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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1980)
National THE BATTALION MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, I960 Page 7 nil Computer literacy needed in future p in theGi; -om the it ig Ocean! il capsule!: broke outc t fire wii, without iajta ■as locatedii Corpus Cb ea Royal w t ill are safe:: pty tanker xplosioniit of oxygen if United Press Internationa] NEW YORK — Americans may find themselves branded as function ally illiterate some time in the fu ture, even though they can read and write, if they can’t operate a com puter. Within a few years it will be neces sary to be able to program and oper ate a small electronic computer in order to get and hold a job, a number of scientists and technicians warn. Arthur Luehrmann, computer- 500 tons« research director of the U niversity of ent of 141 California’s Lawrence Hall of Scien ce, says computer illiteracy could be come a national headache by the end of this decade. “We will need 40 million persons able to use computers by 1990 and I don’t know who is going to teach them,’’ he warned. The world of the computer has changed so radically that the electro nic marvel now is affordable for all 3 n r institutions, businesses and indi- ^ ij j viduals, but the thinking about it in our educational system has not be returns Changed, said Dr. Andrew Molnar of s testresii the National Science Foundation in inTotnEi.- Washington. lly froni k Too many educators still think of fromsuk the computer as a scarce resource is, a bkw whose use must be rationed, he said, heart vafe “The day will come when we will en fatal ii: need to have a computer sciences Johnston! 5 bis man k f f “ Soviet Olympians used it lizedthen | __________ lys after t, Elstnfr o the hole ess, bulk leaving ki riday fron n saying ti« ;here butt 1. "The) l e street Ik ifomia (to 1 an Frano police boll ! contact: “Theywer ied as abot roximatel) urely tbit ospital, to 1 md blue (h department in every grade school,” said Edward W. Wamshuis, pub lisher of the magazine. Technical Horizons in Education at Santa Ana, Calif. Wamshuis said Dr. Sylvia Charp proved in a program in Philadelphia schools that computer literacy can be achieved in grade school. But school administrators still are loathe to spend money on computer training and in any event Dr. Wamshuis wasn’t hopeful about sol ving the problem in schools because he said most persons capable of teaching computer skills already are employed in the business world. This means, Wamshuis said, that “for the foreseeable future, business is going to have to solve its compu ter literacy problem itself.” Luehrmann agreed with that and added that with the prospect of 10 million computers of all sizes being in use as early as 1985, the task of training people to program, operate and service them looks staggering. Since business will do a large part of the training job, it needs compu ters that are in effect self-teaching, says Chairman George Ryan of CADO Systems Corp. of Torrance, Calif. CADO is one of several com panies that are making such compu ters for small business institutions and individuals. Working with Phoenix Perform ance Systems of St. Paul, CADO de veloped a system of interactive self teaching programs for its litde com puters in such functions as word pro cessing, which means operating automatic typewriting and data stor age and retireval banks, and general, payroll and inventory accounting. These programs were tested on many persons, including two groups of high school students not previous ly exposed to the computer. Ryan said the results were astounding. The kids mastered each course in an average of four hours. Although it will take a huge na tional effort, computer illiteracy can be averted and will have to be if young people hope to compete in the job market. A word processing technician already earns half as much again as a clerk-typist and there are not nearly enough trained persons available to fill these jobs. “TTie person who can use a small computer can command a far better salary than persons burdened by computer illiteracy,” Luehrmann said, “because their productivity is so much greater than other workers with similar background and eudca- tion. ” Drug increases stamina it: United Press International LONDON — Dr. Stephen Fulder claims there is a drug that athletes and millions of others in Soviet Rus sia swear by as a year-round restora tive and which undoubtedly was taken by competitors to increase their performance in the Moscow Olympics. Yet despite its extensive use in the Soviet Union for the past 20 years, the West knows very little about it and has a hard time accepting it can be as effective as alleged. “For this reason,” Fulder said, “it has not been included in the list of drugs which are banned for interna tional sports events, nor it is in any Western pharmacopoeia.” According to an article in “New Scientist,” digested from Fulder’s new book, “The Root of Being,” the drug is an extract of a thorny creep ing plant known as Eleutherococcus senticosus which belongs to the same family as the ginseng root. It was evaluated by scientists at the Insti tute of Biologically Active Subst ances at Vladivostok and accepted as an official medicine in 1962. Fulder, a gerontologist, said the use of the drug in sport stems from the discovery that it apparently could increase stamina and perform ance with less side effects than any known stimulant. In one test, Fulder said, a large group of athletes was sent on a 10- mile run, some after taking Eleutherococcus, others being given placebos. The tonic takers generally were faster. Another large-scale test showed it could increase the amount of training an athlete could tolerate without harm, though there were occasional and transient instances of a rise in blood pressure. Fulder quoted Prof. A.V. Korob kov of the Lesgraft Institute of Phy sical Culture and Sports in Moscow as saying the preparation is not akin to doping because it is primarily aimed at accelerating the restorative processes after intensive activity. “It is not only athletes that relish Eleutherococcus,” Fulder said. “The drug is put to some extraordin ary uses for which Western doctors would assume drugs to be neither relevant nor effective. “It is taken by Soviet deep sea di vers, mine and mountain rescuers, climbers, explorers, soldiers and fac tory workers to resist stress while working hard under inhospitable conditions. Lorry drivers and pilots take it to keep adart and counteract the potentially dangerous side effects of other medication. Soviet cosmonauts also take it in space.” Fulder says Eleutherococcus was discovered as a result of a screening program of Far Eastern plants and sufficient extract is now made to give 12 million citizens a month-long course every year. The Cow Hop AJ NORTHGATE The Biggest Burger Bargains in B-CS! QIANT 1/3 LB. HOMEMADE BURGER . served with a pile of real French Fries or salad. Dress it yourself \ at our salad bar. Lots of extras too \ Mushroom* 25c extrs chHI ' 2®° \ ' Bacon 30c extra Jalapano* ,| Scaiftm / BBQ SANDWICH / 1/3 lb. of delicious hickory-smoked BBQ on a bun, served with a 7 NACHOS // 3/4 lb. plate of homemade«hips, real Cheddar & Monterrey Jack •'* cheese & lots of Jalapenos $ 1 4 °K \ S-pOj) w $ 1 70, (l $1 30 ^ pur newest item, served on a bun with a pile of French Fries & $1 7 5 Y/l gravy If you like | /j 8 OZ. SIRLOIN STEAK $000 / /| Tender, delicious sirloin, served with Texas Toast and French / ' Fries f \ Sodas — Teas (30-450) — Pecan Pie (500) — Beer (500), ( \. Open 10:30-9:00 Everyday N N 846-1588 3ir university DR. 0 t) (Next to Duddley’s Draw) \ r V V "‘^ggr^X’" m '^lL t,-"..a <e= ny r ■■ J,I yjp, ■ |||_ WL UK. BBQ CHICKEN BREAST 1/2 a giant chicken served with a terrific sauce & pile of French \ Fries \ V CHEF SALAD nj Unbelievable 1 lb. salad plate with 6 delicious ingredients and \ dressing of your choice /) CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK SANDWICH / % t ^ WHAT! You can't shift your ORP-TDA contributions among nine investment options? Now you can transfer your money free of charge. ASK DON REISER Financial Disciplines, Inc. Ill University Center 846-4352 The Corps of Cadets gets Its news from the Batt. Jf IHIEaVIP O A / jf “It is true,” he said, “that some look askance at Soviet medical re search.” But he believes the effect of the extract cannot be a mass illusion on the part of millions of people and therefore it is something the West ought to give serious scientific ex amination. ec/a/ to our \roi-r n! 209 E. University 846-4771 j We’re a new kid on the block and only 213 years old. THE NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD was founded nine years before the birth of our nation. Founded at the same time was a tradi tion of excellence in the shipbuilding-repair in dustry which remains today! This tradition has spanned events such as the construction of the Civil War ironclad, Merrimac in 1861-62, right up to the repair and maintenance of to day’s modern nuclear powered aircraft carriers and submarines. We are no longer building ships but we remain unequalled in our ability to repair any vessel of today’s U. S. Navy, on or beneath the seas. The shipyard of the 80’s is a modern, dynamic industrial marine repair facility offering “hands-on" experience to today’s graduating engineer. Men and women who enjoy being challenged by the most sophisticated technol ogy available in industry. Engineers who expect to move up in the organization as a result of their efforts. Engineers who expect their salaries to increase along with their responsibilities. The shipyard^ recruiters plan their first visit to TEXAS A & M Thursday, October 30,1980 A General Information Meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 29,1980 We are looking forward to meeting and talking with you, today’s graduating engineers, about the excellent career opportunities available at the shipyard. Visit your Placement Office and make an appointment to find out for yourself what a career at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard can offer you! or write Mr. L.B.Austin Code 170.3NK Norfolk Naval Shipyard Portsmouth, Virginia 23709 Call Collect: (804) 393-7340 NOT GRADUATING? Give the shipyard a call about our ENGINEERING COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM. Ask for Gayle Richardson at (804) 393-7321. Please call collect!