Two injured in Missouri by new large prime number [View all]

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Unsuspecting tourists found themselves at the receiving end of a large number, when a Mr. and Mrs. Mersenne inadvertently tripped over a previous undiscovered prime number in Missouri.

"We didn't know there was such a thing," Mr. Mersenne claimed. "We knew there were large numbers around, but we never expected to have to deal with one."

The prime in question, basically 2 gazillion digits, was unnoticed until researchers at the University of Missouri uncovered it, barely covered by the dust from the previous prime. As has been reported, there's been no injuries related to the previous prime, but the Missouri state government has applied for Federal Emergency Management assistance in this case, due in part to the magnitude, and the unexpectedness of such a large number in Missouri, a state not normally known for its digital acumen.

The disposition of the number is yet to be decided. Unofficially, the state government is holding out hope for another prime to be discovered. "We don't think we can sustain the tourist attraction", a representative said, but noted that they were hoping to mine additional primes. No word yet as to whether additional primes were in the works, but as he noted, "We wouldn't say no if Kansas could get the next number."