The computer and you

The folk wisdom of most nations has a proverb that comments on man's discomfort with new ideas or experiences. In English the saying is “You can't teach an old dog new tricks.” In Slovene it is, “The tree must be shaped when it is young.” One does not normally think in these terms, however, when discussing the deliberations of science because scientific thought reputedly represents the ascendancy of objectivity over subjective predilections. The professional scientist is thought of as one whose training enables—or rather compels—him to grasp the new if it can help him in his search.