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

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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

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The Courtmartial of Captain I. Christ A report on the proceedings of the Galactic High Court, star date 34 456.28 PRESENT WERE: THE PRESIDENT: CAPTAIN CHRIST: THE PRESIDENT: COUNSEL FOR THE PROSECUTION: CAPTAIN CHRIST: COUNSEL FOR THE PROSECUTION: CAPTAIN CHRIST: JUDGEMENT COMPUTER: The defendant, Captain J. Christ The President of the Galactic Organization Department tG.O.D.7, General O.U.R. Father The Head Technician of the Authority for Nuclear and Gravitational Energy Lasers tA.N.G.E.L.J, Mr. Arch Michael Counsel for the Prosecution, Mr. U.R. Guilty Counsel for the Defense, Mrs. Ima Knott Judgement Computer, series Y R U B4 Me You are charged that on stardate 34 456.264 you deliberately destroyed an inhabited planet without prior clearance with G.O.D. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty? If you mean did I do it, the answer is yes. However, as you will soon see, it was no crime. We shall take that as a plea of 'not guilty.' Counsel forthe prosecution may begin. Let me understand you clearly, Captain Christ. Did you destroy the planet, S0137 Yes You said just now that you thought this was no crime. Please explain yourself. As you may know, I had visited Sol 3 quite a long time earlier. I have written about my exploits there in my book, Trinity on Sol 3. There were, of course, three leaders of this expeditiong this is the usual plan for such explorations. This is a courtmartial not a programme to advertise books. Be relevant. CAPTAIN CHRIST: If you would let me quote from my book l could give the background for my recent action. May l continue? l quote front chapter 4. Even before I left for the distant, blue orb known as Sol 3 fthe natives called it Earthi I had the distinct feeling that this was to be no ordinary assignment. We were to check on the natives' progress toward infinity but rumour had it that the Romulans, selfish and destructive as always, had sent agents in disguise to Sol 3. They would try, as they have tried elsewhere, to prevent the inhabitants of this planet from reaching infinity. Let me explain. As we all know, it is only a matter of time before the star at the centre of any planetary system changes. Sometimes it shrinks to a white dwarf and its orbiting planets receive no more energy. Sometimes it Hates into nova destroying its planets in a fiery holocaust. ln either case all life on the planets is destroyed . . . unless the inhabitants have developed intergalactic travel. Then, and only then, will the inhabitants achieve in- finity. When a race achieves infinity. its members become part of the Galactic Organization Department, sharing the wealth of the galaxy and the burden of guiding less developed races toward infinity. The Romulans have no intention of sharing anything with anyone and so they constantly try to finite all new races they meet. We feared that they had already started their destructive practices on Sol 3, and our ex- pedition was designed to discover the facts. According to Nordamian's Law of Parallel Planetary Evolution, there is only one way that a race can achieve intergalactic travel and thus reach infinity. The process is complex and the details may vary in different space-time frames of the universe but there really is only one way. one way with two absolute requirements: total interorganism cooperation and solar power. The historical records of every race belonging to the 'Department' show a total commitment to these two requirements. This is why when messengers from the 'Department' reach a planet whose organisms have potential in- finity, they emphasise cooperation and solar power. The Romulans, of course, stress I7