Logic For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 20

Computer Logic

IN THIS CHAPTER

Appreciating the earliest computers

Understanding how logic works in today’s computers

Addressing the rise of AI

The computer has been called the most important invention of the 20th century (well, except for maybe the auto-drip coffee maker). And what sets the computer apart from other inventions — for example, the airplane, the radio, the television, or the nuclear power generator — is its versatility.

When you think about it, most machines are just tools for doing repetitive work that humans don’t like to do. And honestly, machines generally do their jobs better than humans could ever do them. From the can opener to the car wash, machines have long been built to mimic human movement and then improve upon it.

So, it makes sense that along the way, people began to wonder whether it was possible to build a machine to take over some of the repetitive mental labor humans must do day in and day out. To some extent, adding machines and cash registers were invented to do just that. But these inventions are also limited to their intended functions. Just as you can’t expect a can opener to wash a car, you can’t expect an adding machine to do long ...