An English inventor built a computer that had the means to search every database, every library and in fact every source of knowledge physical or non-physical that exists anywhere in the world. He was justifiably proud of his magnum opus, and on the night he finished it be was so excited that he woke up his neighbour to tell him the news. His neighbour, rather understandably, was less than overjoyed at being disturbed at 6 a.m. and was not in the best of tempers.
"Go on, go on!", the inventor urged him, "Ask it anything. It'll know, for sure!"
The neighbour gave in. "Okay then, where's my father?"
The computer murmured away for a few moments, then responded in an electronic voice, "Your father is fishing off the end of Brighton Pier."
"Ah well, then," the neighbour said. "See, it doesn't know everything. My father's been dead for years."
The inventor was a little put out, but soon recovered.
"Maybe," he suggested, "you should rephrase the question slightly. Give it another go."
"Hmmm," muttered the neighbour, then "Okay, where's my mother's husband?"
The computer hummed away to itself for a few moments, then responded.
"Your mother's husband died of a heart attack in 1973. However, your father is still fishing off the end of Brighton Pier."
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Ah well.
