The computer is an important tool at thought
The computer is an important tool at thought. Not only does it do hard work extremely fast-calculating in only a few minutes, for example, problems that would require innumerable man-years without it but it also forces people to state their problems clearly, to think out in advance what it is they want to do.
Yet the computer is not essentially a “thinking machine”. It does not think by itself: what it does is to extend man’s own thinking capabilities by performing many operations which would cost him hours of laborious work of which he would be unable to do at all.
It still remains for human beings to assess the significance of the original data manipulated and reported by computers.
Worthless input will produce worthless output.
Programmer say, “GIGO : garbage out.” Moreover, if the program used in the computer is itself afflicted with planning errors, these will be reflected in results.