20100611: This conversation just happened. You can't make this stuff up.
M: Have you got any CPU cycles available?
C: Yes. I'm not wasting time, my code's compiling. What is it?
M: It's a weird, theoretical question and you're NOT going to like it.
C: ...
M: Good. You know how a program will test for a division by zero to prevent a run-time error. What happens if there's something at a lower level? Does the operating system protect the CPU against division by zero?
C: No, in the middle of the division operation the CPU will trigger an interrupt which the operating system will catch.
M: OK... but what would happen if it didn't?
C: (pauses)
M: I told you you wouldn't like it!
C: You're not going to like the answer either.
M: What, you mean I'd get 0x2A in EAX and random junk in all the other registers?
C: No, worse than that. We have to go back further and define division.
M: You win.