The answer to your question is yes. The story in question is "The Nine Billion Names of God," by Arthur C. Clarke. Ike Porter wrote: >On Tue, 16 May 2006, Philip Hart wrote: > > > >>On Tue, 16 May 2006, Michele Riccio wrote: >> >> >> >>>On 16 May 2006 at 15:12, Kenneth Gorelick wrote >>> >>> >>> >>>>>>In fact, the very purpose of the Cycle might be to set up that >>>>>>joke, and when somebody tells it the small invisible lights will, >>>>>>without any fuss, go out. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>Only if it is told 9 billion times, with 9 billion variations. >>>>> >>>>>Snarkhunter >>>>> >>>>> >>>>And I thought no other living person had read that one... >>>> >>>> >>>Were we not supposed to get the reference? >>> >>> >>I assumed people would recognize the premise and last sentence of >>one of the classic SF stories (freely available on the web, >>incidentally, but no link since I'm not sure about the copyright >>status). >> >> > >Is this referring to the short story about [begin vague recognition] a man >who sells automating equipment to monks spelling out the names of god, >after which the stars start going out? > > > >