From: hcharper@goldenvalleycable.com   
      
   Tim McGaughy wrote:   
      
   > Sure we have. We have image recognition systems in manufacturing, voice   
   > recognition systems on our phones and home computers, and experimental   
   > vehicles that drive themselves. Granted, we're a good deal away from   
   > computers that think for themselves, but we're much farther along than   
   > you seem to think.   
      
   My father used to do research for the USAF. Back in the 1950's he and   
   another guy developed and patented a car with an auto pilot towed in a   
   trailer behind it since computers were so big back then. It used a wire   
   in the road that had a radio signal transmitted through it, and used   
   phase shifts and harmonics where the wires crossed to navigate, and   
   radar to avoid collisions and adjust speed.   
      
   Given the technology back then, I doubt it would have been considered   
   artificial intelligence. Just good sensors and the ability to follow a   
   line, count, and turn according to a script.   
      
   Recognition systems, image or voice, also are not indicative of   
   intelligence. But I do agree that we are much farther along than most   
   would know. Fuzzy logic has brought us far, but is now considered "old   
   tech".   
      
   What has brought us the closest, I think, is the huge amount of RAM that   
   computers can handle, and data they can store as well. There are things   
   going on in crystaline (and laser) research that would astound most,   
   like using the electron path (horizontal or vertical) to indicate a bit   
   value. This makes it possible for several terrabytes of NVRAM data to be   
   stored on a 1/8th" chip. Now imagine one of these crystal chips the size   
   of a sugar cube, or even a pack of ciggarettes!   
      
   If you think it's fiction, take a close look at how terrain data is   
   stored on the latest US cruise missiles, which is why we (the public)   
   won't see this tech for several decades yet ;-) Not to mention the power   
   of information it would bring the masses. Schools would become obsolete   
   as courses to PHD's could be downloaded! Joe Anybody could learn to   
   build nukes and biological agents at the drop of a hat, etc..., so AI   
   would be the least threat to worry about. Imagine Adama's uncle with   
   near infinate knowledge available to him, or any criminal, for that matter.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)