Smart man dooms earth

[Horn of plenty]

I read a book where a man encounters a kiosk of sorts, where he solves a complicated puzzle. This triggers a signal being sent to a universal counsel, that earth is now evolved to the point of being ready for a peacefulness test. Does this sound fsmilisr to anyone?

 

[Montero]

Well, it's a bit like the Last Starfighter (I think that was what it was called) where a guy is really good at arcade games - as in flying space fighters - and there are talent spotting arcade machines dotted around the planet.

 

[tinkerdan]

I think there have now been a number of these.
My favorite is Piers Anthony's
Macroscope

Macroscope: Anthony, Piers: 9780722111772: Amazon.com: Books

Macroscope [Anthony, Piers] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Macroscope

www.amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Horn of plenty]

Well, it's a bit like the Last Starfighter (I think that was what it was called) where a guy is really good at arcade games - as in flying space fighters - and there are talent spotting arcade machines dotted around the planet.

Great book and movie, I wish that was the one so my brain could stop itching

 

[PaulMmn]

Last Starfighter wasn't so much looking for peace, but for humans who would be easy to train to be pilots of their fighting spaceships, the "Starfighters." The controls of the video games were similar to the controls of the Starfighters, so training would be accelerated.

Macroscope wasn't so much solving a puzzle, but receiving and understanding a transmission from The Galaxy (all right, it was a puzzle to be solved.. but not like a kiosk...).

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Are you certain it was a book and not a short story?

 

[Dennis E. Taylor]

This is a common trope. Kline's Armada also followed it. There are doubtless many more.

 

[Danny McG]

Sir Terry
'only you can save mankind' also has a similar theme

 

[Horn of plenty]

Are you certain it was a book and not a short story?

I thought it was a book and a set even.

 

[Parson]

Can you remember any more of the story? Seems that there are more than a few which have some relevance. Can you give any kinds of dates even more or less? Like when you read it and/or When it was published. Any other characters or action that sticks out for you? Things like this.

 

[Horn of plenty]

Can you remember any more of the story? Seems that there are more than a few which have some relevance. Can you give any kinds of dates even more or less? Like when you read it and/or When it was published. Any other characters or action that sticks out for you? Things like this.

As I remember... a man with code breaking skills, finds an obelisk with codes or complicated math on it. He figures out the code and receives enhanced abilities as a result. There turns out to be others of these obelisks in various places on earth, presumably put here by an ancient visitor. The first one may have been discovered by an archaeologist dig or construction site. Mistakes in working the code on one of these set off a booby trap and at one point he uses this to his advantage to get out of a jam.