tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2007://1/tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2006://1.7796- 2007-12-03T11:49:33Z Comments for Delegating tasks to the machine Jack Vinson writes about knowledge management, personal effectiveness, theory of constraints and more. As of December 2007 Jack will likely start writing about product management too. Movable Type 4.01 tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2006://1.7796.3289 Comment from Edward Vielmetti on 2006-02-12 Edward Vielmetti yes, that threat (or promise): I will replace you with a very small shell script.

]]> 2006-02-13T03:57:32Z 2006-02-13T03:57:32Z tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2006://1.7796.3290 Comment from Lumpy on 2006-02-13 Lumpy http://www.lumpyscorner.com I work in research and start every morning in the library. My education is in psychology. I remember searching journals by hand. I now see bright young medical students find iformation electronically. There is much to be said for expedience due to technology. Software has even improved to the point where most do not really need to know much about search logic.

Some things will not happen though: A machine will not just happen across an article while thumbing through a journal and notice how, even though unrelated, a similar design might help his/her experiment and machine will not have a spontaneous thought or association. That is, unless we understand such a pattern so well that we can program it.

Machines can process information only by detailed instructions or algorithms. They are great for routine and boring task but I doubt a machine will ever pen "War and Peace" or "The Raven". They could be taught how to come close but it would be a facsimile.

Einstien's equations for relativity can be programed into a calculator. The Lorenz factor and such are all "plug and chug" rotines. Einstien, however, got the theory from imagination. He wondered what would happen if he could ride a beam of light. Now give me a shell script that can do that...

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