What's In A Word?

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ROT25: HAL

The letters H, A, and L precede the letters I, B, and M in the English alphabet. Many have taken the name of the murderous computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey" to be an anagram for Big Blue.

"2001" author Arthur C. Clarke denies that this is the case and asserts that HAL stands for "Heuristically programmed algorithmic computer." While Clarke's denial is a significant piece of evidence, there is reason to believe that his denial is not entirely truthful.

In Dispute: "HAL" in the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" was derived from letters for "IBM"

True: ...Arthur C. Clarke has maintained that it was not.

References:

• Urban Legends Archive: HAL Wordplay On IBM
• "The Lost Worlds Of 2001"; Arthur C. Clarke; Signet, New York; 1972.