Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

Ett inlägg i DN om Wikipedias brister ledde mig genom bloggkommentarer till en blogg som kritiserar slutsatserna i DN då den hänvisar till en undersökning av tidningen Nature som jämfört Wikipedia med Encyclopædia Britannica gällande några naturvetenskapliga ämnen och då kommit fram till att de hade ungefär lika stora brister vilket Encyclopædia Britannica vände sig emot. Man kan läsa lite om det hela på Wikipedia och intressanta sidodokument om bråket finns att läsa hos Nature även om de vill ha betalt ifall man ska läsa hela artikeln.

En kul sak i den här diskussionen är dock att en av de punkter som de bråkar om är jämförelser mellan vad uppslagsverken säger om alcohol. Det är ju just ett ämne där de i Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy jämför uppslagsverket Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy med uppslagsverket Encyclopedia Galactica.

Så här står det i boken enligt Urban Dictionary därifrån jag kopierat texten.

"In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitch Hiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom, for though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects.

First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words Don't Panic inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover.
Here's what the Encyclopedia Galactica has to say about alcohol. It says that alcohol is a colourless volatile liquid formed by the fermentation of sugars and also notes its intoxicating effect on certain carbon-based life forms.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster.

It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

The Guide also tells you on which planets the best Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are mixed, how much you can expect to pay for one and what voluntary organizations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards.

The Guide even tells you how you can mix one yourself.

Take the juice from one bottle of that Ol' Janx Spirit, it says.

Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V — Oh that Santraginean sea water, it says. Oh those Santraginean fish!!!

Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzine is lost).

Allow four litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it, in memory of all those happy Hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia.

Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones, subtle sweet and mystic.

Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian Suns deep into the heart of the drink.

Sprinkle Zamphuor.

Add an olive.

Drink ... but ... very carefully ...

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy sells rather better than the Encyclopedia Galactica."

Wikipedia har receptet till Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster även om man inte kan klicka direkt från alkohol dit.

Life imitates art