Will I dream?
That line is from 2010: A Space Odyssey” where Dr. Chandra is shutting down SAL, in an effort to see if he can reactivate HAL 9000 (2001). SAL allows this process, only after asking that question.
At that time of the
early 1970s, computers were bulky machinery that filled a gymnasium. Today’s computer seemed unfathomable and
certainly something unattainable.
But here it sits, on
my desk in front of me. It does not have
independent, self-created-thought as far as I know. But it sure has strong will, destructive
will, as I discovered back in mid-December.
Have you ever seen
that dreaded black screen with squared white letters telling you that your
computer has inexplicably shut down?
Over and Over? If you have, then
you are nodding your head at this very minute. That happened to me on December 20, 2012.
My computer has been
in the shop, and then returned to me clean and humble. Will it last?
I don’t know. But I wonder, as it
sat on the work table with other broken computers, did it dream?
If it did, it had nightmares, terrible destructive nightmares.
