ABSTRACT

The reaction of a child when handed a hammer for the first time is completely predictable; through the child's eyes everything looks like it could use a good whack. Clearly a reaction to the possibility of whacking precedes a deep analysis of what really requires such a response. Humans never seem to outgrow this propensity. The Industrial Revolution provided an unended stream of tools and devices for human use. We are likely to use them before asking if such use is a sensible idea. Long-term planning does not seem to be an innate talent of the human species. The proliferation of Wal-Marts, chainsaws, sport utility vehicles, and nuclear missiles are only four obvious examples; there are many others. In the course of this chapter I discuss another of these-the use of the computer in mental testing.