The performance capabilities of the best computer chess programs are compared with their human counterparts with emphasis being placed on machine behavior limits. (Author)

Identifies 10 emerging areas of technology that will soon have a profound impact on the economy and on how people live and work: brain-machine interfaces; flexible transistors; data mining; digital rights management; biometrics; natural language processing; microphotonics; untangling code; robot design; and microfluidics. In each area, one…

This progress report covers a two-year project which is part of a program that is exploring the value of computer aids in augmenting human intellectual capability. The background and nature of the program, its resources, and the activities it has undertaken are outlined. User experience in applying augmentation tools and techniques to various…

Concepts and symbols of the language of information techology are examined, including the concept of a technological revolution, a literacy crisis, the presumption of a moral and ethical dilemma, orientation toward the future, the promise of productivity, the image of an elite using an unintelligible language, and the symbol of the infallible…

Provides an in-depth introduction to the various technologies that are bringing intelligent agents into the forefront of information technology, explaining how such agents work, the standards involved, and how agent-based applications can be developed. (Author/AEF)

Examines the characteristics of management information systems and their impact on decisions of senior library managers. The organizational feasibility of such systems is discussed in terms of four key components--economic, technical, structural, psychological--that are related to libraries in general and senior management decisions in particular.…

This examination of the aspects of computers and computer conferencing that can lead to their successful design and utilization focuses on task-related functions and emotional interactions in human communication and human-computer interactions. Such aspects of computer conferences as procedures, problems, advantages, and suggestions for future…

Contemporary culture exhibits an increasingly polarized spectrum of attitudes toward virtualization: those who want photorealism and those who seek sheer fantasy. This author describes "Virtual Realism," his strategy for balancing the two social forces. His students at California's Art Center College of Design are putting it to the test.…

Discusses contributions that computers and computer networks are making to the field of medicine. Emphasizes the computer's speed in storing and retrieving data. Suggests that doctors may soon be able to use computers to advise on diagnosis and treatment. (TW)

Presents an overview of the growth of work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) over the last 40 years. Notes formative influences and contributing disciplines and discusses technology, applied problems, and the design for usability. Outlines issues that pose problems for HCI in the near future. Seven figures show growth in media. (141 references)…

Relatively few individuals have attempted to view the future of computers in education, and those who have done so often tend to focus too much upon present capabilities rather than thinking about the changes that new technology will introduce in the future. George Leonard's book "Education and Ecstasy" provides an interesting picture of…

Discusses some of the contributions that high-speed computing is making to the study of science. Emphasizes the use of computers in exploring complicated systems without the simplification required in traditional methods of observation and experimentation. Provides examples of computer assisted investigations in astronomy and physics. (TW)

Discusses ways that supercomputers are being used in the manufacturing industry, including the design and production of airplanes and automobiles. Describes problems that need to be solved in the next few years for supercomputers to assume a major role in industry. (TW)

This 22-paper collection addresses a variety of issues related to representation and transfer of knowledge. Individual papers include an explanation of the usefulness of general scientific models versus case-specific approaches and a discussion of different empirical approaches to the general problem of knowledge representation for information…