They call me the Mersenne Twister

... because I'm sometimes a little random. Actually, that's not true, but *cringe* I love nerd jokes. Anyway, the Mersenne Twister is a nifty little algorithm for generating pseudorandom numbers (that is, a sequence of numbers that appear random to all but the most uptight computer scientists). Sure, I could go rant and rave about how elegant and fast it is, but let's face it, the most important part about that algorithm is that it has a cool name- a really cool name. Consider some of the competing random number generators: the linear congruential generator, the Wichmann-Hill generator, or, worst of all, the Blum Blum Shub generator. BORING! Well, the Blum Blum Shub generator is not boring, but only because its name reminds me of the sound I imagine something gross making as it oozes down a set of wooden stairs. That, or perhaps a steam locomotive climbing a mountain. Can't you imagine that?

*blum blum shub*
*blum blum shub*
*blum blum shub*
*BLUM BLUM SHUB*
*ftssssssssh*

...and the train comes to a stop.

Look, I'm just saying, researchers sometimes need to invest effort into naming their algorithms a little more creatively. It wouldn't be time wasted.

Perhaps the more disturbing message to take from this is the fact that I'm using random number generators at all, which you can take to mean that our poor car is nondeterministic. Hmm, nondeterministic... kinda like a human. Well, I won't kid myself- we're not there yet. Still, Mersenne Twister is a cool name.