Published June 1964 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of United States Senator Robert C. Byrd Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. Volume IV -- Number 26 June 26, 1964 BYRD' EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD THE FASCINATING WORLD OF THE COMPUTER Today's computers lead fascinating lives which ere tending to develop inferiority complexes in human associates. Computers spot errors in the instructions that they are given (and type out reprimands). Computers understand English, talking part in conversations, which, while possibly not scintillating, are highly informative! Computer operators are known to believe they can hear their machines talking to themselves, reacting upon recognizing familiar elements by characteristic pulsings and squeals and whines. One well-educated computer, the IBN 7094, has been taught to play checkers and has gradually improved its game. It began playing with an IBH research consultant, quickly learned to best him, and recently competed creditably in a tournament, playing against a recognized State champion. Computers have contributed at least two important new words to the English language--heuristically (serving to discover) and cybernetics (comparative study of mechanical electrical control systems). Cybernetics was quickly adopted by the medical profession to discuss the human control system involving brain and nerves. Important new languages have been developed for use in conversing with computers. At the University of Illinois STRESS is a language with about 100 words which is furthering better engineer-computer relationships. Another language called FORTRAN is spoken exclusively by the IBM 7090 computer in informing the Post Office Department how to deliver its air mail faster. It chatters its way through 2000 trip segments, including up to 30 transfer points, to come up with the best routes for fastest delivery of intercity mail by air. It digests and commits to memory massive piles of facts including departure, arrival, and transfer times, costs, and reliability. It does this, with ease, on a twice yearly basis in the change over to and from Daylight Saving Time. It comes up with a "best" route choice; it can provide a mere second best" choice, so labeled; and, practically, it can program the "cheapest" routes. Some computers are known to recognize the "style" as well as the handwriting of the machine operator and are observed to get set to react accordingly. In the world of computer researchers, frequent longings are expressed for "more sophisticated" computers, somewhat reminiscent of newly-arrived college freshmen at a coeducational college. Admired for their brilliance, extra intelligent machines are rewarded with more storage space. Some machines, obviously better endowed than humans, have external as well as internal memories. Some may also be suspected of artistic leanings, or romantic tendencies. A Florida teen.-ager recently made front page news by using an inspired computer to produce poetry. He began by feeding in a limited vocabulary consisting of 15 nouns, 13 verbs, 13 prepositions, and 10 adjective phrases. Poetry resulted, such as the following: "Darkly the peaceful trees crashed, in the serene sun While the heart heard, the swift moon stopped silently” Twelve years ago there were fewer than 2 score electronic computer machines in the United States. Today there are 16,000 installations, altogether worth approximately $4 billion. In the fascinating new world of computers, the horizons seem unlimited! -30-