The Monkey and the Typewriter

My obsession with codeword puzzles opens new horizons.

The Monkey and the Typewriter

I’m going to be up front with you, reader.  I don’t know why, but I feel slightly embarrassed in admitting that I’m addicted to a type of word puzzle called a codeword. I suppose that there are worse things to be hooked on but let’s not go into details on that - for now anyway!

I’d better tell you about these codewords first, so that you know what I’m rabbiting on about. They look just like a crossword, a grid of squares about 15 by 15.  Instead of being given clues the squares are numbered from 1 to 26, each number representing a letter of the alphabet. At the start you are given three letters to get you going. You fill in these letters first, eg R=4, U=12, G=24 and then the fun begins. All you have to do is fill in the squares to form words - all?

It took me a while to figure out why I find these puzzles so interesting. Then one afternoon, lying in the bath doing my codeword, (ok, I’ll say it before you do - sad!) I had my ‘eureka’ moment. Having been trained as a scientist, I had been taught to think in objective (non-trumpian!) ways. 

Now, for the sake of this story, I must nail my metaphysical colours to the mast - I believe in the power of reason, in our ability to figure out who we are, our place in the cosmos and how we can have a future on this planet.

Unfortunately, the term scientist is widely misused and has given rise to misunderstanding and even derision. In my opinion, we should reserve the use of the term scientist for those that use the scientific method to understand what is around them.

This way of understanding natural phenomena involves first of all making a hypothesis (an informed guess) about something - for example, that tides depend on the movements of the moon. Then, the important bit, check it out by taking measurements and finally you can develop your theory of tides. If they check out, great, but no scientist should ever believe that they have the final answer.

Science is not like religion, an act of faith in things unseen, it is an on-going process of getting closer and closer to the answer of how things are as they are.

Back to codewords now. The more of them that I did the  more I realised that solving codewords was a bit like the scientific process. There were certain things I noticed - the most common  letter is usually e, the letters a, i, r and s are common, the letters x,z,q,j are uncommon and so on. I could make a guess about what a letter might be and it might look ok for a bit but then something wouldn’t fit and I’d have to go back and change my guess. Got it? It’s like science, an ongoing process of getting nearer to the truth. 

Last weekend Mandy was away visiting friends and I got really engrossed in my codewords  to pass  the time. After finishing a couple in good time I thought I’d try an online version on my tablet. I googled (ouch!)and found lots of versions. Tucked away near the bottom, one intrigued me - 'The Monkey and the Typewriter codeword - one is all you’ll ever need!’

Intrigued, but cynical of the usual sales hype, I clicked and was faced with a puzzle that went to the edges of the screen. The letters T N and W were given. What the heck! Feeling a bit like the monkey I started puzzling out the missing letters. In about 25 minutes I’d got most of the letters and just happened to scroll left to find the puzzle extending to the left. I then scrolled right and up and down to find the codeword extending as far as I could go. I felt dizzy for a moment and had to close my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again I was still on blank codeword  and grappling for meaning. Suddenly a set of controls like google earth and street view appeared lower right. As dumb as a monkey I clicked on ‘enter codeview’ and I was suddenly looking down on vast fields of codewords like Kansas prairie. What completely smacked my gob was that the vast codefield was blotched with completed patches.

I zoomed down on one of the completed code section where I could see some movement - some of the letters at the edge were actually being completed. Then I could see that all over the codefield bits were actually being completed as I watched. I zoomed in for a closer look  and  gasped out loud when the code field seemed to go hazy, and I fell through into another parallel code field and then another below that.

I zoomed back out and as I lifted higher and higher I could see - oh my god - it can’t be! The vast area of codefields was  actually  curving down in every direction. It dawned on me that I was high above a planet where the very fabric of reality was code.What was even more chilling was the realisation that it was actually my planet, the earth. It began to dawn on my primitive primate brain that my universe was not what I thought it was. I then realised that a century before, our greatest scientists such as Heisenberg came to their eureka when the pebbles of  Newtonian certainty trickled uncertainly as quantum dust through their fingers.

What does this all mean - I can hear you asking? My first suggestion is that the fact that code is being completed  at multiple locations suggests that the codeword planet (the earth?) is in  some form of communication with its inhabitants. To discover the nature of this communication  I spent many hours and days studying the codewords and gradually realised that we are dealing not with the random drivel of monkeys at typewriters but a purposeful  interaction. Bizarre as it may seem the earth is actually operating as a sentient entity.

I am almost reluctant to share what I have found but the word Gaia keeps recurring. Within the code there are warnings that the earth and all its inhabitants can only survive by acting as one.

The Gaia Hypothesis  - James Lovelock proposed that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings to form a self regulating system that helps maintain conditions for life on earth.

Reviews

[Beccy]

A scientist might say; A rainbow
is a simple meteorological phenomenon
caused by the fundamental process
of refraction, and as such, does not
exist in any particular location.

A poet might say, actually, 'tis God
playing hide and seek with his children,
as he shows us how beautifully
he can paint the sky.

Either way, it would be nice to eventually find that elusive pot of gold. :))

Beccy.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Beccy, for reading this. What a wonderful review - yes there are different and equally valid ways of looking at and making sense of things. I'm afraid that I may have overstepped myself in this story and I'm keen to get some honest feedback.
Cheers.
Alan

[phill..m]

This is brilliant, this is the power of the internet, i understood
every part of the story, the information about quantum
physics opened up a once closed mind of mine.
The best was the delayed choice quantum eraser experiment.
Regards,Phill.

[barleygirl]

I should’ve taken notes while reading this, so I could remember all the things that came to mind! But then my review might be as long as your story! You do a great job of explaining scientific theory -- & you remind me of two favorite science teachers of all time – college physics & college geology. Both professors had a knack for making the physical world come alive in a very understandable way. I’ve had a love of geology ever since. Another thing I have to comment on is how ridiculous you sound & YOU KNOW you sound ridiculous, which is delivered in fun self-deprecating ways. I honestly could not picture the codeword puzzle mechanics, except that I was just thinking “kinda like crossword” in the general sense. I did get a clear mind-picture of the way your trajectory goes. You nailed your overall concept & progression clearly, even if, at the actual granular level, I suspect some eyes glazed over. I have the highest admiration for your pumped-up imagination! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[alanwgraham]

There's no pulling the wool over your eye's (no fooling you!) It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Yes, Margie, i knew this didn't entirely hang together. I have wanted to state my thoughts on how important it is to understand the importance of real science in these worrying days of trump, climate change and fake news. This has ended up as a mash up of that idea and this codeword nonsense leading to the sci-fi gaia message. Well spotted! It's great to get some genuine feedback. All this mutual back scratching on WC aint doing anyone any good. We need to use discretion and sensitivity in making our comments but too often I wade through review after wonderful review when the actual title has been misspelt and noone has mentioned it. ant over!
Thanks for your review and I strongly recommend codewords if you need relaxing!
Regards
Alan

[alanwgraham]

The second last line should read 'rant over'!

[Chris Shaw]

You never disappoint with your short stories Alan. My Dad had a degree in physics and maths, but his scientific brain never sadly influenced any of my brain cells. So I can't read your words through a science perspective, but I can as a poet and reader. I have always enjoyed science fiction and that is how I was able to enjoy this piece. I think it's creativity would lend itself to a short movie, I can picture the scene in my head and I think it an interesting subject that would draw people in. There's a great deal of stuff we don't have answers for yet, and those scientists are continually finding amazing stuff. Who knows what will be revealed in the future. All good wishes

Chris

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Christine. I'm glad you got something out of this. It ended up as a bit of a mash up of some thoughts about the general misunderstanding of science, a story based on my compulsive puzzling and global warming.
At least the heat wave is going!
Regards, alan

[LazerRays]

This is an interesting piece. I learned a lot

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Sarah. I realise that this is a bit way out and I'm glad you got something out of it. Regards
Alan