Fate of Io: The Mysterious MATLAB Ghost!

The Mysterious MATLAB Ghost!

2003/05/11 03:29:40 PDT by Temporal [manager]
Edited at 2003/05/11 08:00:47 PDT

[image]

The above is an image of a MATLAB window. MATLAB is a software development toolkit designed for heavy numerical computation. I was using it tonight while working on a homework assignment for my Computer Vision class. This window was just sitting open off to the side, as I had used it some time before and forgot to close it. So I'm just sitting there, working on some other stuff -- none of which should have affected this window in any way, mind you -- and all of the sudden, this image of a kid appears! Look in the upper-left corner of the black area. If you look closely, you can see it.

(EDIT: Here is an enhanced version, which is easier to see:
[image]
)

I have never seen that kid before. As I said, I was not doing anything that had anything to do with that window when the kid appeared. WTF!?

MATLAB is a big-name professional software suite. I can't imagine them putting Easter eggs in their software, but even if they did, this is a very unimpressive Easter egg. As a matter of fact, it could cause major problems if you were doing something important. On the other hand, I can't see any way that a bug could have caused this. Thus, that leaves only one possibility:

My computer is posessed by a ghost!

What could it want? It looks like one of those kids you see on the missing kid fliers. Is this kid the victim of some violent death that I am somehow responsible for? Is he going to haunt my computer until the end of my days? NOOOOOO!!!

(disclaimer: No, I don't really think it's a ghost, but I have no idea what it is!)

2003/05/11 07:15:05 PDT by Aetrus [0/15]

Geez! If your machine is haunted Temp, then mine's possessed! It seems to want to go back down to hell pretty often thereby reducing the operating power of my machine to a pile of screwed up software in desperate need of my Tender Loving Care to return to a semi operational state. (cough...TLC? yeah that's why I had to replace my keyboard twice this year lol)

2003/05/11 18:38:05 PDT by Alex [0/0]

And So It Begins!

2003/06/03 13:15:18 PDT by Morpheus [0/5]

hey, I'm just kinda wanting an update. Did you email the company? Cus it would be weird if that was one of their kids or something. I kinda want to know what it is. Still weird. and I think my computer is just trying to commit suicide. So I may put it out of its misery someday.

2003/06/03 13:51:34 PDT by mystik3eb [0/43]

You know, that still kinda freaks me out. Like that one email with the picture of the girl who killed herself in her room and the pic shows her ghost suddenly fly out of the closet towards you. Yea...that surprised me the first time I saw it. Ghosts are cool, but freaky. I just saw Ghost Ship. Awesome flick.

2003/06/03 14:07:38 PDT by Temporal [manager]

Actually, it turns out that the image there is the default image in MATLAB. So, if you open an image window by typing "image" and don't specify a particular image to display, it shows that. Strangely, if an image window is already open and you type "image", it overlays the image on the current one like in the pictures. I guess I must have used a variable called "image" somewhere in a script I was running and not realized it. So, not so exciting as I thought.

2003/06/03 14:37:06 PDT by AngelOfDeath [0/0]

Now I wonder who that kid is. Do you ever wonder about those pictures that come in frames and such? I mean, what if it is a goofy picture (as it often is), you're still stuck with it as the model. I always want to know what their name is.

Random thought, I suppose.

2003/06/04 11:31:29 PDT by slipt5 [0/0]

man temporalg is a dumbass

2003/06/21 10:31:45 PDT by Alex [0/0]

Ahh, a common misperception. Nope, he's not. He's a free spirit.

2003/06/23 09:08:39 PDT by slipt5 [0/0]
Edited at 2003/06/23 09:10:49 PDT

Hey Alex. This was way back in the past. Now I know that it might have been awhile since you have checked these posts but, you should really just have said nothing.

I hope everyone is happy I finally capitalized. LOL

Also I am no good at grammar and I think that the "but," is wrong. I am not sure.

2003/06/23 10:03:47 PDT by Temporal [manager]

ROFL! You tell him, Slip!

2003/06/23 10:28:33 PDT by mystik3eb [0/43]

Hey slip, I like the change! Yeah, the comma should've come before the "but" =)

Honestly Alex, you haven't really done much else but say sarcastical things that don't really accomplish anything for the project. Why's that? Do you really feel that you can't help at all? Cuz it's wrong.

2003/06/23 13:01:09 PDT by Music Man089 [0/0]

Hey, c'mon tout le monde, c'est le temps pour... not fighting. Lay off Alex, hm? And just... have some Chi Tea or something.....

2003/06/24 09:14:46 PDT by mystik3eb [0/43]

...what are you talking about? I was just asking him a simple question, no hard feelings involved at all. I'd like to know why he only posts sarcastically. Maybe I can help him stop and get him to help more with the actual project. That's my hope, laid out in front of you all. I want no flames, just answers.

2003/06/24 09:23:15 PDT by Music Man089 [0/0]

Sorry, but it always seems to me people are a bit unfair on him.