The Biggest Myth in Speedrunning History
LunaticJ・15 minutes read
Misinformation in speedrunning discussions includes myths about glitches being considered cheating, with a prevalent myth involving a cosmic ray causing a spontaneous upwarp in a Super Mario 64 speedrun. Despite investigations revealing hardware issues as the likely cause of anomalies, memes and misinformation persist, frustrating the Mario 64 Community and emphasizing the importance of accurate documentation and research in speedrunning communities.
Insights
- Glitches in speedrunning, like the Tik Tok Clock upwarp in Super Mario 64, are often attributed to hardware issues rather than cosmic rays, debunking the myth of external factors causing anomalies.
- Despite extensive analysis and debunking efforts by experienced speedrunners like kiman, pan, and coic, the misinformation surrounding cosmic rays impacting Mario 64 speedruns persists, emphasizing the need for accurate documentation and research within speedrunning communities to combat false narratives effectively.
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Recent questions
What is the Tik Tok Clock upwarp incident?
An anomaly in a Super Mario 64 speedrun.
Who discovered the Tik Tok Clock upwarp anomaly?
Veteran speedrunner kiman.
What theory emerged regarding the Tik Tok Clock upwarp?
A bit flip in the game's memory.
What did Pan and Coic offer to recreate the upwarp?
An $11,000 bounty.
What was the Veritasium video about?
The impact of cosmic rays on computers.
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Summary
00:00
"Speedrunning Myths: Glitches, Cosmic Rays, and Hardware"
- Misinformation is common in speedrunning discussions, with myths like glitches being considered cheating.
- One prevalent myth involves a cosmic ray causing a spontaneous upwarp in a Super Mario 64 speedrun.
- The incident occurred during a 70-star speedrun race between DOTA teabag and midboss on September 21, 2013.
- DOTA teabag experienced a strange upwarp while collecting red coins in Tick Tock Clock, skipping sections.
- Veteran speedrunner kiman discovered the anomaly and sent the clip to pan and coic 2012 for analysis.
- Pan and coic offered an $11,000 bounty to recreate the upwarp in the Mupen 64 emulator.
- A theory emerged that a bit flip in the game's memory caused the upwarp, leading to visual similarities.
- The cosmic ray theory suggested ionized particles from outer space could cause bit flips, but it was deemed unlikely.
- Further investigations revealed hardware issues like faulty cartridges or loose connections could explain the anomalies.
- Recent instances of glitches in speedruns, like a moving bar teleporting, were attributed to hardware errors rather than cosmic rays.
16:52
Cosmic Rays Impact Computers and Speedruns
- On August 31st, 2021, the educational YouTube channel Veritasium released a video titled "The Universe is Hostile to Computers," discussing how cosmic rays can impact computers by flipping bits. The video, with 20 million views, is well-researched, citing academic journals and real-world events, including a segment on the Tik Tok Clock upwarp as an example of a cosmic ray-induced bit flip.
- Despite the widespread circulation of memes and misinformation about cosmic rays affecting Mario 64 speedruns, particularly related to the Tik Tok Clock upwarp, the mystery remains unsolved. The Mario 64 Community is frustrated by the perpetuation of this myth, while internet users unknowingly continue to spread misinformation, highlighting the importance of accurate documentation and research in speedrunning communities.
