Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Artificial Intelligence: Myths And Realities, Hugo D'Alarcao Dec 1984

Artificial Intelligence: Myths And Realities, Hugo D'Alarcao

Bridgewater Review

Artificial intelligence the name conjures images of mechanical monsters, the Golem, Dr. Frankenstein’s creation and the rebellious computer Hal. We have always been fascinated by the possibility of creating a machine in our image, but this fascination is often accompanied by apprehension. We fear losing control of our creation and suspect that it might turn against us. It is this duality, this conflict between the desire to create and the fear of the consequences of the creation that has been so successfully exploited by writers. It is also, in part, this fascination that has recently brought the field of Artificial …


Research Note: Pcbs In The Acushnet River Estuary, Jacek Sulanowski Jul 1984

Research Note: Pcbs In The Acushnet River Estuary, Jacek Sulanowski

Bridgewater Review

Much media attention has recently been devoted to potentially toxic substances disseminated throughout various components of the environment. In almost every case these substances had been manufactured and distributed under the assumption that they did not pose a threat to man. Indeed when tested by methods current at the time of their initial introduction the substances were considered benign. It was only later when technologically advanced and more sensitive methods of analyses were developed that the presence of these substances was considered to be of real concern. Unfortunately, in the interval between introduction and detection, the accumulation of these substances …


Cultural Commentary: What Hath Rubik Wrought?, Thomas E. Moore Mar 1984

Cultural Commentary: What Hath Rubik Wrought?, Thomas E. Moore

Bridgewater Review

In May, 1980 the Ideal Toy Company launched its newest offering, Rubik’s Cube, at a party in Hollywood, hosted by Zsa-Zsa Gabor and Solomon W. Golomb. Of course Gabor, like the cube, is a Hungarian product but who is Golomb? Well, he is a mathematician at the University of Southern California and an expert in number theory, combinatorics, abstract algebra and coding theory. Rubik invented the cube as an aid in teaching his students three-dimensional thinking. The cube has become the darling of algebraists, who use it to teach group theory to their students.