h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That is an interesing analysis, however there is a problem.

Let's assume that you are correct; a time-cop planted the mayonnaise recipe in the past so that he might enjoy his sandwiches while about his duties. That implies that before the recipe was planted, there was no mayonnaise in our time. However, there will be mayonnaise in the future time from which the time-cop comes.

That means that sometime, between now and the future time, mayonnaise was "invented," with no prior knowledge of mayonnaise.

But your theorey is based on the fact that mayonnaise cannot be invented without prior knowledge ("Making mayonnaise requires a recipe in order to be able to do it"), so we must assume that this future chef could not have invented it either. This leaves us with three possibilities:

1. The recipe for mayonnaise was planted in time by a being who exists outside of time (i.e. God). In we accept this case as true, then we have proved the existance of a supreme being.

2. Mayonnaise planted itself in time. For this to be possible, we must accept that mayonnaise itself is sentient, and not bound by the constraints of the fourth dimension. In this case, we must concede not only that a supreme being exists, but that this being is mayonnaise.

3. Most likely, our premise is false, and mayonnaise can be, and in fact was, invented. If this is the case, we should accept the simple solution that it was invented in 1756, and not planted by a future time-cop who missed his sandwiches.

My idea is not that it was planted by a timecop.

My theory is that someone from a future which includes mayonnaise is sent on a time-mission to 1756. For whatever reason they are helping out the Duc de Richilieu's cook. Without realising it, they make the first batch of mayonnaise in this time-continuum. The DdR's cook likes it, and thus is a culinary tradition born here, based on a slip in time.

The timecop comes into the story when he is told to go back and correct the anachronism. But he just cannot bring himself to do it. So he either reports mission accomplished and lies to his superiors, or he reports mission failed, and says that the events are too complex to re-send another timecop to.

And so far as I am concerned it is not mayonnaise that is proof of the existance of god. It is garlic bread!

Thanks for your comments!

Ben