The amazing thing about the modern day is not that computers can play Jeopardy against human opponents, in real time using natural language recognition (although not voice recognition?). The amazing thing is that the second comment on it is “Eh, not so impressive.” Because here in the future, we just assume computers do that kind of thing.
: Zubon
Until the future is going to provide me with a flying car or a jetpack or a robot girlfriend, I reserve the right to be bored with its accomplishments.
The real story: People who don’t know anything about computers – which is the vast majority of the population – have know understanding just how difficult certain tasks are! (ie: natural language processing)
Oh John Scalzi, you are awesome.
“..it is the machines which act upon man and make him man, as much as man who has acted upon and made the machines; but we must choose between the alternative of undergoing much present suffering, or seeing ourselves gradually superseded by our own creatures, till we rank no higher in comparison with them, than the beasts of the field with ourselves.”
Samuel Butler, Erehwon.