Module 10

A 1946 comic science-fiction story, A Logic Named Joe, by Murray Leinster- I believe his story was the template for future science-fiction movies that I loved.  One of the first thought I had when reading this story was 2001 Space Odyssey a 1968 science fiction film about an American spaceship Discovery One that was bound for Jupiter.  On board were astronauts that were wakened from a cryogenic hibernation. The main computer that operates the ship is named "Hal" the ship's HAL 9000 computer.  Very much like Joe the computer goes a little crazy. 

I suppose that the story is very much prophetic and perhaps a lot more forthcoming than the story was intended to be for the typical science fiction reader in the 1940’s as a “just another science-fiction story.”  My first initial thought about the story was when it mentioned punching in keys into the logic to be hooked to the tank reminded me of today’s search engines e.g., Google, Yahoo, and Aol.  Perhaps the most prophetic within the story was the query process of crafting new ideas via the tank.  It is very interesting that the author spent a lot time intergrading human behavior based on greed and murder.  Searching out how to counterfeit money, murdering someone or even make millions of dollars via the tank is concept that is still alive in today’s world - unfortunately.  Nevertheless, I’m sure to the reader back then this was purely science-fiction and just another good story. In my opinion it is a sad irony today that this type of searching is done daily but unlike the story no one person cannot simply put the computer into the basement and forget about it.

I find myself in the same position of frustration of my logic at times and want to take an axe to it when it doesn’t function the way I want it.  However, most of the time I simply just turn it off and step away but I know that civilization will continue with or without me and technology stops for no one.

The story has many of its strengths from its details of the operation of the Logic in the story.  Within this science fiction story it is interesting how society and how the civilization becomes more dependent on the Logic’s ability to perform its function.   It is also interesting to find that once the tank becomes too big to handle and there is a belief to shut it down but then realizing it’s too late that the tank is already involved in every aspect of the human daily life.  Perhaps, this process hasn’t happened yet and maybe in some distance future we will have to consider this option?