Comments on: Comments on 15030

Post number 15030

Su — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 07:20:00 -0800

Peter Norvig has written a Python script that generated a 12293word palindrome. Impressive. But before you ask: No, it doesn't make any sense.
[via Play with the Machine]

By: taumeson

taumeson — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 07:31:33 -0800

This sucks. Way too many acronyms and obscure words. I like the Dan Hoey Panama palindrome...I have yet to see anything to top it.

By: Dark Messiah

Dark Messiah — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 08:20:50 -0800

I fail to see the interest factor of palindromes. Personally, I find them to be quite lame. Guess I'm not sophisticated enough to enjoy such things. Oh well.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 09:26:56 -0800

This does seem to lack that subtle thing we call artistry. If you havent seen them, Scott Kim's Inversions (visual palindromes) are gorgeous.

By: chino

chino — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 10:07:23 -0800

"A palindrome of Bolton would be Notlob!" - also from a Python script.

By: mdn

mdn — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 11:23:35 -0800

vacapinta, are you familiar with john langdon's ambigrams? I agree, this palindrome is lame. But I tend to prefer short ones that make some kind of sense to long ones that are meaningless anyway, even before you add obscure words and lists of proper nouns.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 13:35:23 -0800

mdn: thanks. langdon's website claims that he and scott kim invented ambigrams at the same time. Hmmmm... On Scott's website, he claims that Douglas Hofstadter (his friend, author of GEB) coined the term.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 14:04:53 -0800

There's a certain brute-force quality about finding a technical palindrome, but it has no elegance. Not only is the famous Panama a great palindrome, it's a terrific synopsis of the reality, as is the other famed Able was I ere I saw Elba (i.e. Napoleon's first island of exile). Here's a pretty random collection -- there's even one for the war on terror: "Ram O Hamas, Osamah, Omar!" The 12293 word one would fit right alongside a few of them, but a handful are meaningful.

By: electro

electro — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 15:07:54 -0800

I find Norvig's own critique of his palindrome (the last paragraph before it starts) to be quite eloquent and rather more interesting than the palindrome itself.

By: electro

electro — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 15:14:32 -0800

I thought I'd point out this earlier thread on Oulipo, which approaches similar problems from a different angle.

By: toxicsoul

toxicsoul — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 15:32:36 -0800

thank you vacapinta and nbm. both the inversions and ambigrams are brilliant. awe inspiringly simple mixes of science and art that I find strangely exciting. I have loved that kind of thing ever since this way back in 1989. thanks again

By: toxicsoul

toxicsoul — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 15:39:16 -0800

sorry. cant get it to work. if you are interested darkhorse.com. search for mayhem. click on the #1 link. its a comic titled mayhem. nicely

By: Wood

Wood — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 15:56:59 -0800

OK, it's obvisouly a bit of a cheater, but hell, at least it's a fun image. Di, Al, Togo, Böll, Edna, Todd, Adolf, Sir Obadiah Turner, Ollie, Nora, El, silly Rama, Yma Sumac, St. Toby, Cal, Mike, Graf Alfie, Leila, Roz, Owen, Gallos, Reg, Nina Noyes, Mary, Lionel, Lana, Essex, Rex, Dr. Olim, Sal, Isobel, Ed, Axel, Ann, Odile, Leon, Bill (a Pole), Ginger, gay Ogden MacColl, Ewen Enid, Ansel, Gore, Lady Block, Cindy, Sam, Ronny, Llewellyn, Norma, Syd, Nick Colby, Dale, Rog, Les, Nadine Newell, Occam, Ned,, Goya, Greg, Nigel, Opal, Lib, Noel, Eli, Donna, Lex, Adele, Bo, Silas, Milford Xerxes, Sean Allen, oily Ramsey, Onan, Ingersoll, Agnew, Oz, Oralie, Leif LaFarge, Kim, Lacy, Botts, Camus, Amy, Amaryllis, Lear, O'Neill, Oren Ruth, Aida, Boris, Flo, Dad, Dot and El Löbo got laid. - Clement Wood's "The Orgy" (no relation)

By: diddlegnome

diddlegnome — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 20:00:46 -0800

Clement Wood's "The Orgy" (no relation) This is so far off topic, I probably shouldn't post it, but this is a fairly frivolous thread, so ... Sometime in the late '70s (I think) there was a sitcom that had as a character a fellow named Mario Lanza. Whenever he was introduced to someone, naturally he'd say, "Hello, I'm Mario Lanza." The other person would ask, "Any relation?" And Mario invariably would come back with, "To whom?" Cracked me up every time.

By: kindall

kindall — Sat, 23 Feb 2002 21:51:51 -0800

My favorite palindrome: A fool, a pool, a tool -- lootaloopaloofa!

By: Taken Outtacontext

Taken Outtacontext — Sun, 24 Feb 2002 05:16:53 -0800

Nick Montfort and William Gillespie have created what Oulipo has just acknowledged as the longest literary palindrome: 2002: A Palindrome Story in 2002 Words. A very nice read.

By: mdn

mdn — Sun, 24 Feb 2002 21:59:42 -0800

see, that was very cool. That is what I like in a palindrome. Much more impressive than long lists of random names. vacapinta, I don't know who did what first, but it's all pretty cool. I have a copy of langdon's book, and really enjoy it.