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N the welter of advertisements by electronic-industry giants claiming near-miraculous properties for their "thinking" and data-processing machines, it is heartening to find a voice that urges caution and a conversative approach to the "computer age." Such a voice belongs to Prof. Richard Courant, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, New York University.

In a recent interview, Prof. Courant made some strong statements about the use of computers in everyday life that we think deserve a few moments of your time and thought. With appreciation, therefore, to Challenge, for permission to reprint, we present excerpts from its tape-recorded interview with Dr. Courant:

How did the idea of

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