Not one person in a hundred knows the actual title of that tune.
Sets are the groups of items within any of the circles. No idea whether they’re still taught in pre-college levels; I know that a lot of the set theory I had to swallow without any decent explanation (the part about Rings and Groups and the properties of addition and multiplication) is not taught in primary education in Spain, right now.
I’m surprised that no one remembers Elvis.
People might have known the title 40 years ago, as there was an adaption by Deodato that was released that made it onto the charts.
I don't think people would read the title and know the composition today, though.Whippersnapper! Get off my lawn!!
The “part about Rings and Groups and the properties of addition and multiplication” is abstract algebra, not set theory per se. AFAIK, very few students in the U.S. would be exposed to that before college, and probably not even then unless they took a lot of math.
Students might learn some basic set theory (union, intersection, subsets, Venn diagrams) in primary or secondary school; I don’t know whether it’s a standard part of the curriculum these days or not.
The thread title automatically made me think of 2001, so I guess I’m one of the 1% on this one.
And used masterfully in the movie *Being There.
*
Ahh…the terms in the second sentence, except Venn diagrams, are all familiar from my grade school days. Way easier than trying to figure out X.
I don’t think I actually knew the title until I was an adult, and well after a couple year professional classical musician stint. So I’d say the title is not well know to the general public. Many more people will recognize the tune.
Thnk Theme from Jaws as you’re reading the above.
Having posted the above, it dawned on me that I think the only way the line would possibly work is if the piece was set around the events / pop culture / memories of 1968. That would place the reader’s mindset to that time. If the piece takes place in the 70’s, Jaws or Star Wars might come to mind.
Note: Also Sprach Zarathustra was not used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The song used as stated in the closing credits is Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
OTOH, it’s listed on the official soundtrack albums as Thus Spake Zarathustra.
Put that in your Venn Diagram.
And used shittily in a million commercial right after 2001: the music wells up, and some product slowly revolves into view under a harsh light- dumm dumm Da DUMM! I got as sick of it as I did (and still am) that high pitched chanting shit of late. Can’t think of the name, and don’t really care.
If someone was walking down the street towards me humming Atmospheres I would hightail it to the other side of the street…
Virtually no one will get it. If using that tune is important just dumb it way the hell down and say he hums the opening theme to 2001. If it is the character slyly referencing the actual year and he hums that, so you want the readers to take a step to get his joke? I would go another way.
It was a huge hit, #2 in the US in 1973. DJs on AM radio were pronouncing that title all the time. Could this be how it gained currency?
Excellent. That’s why I’ve never been mugged.