M. Saadat Noury

In 1964 when I was studying Human Nutrition at Columbia University (CU) in New York, one of my mentors Professor William Henry Sebrell taught me an interesting game. Professor Sebrell (1901-1992) was a pioneer in Vitamin Research and an International Authority on Nutrition and at the time he was the Director of the Institute of Nutritional Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at CU. He used to call the game that I am talking about as the Game of Seven Messages (GSM), and playing the game was one of his hobbies. The professor did not tell me who was the inventor of GSM but he recommended me to play the game if I wanted to know more about people and friends or to get a hint on a special topic.
For me, the game was a big one because I always liked to connect all sorts of thing I was separately interested in: Writing, Poetry, Food and Nutrition, Names, Friends, Stories, Persian Culture, and surely what sort of messages I could get as related to Iran, the Iranian, and the Iranians!

THE ESSENTIAL TOOL OF THE GAME: The GSM is a pleasant little game that will give a person a message linked to the various topics or subjects of interest and to the various names. The main tool of the game is a numerical box designed to spell out the future or some characters of a person through his or her name. In this box, the numbers from 2 to 8 are only used and each number has different letter values. Here is the tool, the numerical box together with the letter values of each number:
 
4(L)/7(P)/2(L)/8(Y)/2(O)/3(O)/6(S)/7(R)/2(V)/8(O)/3(U)/2(E)/4(O)
5(L)/4(V)/8(U)/3(T)/5(I)/4(E)/8(A)/5(N)/4(D)/5(G)/2(G)/4(O)/6(U)
3(L)/6(C)/8(R)/6(C)/5(E)/4(M)/7(O)/ 8(E)/3(O)/4(I)/8(S)/7(S)/4(N)
8(T)/5(R)/2(A)/3(O)/7(P)/ 3(K)/2(I)/ 7(E)/5(A)/3(I)/2(N)/4(A)/8(E)
6(E)/3(S)/4(T)/6(S)/5(W)/8(A)/6(S)/7(R)/8(D)/2(E)/7(O)/8(Y)/2(D)
4(E)/7(U)/3(B)/5(H)/6(C)/4(S)/ 6(L)/ 3(R)/ 5(I)/6(O)/ 3(I)/6(S)/7(S)
6(E)/7(I)/5(L)/6(B)/3(G)/7(D)/6(Y)/ 7(E)/3(H)/5(E)/3(T)/ 7(A)/7(S)

HOW TO PLAY: The GSM is simple and it is very easy to play. Count the letters in a topic of interest or in a given name. If the number is 6, play 6. If the number is between 6 and 12, subtract 4. If the number is less than 6, add 3. If the number is 13 or between 13 and 19, subtract 11. The result is the key number. Start at the upper left corner of the box and check every key number, from left to right. Then read the message by adding up all the letters that the key number represents.

MESSAGES RELATED TO SOME SELECTED TOPICS: Here are a few examples revealed for some specific subjects of interest:
Iranian: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Iranians: 8 – 4 = 4. Love dominates.
Food and Nutrition: 16 – 11 = 5. Linger a while.
Persian Culture: 14 – 11 = 3. Outlook is bright.
First Iranians: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Missing Moments: 14 – 11 = 3. Outlook is bright!

MESSAGES RELATED TO SOME SELECTED NAMES: Here are a few examples revealed for the names of the Webmaster and some contributors to IC (Iranian.com):

Jahanshah Javid: 14 – 11 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Guive Mirfendereski: 18 – 11 =7. Prosperous ideas.
Mohammad Ala: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
Mahmoud Seraji: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Ari Siletz: 9 – 4 =5. Linger a while.
Souri: 5 + 3 = 8. You are firm.
Divaneh: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Multiple Personality: 19 – 11 =8. You are firm.
Red Wine: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
All-Iranians: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
Shazde Asdola Mirza: 17 - 11 = 6. Success close by.
Ali P: 4 + 3 =7. Prosperous ideas.
Darius Kadivar: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Mahvash Shahegh: 14 – 11 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Anahid Hojjati: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Fred: 4 + 3 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
SamSamIIII: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Keyvan Tabari: 12 – 4 = 8. You are firm.
Manoucher Avaznia: 16 - 11 = 5. Linger a while.
Ladan Farhangi: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Peter Pan: 8 – 4 = 4. Love dominates.
Homan Mohabadi: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Masoud Kazemzadeh: 16 – 11 =5. Linger a while.
Rad Lanjani: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Nazi Kaviani: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
Mina Dadvar: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Abarmard: 8 – 4 = 4. Love dominates.
Monda: 5 + 3 =8. You are firm.
Irandokht: 9 – 4 =5. Linger a while.
Baharan: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Sag Koochooloo: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Humanbeing: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Jamshid: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Farah Rusta: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Benross: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Maryam Hojjat: 12 – 4 = 8. You are firm.
Baharan: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Maziar 58: 8– 4 = 4.Love dominates.
Goltermeh: 9 – 4 = 5. Linger a while.
Yolanda: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Orang Gholikhani: 15 – 11 = 4. Love dominates.
Mehrban: 7 – 4 = 3. Outlook is bright.
Ali Mostofi: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Sheema Kalbasi: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Shifteh Ansari: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Niloufar Parsi: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Ghormeh Sabzi: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
Sargord Pirouz: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Tapesh: 6. Success close by.
Mardom Mazloom: 13 – 11 = 2. Love gained.
Vildemose: 9 – 4 = 5. Linger a while.
Capt_ayhab: 9 – 4 = 5. Linger a while.
Azadeh Azad: 10 – 4 = 6. Success close by.
Noosh Afarin: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas.
Saadat Noury: 11 – 4 = 7. Prosperous ideas!

EPILOGUES
1. Though the Game of Seven Messages may be always played as a spare-time recreational pursuit, it has some limitations: The total number of letters appeared in a name or a subject must not exceed 19. Besides, the game delivers only 7 distinct messages. Regardless of these limitations, there is a positive attitude and the messages received are always pleasant, joyful, and creative: Nobody gets upset, nothing is hurt, and nothing is lost.
2. Of course there are many other contributors to IC whose names have not been included here. If any one of your favorites has been left out, please go to the comment section and add them to the list.  Thanks

Manouchehr Saadat Noury, PhD

REFERENCES
Lambert, B. (1992): Online Article on “Dr W Henry Sebrell, 91, Expert on Nutrition and Use of Vitamins”, the New York Times, (September 30, 1992).
Saadat Noury, M. (2009): Online Articles on Missing Moments.
Various Sources (2010): Notes on Games and Puzzles.
Website of Iranian.com (2010): Names of the Contributors to IC.

Read more about some other joyful moments on MISSING MOMENTS.