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UNIT 14. LESSON 3

Read the text without a dictionary.

14B. CYBERNETICS

Variously described as the science of automatic control or the science for explanation of the functions of the human brain, cybernetics is more accurately a near-pantology of interdisciplinary character originally dealing with the problems of automatic control. Because of the complexity of such control the originators of the discipline turned to organisms capable of performing analogous functions and through scientific description of the activities of the organism attempted to derive the necessary mathematic formulation for their automata.

The word "cybernetics" originated from the Greek "kybernetike", the Latin "gubernator", the French "gouvernail" and the English "governor", all meaning, in one sense or another, "control". In 1834 French physicist Ampere used the word cybernetique in his Essay on the Philosophy of the Sciences to describe the study of the means of government. In the 50s Norbert Wiener at M.I.T. (the Massachusettes Institute of Technology) used the word to name his volume, which dealt with the activity of a group of scientists enganged in the solution of the wartime problem and some of the mathematical concepts involved.

Since the original work by Wiener's group the word has become associated with the solution of problems dealing with purposive activities for computers, necessitating consideration of providing computers with perception, synthesis, and flexibility of approach. Of such, the discipline must rely on the skills and knowledge of the practitioners of the exact sciences as well as life sciences such as biology, psychology, biochemistry and biophysics, neurophysiology, and anatomy.

The contribution of the life scientists to the progress of cybernetics consists of the evaluation, measurement, and description of the capabilities and of the structural and functional attributes of living organisms. Such studies involve the methods of communication, feedback and control in the living entity. Hence an important aspect of the work in cybernetics in the province of mathematicians deals with the mathematical theory of communication.

In terms of computer development, cybernetics is concerned with the design and construction of electrical or electronic analogs capable of performing processes carried out within living entity (including the selection and evaluation, as well as the storage of information) and resulting in appropriate activity based on the information in accordance with assigned purpose.

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In terms of understanding the operation of the human nervous system cybernetics is expected to contribute new insight into a wide range of processes such as learning, discrimination, regulation, physiological and psychological malfunction, and the emotional behavior of individual human beings as well as societies. Specifically the problems of decision making, thinking and synthesis, imagination and creative endeavor of people come under the scrutiny of cyberneticists.

It is anticipated that the future developments of automated industries and societal functions will be based on the theorems developed from cybernetics which thus far has made significant contributions to the technology of guided missiles, business and scientific computer applications, active prosthetics, communications, and automatic control.

COMPREHENSION TEST

I.Complete the sentences.

1.Cybernetics is the science of automatic …

2.Cybernetics is the science for explanation of the functions of …

3.Cybernetics is of interdicsiplinary character originally dealing with …

4.The word 'cybernetics' originated from the …

5.The word is associated with the solution of problems concerning …

6.Life studies involve the methods of …

7.In terms of computer science, cybernetics is concerned with …

8.In terms of human nervous system, cybernetics is expected to contribute …

9.The future developments of automated industries will be based on …

II.Find the answers to the following questions.

1.How was cybernetics described?

2.What did the word 'cybernetics' originate from?

3.What does it literary mean?

4.Who introduced this word in the modern dictionaries?

5.When and where was it done?

6.What is this word associated with? Why?

7.What contribution did the life scientists make into cybernetics?

8.What is cybernetics concerned with in terms of computer development?

9.What does cybernetics do in terms of life sciences?

10.What will the future development of automation be based on?

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Translate the text into English. Entitle the text.

				TEXT 14C
Компьютеры и		системы		управления	автоматизированным производством
широко	используются		в	промышленности. Современная				стадия	развития
отмечена переходом от промышленной революции к радикальным изменениям в
методах управления.
Один из видов автоматического управленияэто электронный глаз. Он часто
используется для открывания и закрывания дверей.
Промышленность имеет множество других использований электронного глаза.
Он широко применяется во всех сферах производства.
Ученые	продолжают			разрабатывать		все	более		сложные
автоматического управления для выполнения все более сложных операций.
Чем	сложнее	процесс, тем		изобретательнее		должно		быть	устройство
управления. Это		означает, что сложность			операции		вызывает		сложность
автоматического устройства управления.

14D. COMPUTERS IN DESIGN ENGINEERING

Design engineering has been variously described as a science, an art, and a profession. It has been acknowledged to require creativity, knowledge, skill, inspiration, experience, and talent. It has also been acknowledged to require a lot of plain hard work.

Fifty years ago, a new force appeared on the engineer's horizon, the computer. Like any new concept it was at first shunned by some and welcomed openly by others. Over that half a century engineers have taken the lead in pushing back the boundaries of computer knowledge and computer usefulness, and gradually the computer has become an accepted tool in most circles, and in some a precision instrument for the extension of the engineer's own talent. With the speed, accuracy and marvelous capacity for work of the computer some pioneering engineers in various parts of the world have used the computer effectively, even brilliantly, in their design engineering profession.

By extrapolating from the present role of the computer in design engineering, an estimate of the future role can be developed. This extrapolation of use, coupled with new hardware development and the pioneering efforts of various corporations, universities, and individual engineers throughout the world, points towards an increasingly close man-machine relationship between the design engineer and the computer.

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The engineering computer of our time is able to communicate automatically with other computers in remote location. Devices are available today that let computers "talk" to one another over telephone lines. Some 50 years ago it was difficult to imagine that in the future the computer in the Californian plant of a large company might recognize that information requested of it was contained in the memory of the computer in the New York plant, automaticaly call up the New York location, request the information, receive it, and relay it to the waiting engineer in a matter of seconds.

This same concept was extended to allow a computer in an engineering firm to call up a computer at the State Library and request a formula, some statistics, an article, a drawing, a picture, or even a complete book.

I. Translate the text using the dictionary.

II. Give the main idea in 2-3 sentences.

III. Make up a short plan of the text.

LISTENING COMPREHENSION. TEXT 14E

Listen to the text and decide what order appears in the text.

1.Recent progress with automation falls into three well-defined streams: 1) the use of electronic computers in automatic control and in the processing of information; 2) the mechanization of manufacturing operations on components, of handling between processes, and of simple assemblies; 3) automatic control of processes.

2.Control may be simply 1) mechanical, 2) computerized or 3) automatical.

I.Give the main idea of the text.

II. Render the text into Russian.

III. Retell the text.