MUSAK -
Random Number Generator in QuickBasic:
There are 24 hours x 60 min. x 60 sec. x 18.2 tics/sec. = 1,572,480 tics per day in the
BASIC TIMER function. Using the command: A = RND(-TIMER),
the random
number generator can be set to a unique start number in the random sequence, of
which there would be 1,572,480 such initialization points. The random sequence
of numbers in BASIC has 16,777,216 numbers before repeating. Thus, when you run the program,
the time of day (one of the 1,572,480 numbers) sets the starting point
in the random sequence which plays different unique random numbers up to
16,777,216 of them before repeating. If each sound/visual image takes about 0.5
second, then to play one of the 1,572,480 sequences would take 16,777,216 * 0.5 or
8388608 sec., which when converted to hours (divided by 60 s*60 min. or 3600) gives 2330 hours (or 97 days) before repeating
the sounds/image pattern again! Then you can start a new sequence (of the 1,572,480 possible) by running the program
at another time of day (plus you have 5 different types of musak). This comes to basically 5 times 97 days
of listening madness (well over a year). However, you wouldn't remember the patterns well enough to know
they were not repeating so
that after a few minutes you won't seem to hear/see much new.