Tom Snyder Interviews Durk Pearson and Jerry Pournelle Pt 3

In honor of Tom Snyder, and for the sake of historical interest.

The final segment of that night's show includes Durk's description of how computers are going to change everyone's lives, how much better computerized cars are and how everyone will have interactive general purpose computers in just ten years. Durk and Jerry then boldly makes the assertion that within twenty to thirty years mankind will be able to control computers merely by thought, and any question the answer of which is known or calculable will be instantly answered, revolutionizing education. Durk points out that a computer has already passed the Turing Simulation Test as of 1979. Tom worries about computers running our lives, but is reassured by Durk and Jerry otherwise.

Mind you, this was at a time when personal computers were still very much a hobbyist curiosity, and processors like the Intel 8080 and Zilog Z80 were "high tech".

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Tom
• Snyder
• Tomorrow
• Durk
• Pearson
• Jerry
• Pournelle
• futurist
• computer
• Turing

[yespatrickstewartyes]

It's a little weird watching these predictions on basically what was predicted, i.e. youtube and the internet. It's rare that technology enthusiasts are so right about the future like these guys are. I'm also curious about waht these people are up to now.

[r06u3AP]

Just Google their names, there's all kinds of info.

[Serrapeptase]

Durk and Sandy are very much alive and well living

somewhere in Nevada. They contribute articles on

life-enchancement (google it).

[Serrapeptase]

Well, there we have it folks! Nesnman says "vitamins

don't work" so it must be true! Alert the media!

[BlakeMason2]

It's too bad that learning really hasn't changed too much. Now things like spelling and the rapid duplication of sometimes "wrong" information is a daily occurrence.

[badger500]

Well, 30 years out and computers are in most gadgets, and they are interactive, and kids do use them as babysitters, but to play videogames, post to Facebook, and watch videos. Haven't heard of much kid monitoring via web-cam, yet, though.

And the thought-reading part never happened yet in any but the most limited lab-based ways.

[Serrapeptase]

You actually know people?!?

[Serrapeptase]

You really need to upgrade your cable package. Wonder no more.

[nesnman]

Durk and Sandy haven't been on Television in years. You have to wonder why

[Serrapeptase]

They have. Google is your friend.

[nesnman]

Why don't Durk and Sandy show themselves ?

[adnmoh1]

Thought controlled computers are currently under development. RAND corp has setup several perma paralysis patients with a computer hooked up to their brain. We are almost there for realizing neural net systems and the age of the cybernetic brain.

[nesnman]

Alive but what do they look like? Why don't they show themselves on television? If you take the supplements they tell you to take you can spend some very serious money. Don't we deserve a look at how it's working on them? It's not working on Clint Eastwood.