Post #3546556

2026-07-02 17:01 UTC

&quot;A ship that can navigate space without a computer on board can be constructed in one-fifth the time and at one-tenth the expense of a computer-laden ship. We could build five times, ten times as great as Deneb could if we could but eliminate the computer.&quot; https://archive.org/details/1958-02_IF/page/4/mode/2up

Replies (4)

@Oggie@woof.group 2026-07-02 17:18

@aphyr@woof.group Feeling of power! I just referenced this story about a month ago. Actually been referencing a lot of Asimov recently...

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@Cassidy@woof.group 2026-07-02 18:09

@aphyr@woof.group "'When Project Number began, I thought that others were wiser than I ; that graphitics might be put to practical use as a benefit to man-kind; to aid in the production of really practical mass-transference devices perhaps. But now I see it is to be used only for death. 'I cannot face the responsibility involved in having invented graphitics.' He then deliberately turned the focus of a protein-depolarizer on himself and fell instantly and painlessly dead." Computers were not the problem

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@LeatherBoyDavid@woof.group 2026-07-02 19:29

@aphyr@woof.group Frank Herbert is taking notes.

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@drbrain@mastodon.social 2026-07-02 23:23

@aphyr@woof.group I read this story in elementary school textbook in the 1980s

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