02294cam a22003373u 4500 28894 UtSlPG 20260610133647.0 m cr n 260607r2009||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Sheldon, Walter J., 1917-1996 Two Plus Two Makes Crazy Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2009 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Fantastic Universe March 1954. Release date is 2009-05-20 Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "Two Plus Two Makes Crazy" by Walter J. Sheldon is a satirical short story written in the early 1950s. The book explores the consequences of an overreliance on technology, particularly through the character of a human liaison working with a vast, infallible computer system. The story critiques a future society that blindly trusts mathematical certainties, suggesting that this reliance can lead to absurd outcomes and a breakdown of rational thought. In the narrative, Krayton, a public liaison officer in Computer City, explains the computerized system that governs various societal functions, addressing the fears posed by underground groups questioning the computer's control over their lives. Mr. Tanter, a seemingly unassuming man, challenges Krayton's assertions and injects doubt about the computer's infallibility. As he poses a thought-provoking question—whether "two plus two" is actually equal to "three plus one"—the computer becomes overloaded, illustrating that rigid adherence to numerical logic can lead to chaos. Ultimately, the story draws attention to the dangers of substituting human judgment with cold mechanistic calculations. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Produced from Fantastic Universe March 1954. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28894 69762 69762