The next planet they visit is supposed to be Earth, but it turns out not to be; not only are its planetary statistics different from Earth's, but it is populated by a race of almost-identical people called Joneses. This planet, also called Jones, is ruled by a cult of total conformity in all areas of life, including genetic phenotype. Ross discovers that the equation whose meaning he has been seeking refers to the loss of unfixed genes in a small population, which explains the degeneracy of the planets he has visited. Dr. Sam Jones learns that he has been worshiping an equation on genetic drift, and joins the little band.