Pac-Man Appears at MIT

Overnight, a sign appeared over the Great Dome at MIT showing everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic pie chart, Pac Man, and his arch rival, Blinky. The MIT Alumni Association tweeted a photo:

Hack alert! Pac-Man appeared on the Great Dome, battling it out with his archrival, Blinky. bit.ly/VPuhQttwitter.com/MIT_alumni/sta…

— MIT Alumni Asso. (@MIT_alumni) January 11, 2013

The Alumni Association’s blog, Slice, notes that this is 2013’s first “hack,” and that it’s meaning remains mysterious:

Slice is unsure of the hack’s clandestine meaning, but perhaps the Pac-Man-versus-Blinky battle is intended to be a metaphor for the upcoming semester. Pac-Man represents the unquenchable search for knowledge, while Blinky represents the unforeseen distractions that may occur.

All theories on the symbolism behind Pac Man’s presence are welcome in the comments.

Update: It should be noted that when viewed in the dark, the lights on the scaffolding look a lot like the white dots Pac Man insatiably gobbles for points, making the hack somewhat more entertaining. Universal Hub managed to get a photo taken early enough in the morning for the full effect.