The internet is a breeding ground for the bizarre and the brilliant, and sometimes, the two collide to create enduring memes. One such example is the copypasta and audio snippet, “The Missile Knows Where It Is.” This seemingly nonsensical phrase, originating from a technical training video, has taken on a life of its own, spreading across platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and Twitch, and even inspiring musical remixes. But what exactly is the origin of this peculiar meme, and why has it resonated with so many online? Let’s delve into the story behind “The Missile Knows Where It Is.”
From Air Force Training to Internet Fodder: Tracing the Origin
The genesis of this meme can be traced back to a 1997 United States Air Force training video. Far from being classified or action-packed, this video was designed to educate personnel on the intricacies of missile guidance systems. Within this video, a segment featured a dry, technical explanation of how a missile navigates. This audio segment, with its repetitive and almost paradoxical logic, became the foundation for the copypasta we know today.
Early traces of the “Missile” copypasta can be found online as far back as 2003. Archived by the Wayback Machine, a page from the University of Wyoming website titled “Missile Guidance for Dummies” provides a link to a PDF document from the “Association of Air Force Missileers.” Within this PDF, specifically on page 5, lies the original text that would become the viral meme. Alongside the text, the website also hosted an audio recording of the passage being read, further cementing its now-iconic delivery.
The transcribed audio, which is the heart of the meme, meticulously explains missile navigation in a way that is both technically detailed and utterly confusing to the layman:
The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn’t. By subtracting where it is from where it isn’t, or where it isn’t from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference, or deviation. The guidance subsystem uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the missile from a position where it is to a position where it isn’t, and arriving at a position where it wasn’t, it now is. Consequently, the position where it is, is now the position that it wasn’t, and it follows that the position that it was, is now the position that it isn’t. In the event that the position that it is in is not the position that it wasn’t, the system has acquired a variation, the variation being the difference between where the missile is, and where it wasn’t. If variation is considered to be a significant factor, it too may be corrected by the GEA. However, the missile must also know where it was. The missile guidance computer scenario works as follows. Because a variation has modified some of the information the missile has obtained, it is not sure just where it is. However, it is sure where it isn’t, within reason, and it knows where it was. It now subtracts where it should be from where it wasn’t, or vice-versa, and by differentiating this from the algebraic sum of where it shouldn’t be, and where it was, it is able to obtain the deviation and its variation, which is called error.
From Obscurity to Virality: The Meme Spreads Across the Internet
The journey from a niche Air Force document to a widespread internet meme was gradual but impactful. The first significant online appearance of the “Missile Meme” came on YouTube in 2007. A user named Inimicu uploaded a video titled “The missile knows where it is (portfolio length),” featuring what appears to be a student listening to the audio for a school project. This video, though not a viral sensation in itself, marked the meme’s entry into the video-sharing platform.
The raw, unadulterated audio of the training segment was later uploaded to YouTube in August 2012 by Jeff7181. This upload, titled “The Missile Knows Where It Is…,” became a more popular point of reference, amassing over 360,000 views and serving as the audio source for countless remixes and references.
YouTube video thumbnail: The Missile Knows Where It Is…
Reddit also played a crucial role in the meme’s proliferation. On September 4th, 2016, the copypasta was shared on the r/copypasta subreddit. This exposure to a community dedicated to sharing and appreciating copypasta content further amplified its reach.
Remixes and Resurgence: The Meme’s Enduring Appeal
The “Missile Knows Where It Is” meme truly took off when it was remixed and adapted into various creative formats. One of the most popular iterations involved setting the audio to music. Particularly well-known are remixes that use the instrumental track from Dr. Dre’s iconic “Still D.R.E.” These musical remixes, often shared on platforms like YouTube and 4chan, gave the meme a new layer of comedic absurdity, juxtaposing the technical jargon with a smooth hip-hop beat. One such remix by Krasniye, uploaded to YouTube in March 2017, has garnered over 112,000 views, demonstrating the popularity of this remix style.
More recently, starting in early 2019, the meme experienced a resurgence on Twitch, the live streaming platform popular with gamers and online communities. Streamers began incorporating the “Missile” audio and remixes into their broadcasts through media-sharing features. Its appearance on popular streams, such as Asmongold’s in January 2019, introduced the meme to a new audience and cemented its place in contemporary internet culture.
Conclusion: Why Does the Missile Know Where It Is In Our Hearts?
The enduring appeal of “The Missile Knows Where It Is” meme lies in its unexpected humor and its adaptability. The sheer absurdity of the technical, repetitive language, combined with the authoritative tone of the original audio, creates a comedic effect that resonates online. Its transformation from a dry training segment to a viral copypasta, musical remix, and Twitch staple showcases the internet’s ability to find humor and entertainment in the most unlikely of places. The missile may know where it is, and thanks to the internet, so do we – in the realm of meme culture, that is.
External References
[1] University of Wyoming – Missile Guidance for Dummies – http://w3.uwyo.edu/~jimkirk/guidance.html / May 5 2003
[2] Association of Air Force Missileers, Volume 5 Number 4 – GLCM GUIDANCE SYSTEM – http://afmissileers.com/newsletters/NL1997/Dec97.pdf / Published December 1997
[3] Youtube – The missile knows where it is – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUrMuc-ULmM “portfolio length”
[4] Youtube – The Missile Knows Where It Is… – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZe5J8SVCYQ / August 11, 2011
[5] Reddit – the missile knows where it is – https://www.reddit.com/r/copypasta/comments/5158ht/the_missile_knows_where_it_is/ / September 4 2016
[6] Youtube – The Missile Knows Where It Is – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LjN3UclYzU “remix”
[7] Youtube – Asmongolds BRAIN EXPLODES Letting Stream Decide Videos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvWp56ZhG9M / January 3 2018
