Listen to the Machines

Some 40 years ago, a long-running series of iconic TV commercials featured the E.F. Typically in a crowded setting like a party or on an airplane, someone would mention that his broker was E.F. Suddenly there was dead silence; no one moved a muscle. Hutton talks, people listen," the announcer intoned. When it comes to computer science, we tend to pay particularly close attention to those we regard as experts and visionaries in the field.