response 1 of 132:

Sep 24 15:39 UTC 1999

I'll go first.  Here's my quote.  Remember, the object is to guess
the author.
    
    Suppose the pieces of the jigsaw start off in a box in the
    ordered arrangement in which they form a picture.  If you shake
    the box, the pieces will take up another arrangement.  This will
    probably be a disordered arrangement in which the pieces don't
    form a proper picture, simply because there are so many more
    disordered arrangements.  Some groups of pieces may still form
    parts of the picture, but the more you shake the box, the more
    likely it is that these groups will get broken up and the pieces
    will be in a completely jumbled state in which they don't form
    any sort of picture.  So the disorder of the pieces will probably
    increase with time if the pieces obey the initial condition that
    they start off in a condition of high order.
    
    Suppose, however, that God decided that the universe should
    finish up in a state of high order but that it didn't matter what
    state it started in.  At early times the universe would probably
    be in a disordered state.  This would mean that disorder would
    *decrease* with time.  You would see broken cups gathering
    themselves together and jumping back on the table.  However, any
    human beings who were observing the cups would be living in a
    universe in which disorder decreased with time.  I shall argue
    that such beings would have a psychological arrow of time that
    was backward.  That is, they would remember events in the future,
    and not remember events in their past.  When the cup was broken,
    they would remember it being on the table, but when it was on the
    table, they would not remember it being on the floor.

response 3 of 132:

Sep 24 21:47 UTC 1999

william s. burroughs?

response 5 of 132:

Sep 25 13:28 UTC 1999

It's Stephen Hawking - otaking got it.  (I thought this would probably
be quick...)

Okay, otaking's up for the next quote.

response 7 of 132:

Sep 26 05:52 UTC 1999

The most thoroughly and relentlessly Damned, banned, excluded, condemned,
forbidden, ostracized, ignored, suppressed, repressed, robbed, brutalized and
defamed of all Damned Things is the individual human being. The social
engineers, statisticians, psycholgists, sociologists, market researchers,
landlords, bureaucrats, captains of industry, bankers, governors, commissars,
kings and presidents are perpetually forcing this Damned Thing into carefully
prepared blueprints and perpetually irritated that the Damned Thing will not
fit into the slot assigned to it. The theologians call it a sinner and try
to reform it. The governor calls it a criminal and tries to punish it. The
psychotherapist calls it a neurotic and tries to cure it. Still, the Damned
Thing will not fit into their slots.

response 9 of 132:

Sep 26 13:10 UTC 1999

   wow.  that's really familiar.  hmmm....i'm pretty sure this isn't it,
but i'll guess it anyway:  tom robbins?

response 11 of 132:

Sep 26 18:55 UTC 1999

Ack!  I know I've seen this!  <pounds forehead with mallet>

response 13 of 132:

Sep 27 02:41 UTC 1999

(For the record, someone linked item 18 of the Fall 1999 agora to
books item 84.)

response 15 of 132:

Sep 27 13:58 UTC 1999

Kurt Vonnegut?

response 17 of 132:

Oct 2 02:12 UTC 1999

Keep trying. ^_^

response 19 of 132:

Oct 2 16:33 UTC 1999

Nope.

response 21 of 132:

Oct 3 05:48 UTC 1999

Yep. You're right Sara. Bonus points if you can name the fictional author of
the quote. Either way, you're next.

response 23 of 132:

Oct 3 20:24 UTC 1999

You got it Mike. :)