Trinity College School - Record Yearbook (Port Hope, Ontario Canada)

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Creative Computing The computer is . . . There are many different ways to complete this sentence: the choice depends upon a person's point of view. One might choose, The compttter is the greatest technological advance since the invention of moveable type, while another might feel that, The computer is the greatest danger to the freedom of the individual. A third possibility is, The computer is making children mentally lazy: they can't even add tw o and two without using it. The list goes on and on until, finally, it becomes clear that the computer is just another tool which. by itself, is neither good nor bad. We live in an age of technology: we enjoy its benefits and we suffer from its draw backs. ln the years since l950 television has had a great impact on our society. Unfortunately, it seems that the problems it has caused may outweigh its benefits, for we have a generation of children who are addicted to passive viewing. Many people think that this attitude has extended into daily life so that these children prefer to watch others being active instead of doing things themselves. Will the mini-computer, which is now becoming so common, affect children in the same way that television did? Will it encourage them to do still less for themselves? ls this just another step along the pathway leading to a dehumanized society? l think not. The computer which our school has been given looks like a television set with an electric typewriter built into it. By itself it does nothing! That is the very essence of computer programming, for the programmer must take an active part if he is to achieve anything. Before the machine will act, the programmer must develop an algorithm, or series of logical steps, for solving his problem. Perhaps during a programme run other difficulties may develop, then the programmer must adapt, expand or even completely change his original programme. This active interaction of man and machine is very different from the passive absorbing ofentertainment from television. Writing a programme is a highly creative experience . . . hence the title of this essay, borrowed from the magazine of that name. The first step is an exercise in imagination, for one must think though a problem before beginning to solve it. This creative step is even more important when one is designing a computer game . . . truly designing one, not merely copying a commercial video game. An artist has some idea what his finished picture will look like: a poet knows the theme and general plan of his poem: a programmer knows the outline, purpose and approximate scope of his programme. Each is creative in his own special way: each must work in his own special medittm: the artist uses paint, the poet uses words and the programmer tiscs machine language. When a programmer has translated his ideas into machine ld language, tour computer uses a version called BASICJ then he can type instructions for the machine to follow. Gradually a programme is built, complete with IF. . . THEN statements, FOR . . . NEXT loops, ON . . . GOTO variable addresses, LET and DEFINE lines until, at last, END is reached. Now its creator can run the programme and see what happens. Does it work? Does it produce sense? Has some essential been left out? The sense of excitement one has when watching the first run of a new programme is hard to express. It is like the thrill which someone who has designed his own house receives when he sees the com- pleted building. It is even like the pleasure one gets when a pet correctly performs a trick it has been carefully taught. Programming is fun! I remember the tremendous pleasure I felt when l saw my first programme running and printing out answers on the display screen. It was my programme. I had thought of an idea, organised the steps, created the programme and now it ran! That was the day I discovered it had passed midnight and I had been at the keyboard for six hours. It was one of the most absorbing experiences of my life. This sort of experience is open to just about anyone who has access to a mini-compttter and who has some creative ability. Programming is a very personal matter: it must be learnt rather than taught. If a person enjoys the experience he will be prepared to make the necessary effort to improve. He may develop a style, for there is no rigid way to write a programme, and find personal ways to tackle various problems. The way that a programme is finally set out is a reflection of the way of thought of its creator. Does the programme have variable loops so that new information can be easily processed, or is it restrictive? Are the steps logical and simple to follow, or are there many involved nested loops? Is it an open programme which can be quickly learned and applied, or is it secretive and full of esoteric procedures? A computer programme reveals much about its originator. Any creativity demands a framework within which it can be displayed. Marble has a grain, paint has specific reflective properties and words have a definite structure. From a com- paratively small set of symbols and statements a programmer can build an immensely complex programme which will work perfectly if, and only if, every instruction and line statement is correct. For example, commas and semi-colons have special meanings in BASIC and they are not inter-changeable, so an entire programme may fail because a single comma is misplaced. The machine will make no allowances for muddled thinking or vague statements: everything must be logical, concise and correct. The precision of thought and action which programming

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Mushrooms' One of the most misunderstood issues of this century is thc mushroom. This by-product of nature has baffled scientists for thousands of years: they just didn't know what to make of it. But, over the years, people began to delve into the secrets of the mushroom and much light was thrown on this fascinating miracle of nature. And this year marks the final decade of research and experimentation on the mushroom because complete knowledge of this wonder has been attained. In order to be able to appreciate the magnitude of this great achievement we must look back to the very beginnings of research on the mushroom. lt all started some thirty thousand years ago, in what is now Asia, when Neanderthal man is known to have worshipped the mushroom. This religion, known as Mushism, spread quickly among the cavemen because it had no demands on its followers, except that they were forbidden to Eat any mushrooms. And it is from such early beginnings that we get the belief- dispelled only recently -that mushrooms aren't for eating. The Egyptians were the first to record the research done on the mushroom and it is from their studies that we get much of our knowledge of mushrooms. Their most famous mushroomologist, Almush Biroom, is credited with the discovery that not all mushrooms have the same characteristics, In his first tand onlyi experiment he ate a mushroom, dispelling all beliefs that they were poisonous. However, these beliefs became prevalent again when he died three days later. The Greeks were the next to explore the fascinating world of mushrooms. Rather than conducting experiments on them the Greeks incorporated them into their way of life. Their philosophies were mushroom-oriented, and temples were erected in honour of the Goddess of Mushrooms: Champignonia. The liberal-mindedness of these people even went so far as to invent geometry based on the mushroomg we still don't know how they did it, and perhaps this is why it is not taught in any schools. However, the Greeks' most lasting contribution to modern society is the tradition of giving a huge mushroom to the winners of the Olympic games. During the Roman era the mushroom underwent a Dark Ages period. They tried to make wine out of mushrooms, but it was found that they grew mouldy and the smell was unbearable. They also tried using them as a cure for cuts by placing sliced mushrooms on an open wound. This technique, however, did not always work because new mushrooms would occasionally sprout from the patients. The next breakthrough in mushology did not come until the Renaissance, when people started questioning the facts about the mushroom. Indeed, many men devoted their lives to the progress of mushology: men such as Leonardo da Mushroomi who, while tossing mushrooms in the air, discovered the parachute, and Mushelangelo, who created La Mush, the sculpture of a clump of mushrooms that has since captivated the world in its moving depiction of serenity. However, there were many men who spent their lives searching for the secret behind the mushroom's beauty, and did not find it: and others who sought the secret of eternal youth in the mushroom, and did not find it, and still more who hoped to discover the secret of making gold from mushrooms, and did not find it. Successful or not, these were truly valiant men! When the New World was discovered, mushology spread over the globe via the efforts of men devoted to its cause: the mushionaries. There arose conflicts between the mushionaries and some of the natives of certain lands, because the natives refused to accept 'the mushg' they were obsessed with the pebble. However, those natives did not have much choice in the matter, and soon they were 'converted' Then, due to many wars and revolutions, there was a sltimp in mushology, and the 'great quest' for complete knowledge of the mushroom was slowed. But only for a few years. When the sntoke cleared 'the pursuit' began once again. This era became known as the Age of the Golden Mushroomi because many new discoveries were made. There was Muwton who, in his famous experiment of inertia, put a mushroom in a vacuum bottle and found that nothing happened. From this truly great experiment scientists have been able to derive many gravitational laws. And one must not forget the memorable Madame Mushie and her noble husband, who conducted many experiments to prove that some mushrooms are radio-activeg they succeeded, finding a mushroom which falls apart four days after being picked. At this time astronomers catne up with the theory that mushrooms are beings from another planet, but this was shot down when, compiling all the scientific data on the mushroom, Charles Mushwin wrote the Origin of Mushrooms. ln this book he proposed that all living beings on earth, even man, had their beginnings from the mushroom. This was thought to be a preposterous idea until, many years later, new evidence was un- covered by the famous archaeologist, Dr. Mushy, at Olduvai Gorge, in Africa, to prove this true. But the most famous and influential personage of the Age of the Golden Mushroom was a German psychologist called Freum. He delved into the psychological aspects of mushrooms and found that they possessed an intelligence equal to that of porpoises and chim- panzees. Soon mushrooms were being seen at circuses all over the world, jumping through hoops, balancing balls, and swinging on the trapeze. Man-eating mushrooms were displayed in cages, and a few courageous lion trainers dared put their heads into the mouths of those monstrous beasts. Many experiments were carried out on mushrooms, the results of which laid much of the groundwork in human psychology. Half a century later it was found, after extensive research, that many many mushrooms, despite the fact that they are of no nutritious value whatsoever and they taste like soap, can be eaten. This was the culmination of man's search for meaning. As a denouement, it was also found that the leftover mushrooms can be used as insulation and thus contribute greatly to the solving of our energy crisis. To all those men who dedicated their time, patience, money, and even lives to the advancement of mushology there can be only one thing to say: Never has so much been owed by so many to so many. And so, on this memorable day, let us bow our heads in honour of those truly inspired men, whose failures and successes have made this world a better place in which to live. Karol Mikulash tSeeond Prize Essay, Gavin lnce l.angmuir Writing Competition! 'But Were Afraid to Ask 13

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demands has an obvious spill-over value in other areas, and there are several other benefits. How should one tackle a complex problem in any field? The programming way is to divide it into many smaller parts and deal with each one in turn. Finally the various parts work together to deliver a solution. Not a bad way to deal with problems in life. Essays demand a logical structure with each paragraph dealing with one aspect of the main theme so that together they present a convincing argument. No matter what the activity is, some form of organization is essential . . . and this is so easily learned in computer programming. To return to an earlier point: does a comptuer really make a child mathematically lazy? I think not. Mathematics can be en- joyable: the repetitive solution of similar problems is not. lf one truly understands the mathematics of a problem then it is possible to write a programme to deal with it and with any other similar problems. ln this way the intellectual effort is put into un- derstanding the fundamentals of the problem and creating an appropriate programme rather than into routine repetitions. A computer does not make a person mathematically lazy: it does free him from drudgery. Like so many other creative activities, programming is both rewarding and demanding. Some people fear that computer technology will greatly reduce our personal freedom and that we will all be reduced to numbered consumer units. Certainly computers can deal with large amounts of data very quickly and certainly they can correlate information . . . but so can someone with an efficient filing system, and these have been around for years. Once again, it is the use to which new technology can be put that frightens us, not technology itself. Banks have lost money through computer frauds but that is no reason to abandon computers. Fraud is nothing new. History is full of instances where people have cheated each other and society in their desire to get something for nothing. Creative accounting existed long before computers were invented. Fears are often greatest when they are fears of the unknown. lf computers and computer programming remain part of modern 'magic,' then it is quite possible that the general public will fear and distrust these achievements of technology. Those who un- derstand these tools could then easily control the rest of society. This fearful approach is based upon ignorance, and the best way of ensuring the computers remain tools for the benefit of society is to demystify them. The children of today are the citizens of tomorrow is a trite phrase. lt is, however, true. Many of us have the opportunity to become familiar with computing through personal experience and, for us, the computer ceases to be a 'magic box,' and becomes a tool to be used. The sculptor's chisel and the painter's brush are tools which the artist uses to create and communicate with others. The programmer, too. has his tools and with them he can restructure raw data to form a new picture of reality. Winston Chruchill once said: Give us the tools and we will finish thejob. We, the youth of today, repeat his words. We do not fear the new tools of computer technologyg we welcome them and look forward to using them in the creation of our own future. C. Honey First Prize Essay, Gavin lnce Langmuir Writing Competition 'i I5