10247 lines of code

July 14, 2025

The phrase “10247 lines of code” is a direct and significant reference from the HBO science fiction series Westworld (wiki). In the show’s second season, it’s revealed that the complex consciousness of a human being can be distilled down to this specific number of lines of code.

This concept is a central theme in the series, which explores the nature of consciousness, free will, and what it means to be human. The idea that a person’s entire being—their memories, personality, and decision-making processes—could be encapsulated in a relatively small amount of code is a stark and provocative statement.

The number itself, 10247, is intriguing. In the realm of computing, powers of 2 are fundamental (e.g., 1024 bytes in a kilobyte). The number 1024 is 2 to the power of 10 ($2^{10}$). The number 10247 is a prime number, which adds a layer of mathematical curiosity, though its in-show significance is not explicitly tied to its primality.

Discussions among fans and critics of Westworld have often centered on the feasibility and implications of this idea. While it serves as a compelling narrative device, in reality, representing a human mind with such a limited amount of code is considered highly implausible given our current understanding of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. The human brain is an incredibly complex organ, and the nuances of human thought and emotion are far from being fully understood, let alone programmable in such a concise format.

— by Google Gemini

That’s a substantial codebase! 10,247 lines represents a significant software project. To put that in perspective:

• It’s likely a medium-sized application or a substantial component of a larger system
• Could represent weeks or months of development work depending on complexity
• Might include multiple modules, classes, or components working together
• Could be anything from a web application to a desktop program to a library

— by Claude Sonnet 4