Computers

Scott: I was thinking about computers, would that be boring?

Maybe.

Scott: Let’s do computers.

Okay, what do you want to tell me?

Scott: Computers are… electrical… and…

And?

Scott: Hmm…

Are they clever?

Scott: They don’t even have a brain – they’re electrical, as I said. They might be – calculators are very brainy because they can answer any sum.

Helen: Computers are very good because you can type your name on them.

So what’s the best thing a computer can do?

Scott: I was always thinking that you can play games on it – but ebay and Amazon are good because you can get things ordered to your door in a day or two.

Do computers not do more important things?

Scott: Well, they do – I think Mummy gets this thing where you can chat with your friends.

I was thinking even more important than that.

Scott: Hmm…

Scientists use them to do important things.

Scott: They might get computers to sort of answer lots of things that lots of people have been wanting to know.

Like what?

Scott: Let’s say if anyone was wondering what you get if you cross a pigeon and a squirrel, they’d be able to tell you.

So that’s the kind of important question scientists are working hard on computers to answer?

Scott: That was only a guess.

Anything else?

Scott: I’m trying… Hmm… Helen, what do you think scientists use computers for?

Helen: To see what’s happening out in the street right now.

Good answer.

Scott: There’s something like that in my school – you click on the camera to take pictures.

When I was your age, computers were slow and big – they could be the size of a room or a house with less power than Helen’s toy computer.

Scott: A room or a house! It would be quite easy to type because the letters would be big then. That’s too big!

No, the computer’s brain would be the size of a room or a house – the keyboard would be the same size as they are now.

Scott: How could the computer be really, really, really large?

Because the things they made computers with were much bigger then.

Scott: So you wanted to have a big improvement when you were young?

A big improvement that was smaller, yes. What do you think computers will be like when you’re my age?

Scott: I don’t know how they can get better – they’d be a bit faster at loading?

Computers

So you wanted to talk about computers?

Scott: Oh yeah.

Why?

Scott: Eh… because I was doing stuff on the computer today when I was drawing and the…

And the?

Scott: Moshlings?

So you were drawing on the computer at school?

Scott: Yes.

Are computers good?

Scott: Yeah.

Why?

Scott: Well, do you know that there’s a certain password for every class?

Why do you need a password?

Scott: So they know who you are and you’re not just breaking in.

What can you do on a computer?

Scott: Sometimes, if we’re really lucky, we’re allowed to play Moshi Monsters, or we have to play Education City.

What is Education City?

Scott: It’s this game where you play all these games and all of them are education.

Is it good?

Scott: Yeah – it can be, depending what mood you’re in.

Is there anything you can’t do on a computer?

Scott: Eh… I don’t think you’re allowed to do any Assembly arrangements or anything, or animating.

No, I mean computers are amazing and you can do so many great things with them, is there anything they can’t do?

Scott: Well, you need bits to do animating.

What kind of bits?

Scott: Like a mini camera and all the bits like a background and lots of pieces to move and all that sort of stuff.

Do you think computers can think?

Scott: Sort of.

Like people, I mean?

Scott: I don’t think they’ve got that size of a mind, but they’re very amazing.

If a computer could think, what would it think?

Scott: It could think of being a real person because it can think.

That’s very profound – what would you think about if you were a computer?

Scott: I would think about what I just said.

Helen, what would you think about if you were a computer?

Helen: Because I was a computer.

What kind of computer would you be?

Helen: A plughole computer.

Are you just saying that because you’re in the bath?

Helen: Yeah – because I’m a computer.