Thursday, January 13, 2011

No More Fun and Games?

Well, folks,

No more fun and games? It seems that we've built a machine to better our own minds at some things that we have always claimed as our own, alone. When will we have to tussle with a gadget that claims to have emotions? Can we ethically hit the off switch? We are coming up close to such a decision.

Watson in Jeopardy



S

The First "Real" Computer…

Ladies and Joymz,

A bunch of true British loonies are about to rebuild the first machine that might be called a modern, electronic computer. At the risk of delving into ethnic stereotyping, I must say that geekiness is best conveyed with an English accent. Think Q from the Bond films. John Cleese. It's just better done with those clipped consonants and the sneering tone attached to even a friendly greeting.

Anyhow, our cousins in Great Britain have taken on a fine enterprise. They are rebuilding, as best as one can today, the very first machine that we might recognize as a modern, electronic computer. The thing will have the power of, oh, say a wrist watch. It will fill a big room. But, if there is a heaven, Allen Turing is smiling, saying "I told you so!" as he twiddles the knobs on a truly Universal Computer.

The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator


S