Quirks Part VII

So... yesterday I took a four-hour long hike up and down Munsu-san, another one of Ulsan's 12 scenic areas (and the endpoint of the network of trails in Cheonsang that I posted about earlier). It was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon, even if Korean trail-building leaves much to be desired (and I thought the streets here were narrow!) and some of the sections were ridiculously steep. The view from the summit of Munsu-san was truly stunning, encompassing all of Ulsan and its "suburbs." However, I neglected to bring my camera along with me, so I have nothing to show here for my adventure. I will have to go back, perhaps once the leaves start changing. In the meantime, you the reader have to suffer through another in the series of "Quirks" posts.

The ability to have clean clothes on demand without having to pay a premium to a cleaning service or enduring back-breaking labor is always welcome. And I am fortunate enough to have been provided with a washing machine that grants me that ability. However, this washing machine is certainly not the most legible of its ilk, especially to someone whose grasp of Korean is spotty at best. Here is a view of the control panel:














As you can see, all of the controls are in Korean. Thankfully, Jessica had one of her Korean friends translate everything for her, and she jotted down a cheat sheet of sorts that is taped to our refrigerator. Thus, I am able to make it do what I want it to do. But I have never seen a washing machine with so many bells and whistles, so many options for cleaning clothes. I think I might use five of those buttons since I've been scared to try pushing any of the other ones.

Another thing that amuses me is the logo on the front of the machine (in case you can't read it, the English reads "Genetic Algorithim"):














Could someone please clue me in on what a "genetic algorithim" has to do with washing clothing (let alone what the phrase "genetic algorithim" means)?