鈥� He鈥檚 wondering if it鈥檚 possible to obtain a bottle of Schr枚dinger鈥檚 beer that鈥檚 both inside and outside the shop. But what happens when you open it and the waveform collapses?
Saving of minus $635
THE people who produced the advert for 鈥淭he Great Courses鈥� that Paul Barker spotted in the Economist magazine would do well to take a course in arithmetic themselves. 鈥淪ave up to $385,鈥� the ad proclaims. A DVD set of 32 lectures on great orchestral works originally cost $519.95 and is now $134.95. 鈥淭ruly a great deal,鈥� says Paul. But a CD set of the same lectures that was originally $359.95 is now on offer at $994.95.
The 鈥渟aving鈥� of minus $635 is indeed 鈥渦p to鈥� $385. But is this really what was meant?
Tell us when you鈥檙e dead
READER Steve Moody has taken out insurance with the Utility Warehouse Group to cover the event of his accidental death. He notes that condition 3 states: 鈥淯nder this policy the insured must provide notification to the underwriters no later than 90 days after the occurring of any accident.鈥�
Steve is interested to know how he is to make such a notification after his death.
Eccentric printer
FINALLY, a colleague was printing out a four-page document. The printer added information at the bottom of each page saying where it was in the sequence, as in 鈥淧age 2 of 4鈥�. However, the printer didn鈥檛 stop at the fourth page. Instead, it went on to produce a blank sheet of paper with the words 鈥淧age 5 of 4鈥� at the bottom.
This is apparently the only example of wilfully eccentric behaviour by this printer. So far.