Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE GULF BETWEEN ‘think up’ a mouse trap—or it wouldn’t, rather.” “TI find that hard to believe,’’ the general answered. “It’s thought up several very important things—a space- ship drive, the synthesis of starch, the anticancer serum, the atomic motor— a great many things. Wasn’t the Computer responsible for all those?” _ “Partly,” Knight replied. “It really should be called a “Data Correlator.’ It only knows what we tell it; it has no curiosity and therefore no incentive to acquire new knowledge. ‘For illustration: Suppose we want it to devise a better mouse trap for us. Should we simply say: “Invent a better mouse trap,’ it would do no more than to reply, ‘Insufficient data.’ It’s up to us to supply the data; it has no volition to look for its own unless in- structed to do so. So we would gather all the data pertaining to mice and traps that exists. We would give that to it as proven data. We would also give it theoretical data containing all the as-yet-unproven theories of mice and traps and we would label it as such. Of the proven data we would say, “This is valid and proven data; use it as it is.” Of the theories we would say, “This is theoretical data; ascertain its validity before using.’ Then we say, “Build us a better mouse trap’—and it does.” “T see.” The general nodded. “‘The papers have been stealing your thun- der then, and giving it to the Com- puter?” “Not only our thunder but the thunder of Newton, Roentgen, Rich- ards, Faraday, Einstein—the thunder of all men who ever contributed to human knowledge, clear back to the first slant-browed citizen who came up with the bright idea that a round wheel ought to roll.” “The Master Computer gets the credit,’ Clarke commented, “but we don’t mind here at Center. The data that we, personally, have originated for it is but a small part of the mass of data that is its knowledge. As Knight said, the credit goes to all men who ever thought of something new or observed a new fact, on back to the inventer of the wheel.”’ “T would say this co-operation be- tween Man and Machine has worked out very satisfactorily,” General Gor- don said. “‘The results are proof of that.” “Very satisfactorily,’ Clarke agreed, “so long as we keep a few fundamental facts in mind. By the way’—He motioned toward the building they were approaching—‘‘that’s Lab Three, where we condition the robotic brains —mainly the D Twenty-three model, such as your own Air Corps ordered. Would you like to see the conditioning process?’ “I would like to, but I’m afraid I hayen’t the time.” June, who had slowed the car, re- sumed speed and they drove on to the high, square bulk of Lab 4. “‘Lab Three isn’t much to see, im- portant though it is,” Clarke said as they climbed out of the car and walked towards the Lab 4 entrance. “The D Twenty-three brains in their final stage of assembly look like nothing in the world but foot-square tin boxes— or stainless steel boxes, rather. Each brain is inspected and tested for flaws after final assembly, then taken to the conditioning chamber where it’s given its knowledge. This is a process roughly equivalent to teaching a young child but with the advantage that the brain has the learning capacity of an excep- tionally intelligent adult plus a per- fectly retentive memory and a percep- tion so fast that all visual and audial material, such as sound films, can be given to it at several times normal speed. Although, even at that speed, EComichookssco 19 sae