> "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra" is a VERY efficient compression for what is presumably a very long story about two hunters who met at an island and fought a bea

> "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra" is a VERY efficient compression for what is presumably a very long story about two hunters who met at an island and fought a beast together, but it is only efficient to the people who speak that language. The "local" efficiency (to the population who speak the language) is very high, but the "global" efficiency isn't. I suppose image macros/memes are the modern equivalent. Social context enables readers to "decompress" the meme. [Drake top]: "Two hunters who met at an island and fought a beast together" [Drake bottom]: "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra"