Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-23
Robot Brain
Drafted by
u. S. Army
Another Instance Of Wan
Promoting Science
By EDWIN c.. HILL

Army's proving ground at Abb
erdeen. Md, they feed in ques-
tons about trajectories of shells
and other problems involving
test-firing. and the thinking ma
chine deals answers quicker
than you could say scat"
Doctor Bush is president OF
the Carnegie Institution of
Washington. and chairman OF
the national defense research
committee. He invented the
thinking machine several years
ago. Its best trick is solving
differential equations, issuing
solutions like penny gum-vend-
ing machine. If you give it a
minute or two for a bit of metal
lie lucubration. II can lick the
mathematics faculty of Har-
ward University, any day in this
kind of workout.
The fascinating robot was on
the rolls OF the unemployed UNI
I'll the defense effort beg 1 70
commander even puSh-button
thinkers. Even now it isn't
even a S1-a-year man. but il can
do the work of a large corps OF
high-salaried men.
1t might regurgitate ques-
ton on how we're going 10 pay
the national debt. but it can
win any kind OF a quiz test on
anything in It's line. In fact, II
has done so well that three
others have been built for, the
night-and-day shift thinking in
anticipation Of rock-and-soek
statistical, mechanical and SCI
entific war
IF WE go into this war. il APP
L pears that we will 60 in crab
wise. and that is a reminder
that most human progress is
crah-wise. War probably hasn't
an honest, humane or intelligent
friend in the world. but quite a
considerable sector OF the adj
vance OF civilization is a by
product Of war. or OF some other
vast social Illustration or dis
aster.
One may weigh against this its
legacy OF misery and debt. but
the fact is that when homo
sapiens is in a hole he begins To
work and think. even 10 the ex-
tent Of putting a robot on the
job. and when he pulls out again
he's apt 10 have a balance
straightforward Of new skills
and techniqueS, accidental 10 be
sure, and perhaps understood,
but nonetheleSs useful.
Already, Doctor Bush's Ma
tional Defense Research Com
mittee is making marked contri-
buttons 10 aviation. metallurgy
and electrical engineering which
will be extremely useful when
we hit our pcacetime stride
again.
WE ARE indebted for much ~
W our financial and currency
system 10 the Sand-lot wars
started by the petty gangStcrs
and bandits OF the fourteenth.
and fifteenth centuries. The
merchants and traders Of the
Hanseatic League quit transports
ing valuables. substituting there
for /. O. US or various other
evidences of Indebtedness. II
wasn't safe shipping gold around
and the pawnbrokerS began
issuing chits against II. And so
came checks and banking and
the gold standard.
Much OF modern metallurrv
developed from the manufacture
OF weapons of war. In many diff
ferent instances in Europe, proc
esses of fiuxing and smelling
metals were derived from the
making of cannon. Endless is
the story of new discoveries Incl
dental TO the making of armor
plate, 10 hardening of steel and
making malleable alloys neces-
sary in war implements.
CURGERY and medicine have
~ profited immeasurably from
the clinics and laboratories pro-
vided by the battlefield. Our
DR.. George w. w. Grille found in
the World War a means of cX-
ploring profoundly the glandular
mechanism of the body. deriving
therefrom priceless new knowl-
edge. DR.. Alexis Carrel de-
veloped operative practice now
indispensable in surgical routine.
Already, while we are still at
peace but preparing for war.
there has been an amazing
stimulus to scientific research
and its immediate application TO
living needs. The understand
ing and use of vitamins is adj
vancing with seven-league boots.
linked Enthusiastically with our
defense effort.
There is a parallel advance in
all dietetic research. We know
more than we ever knew before
about getting the utmost Of
health and nourishment out or
food. and there is wider dis
eep,ination IF this knoWladCe
than ever before. This. again, is
part Of our preparedness for
war. "