* * * * *
                                        
                      Yes, I'm still going on about this …
                                        
> General Weider said, “I find this atmosphere of mystery childish.”
> 
> “You won't in a moment,” said Shuman. “This is not something we can leak to
> the firstcomer. Aub!” There was something imperative about his manner of
> biting off that one-syllable name, but then he was a great Programmer
> speaking to a mere technician. “Aub! How much is nine times seven?”
> 
> Aub hesitated a moment. His pale eyes glimmered with a feeble anxiety.
> 
> “Sixty-three,” he said.
> 
> Congressman Brant lifted his eyebrows. “Is that right?”
> 
> “Check it for yourself, Congressman.” 
> 
> The congressman took out his pocket computer, nudged the milled edges
> twice, looked at its face as it lay there in the palm of his hand, and put
> it back. He said, “Is this the gift you brought us here to demonstrate. An
> illusionist?”
> 
> “More than that, sir. Aub has memorized a few operations and with them he
> computes on paper.”
> 

“The Feeling Of Power [1]”

This story has been in the back of my mind the past few days as I struggle
with The Question [2]. Are we headed towards a time when we blindly accept
what the computer tells us?

The story itself isn't that long and is worth reading. I can wait. I have
this slide ruler I can play with while you read … 

[1] http://downlode.org/Etext/power.html
[2] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2009/11/02.1

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

.