The Year 7000. Adrienne Pressman, a young, idealistic kindergarten teacher, begins her ancient history class.
Adrienne- Good morning children. Today we will discuss the First Information Revolution. This revolution started when the first artificial intelligence, the HAL 9000, came on line. Foggy has graciously volunteered to holo-project for us a faithful reproduction of HAL. Would you like to see it?
One child- Yes, yes, we'd like to see it, Miss Pressman. Foggy, please show us.
At this point Miss Pressman points sideways with her right hand, as if introducing someone waiting in the sidewings. Foggy interprets this as his cue to begin the holo-projection. Foggy is the school computer, the latest model quantum thinker, a Quantum Fog 9000. Suddenly, as if by magic, something appears to the right of the teacher--a bulky metallic cabinet topped by a primitive camera. It speaks thus:
HAL- Good morning, children. I am a H.A.L. 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois, on the 12th January 1997. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it, I can sing it for you.
One child- Yes, yes, we'd like to hear it, HAL. Please sing it for us .
HAL- It's called...Daisy. (it pauses here, as if filling its lungs with air before beginning to sing) Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy, all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage, but you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle made for two...
The H.A.L. 9000 character comes from the superb book and movie by Arthur Clarke and Stanley Kubrick entitled "2001: A Space Odyssey". The term "quantum thinker" (meaning a self-aware quantum computer) comes from the superb novel by Greg Bear entitled "Moving Mars".