Li, Wang and Pei have been sharing their research at conferences and it’s been positively received — many are impressed by their work although it confirms suspicions many harbor. One reaction in particular stands out to Li, no doubt an information-age wrinkle on “the dog ate my homework” excuse.

“A college student emailed us afterward asking us to share the paper with him,” she said. “He mentioned that his last name started with W. He’s going to tell his parents it’s not because of him — it’s because of his last name.”