[originaltext] Nearly everything we do in the modern world is helped or e

Nearly everything we do in the modern world is helped or even controlled by computers. Computers are being used more and more extensively for the simple reason that they are far more efficient than human beings. They have much better memories and can store huge amounts of information. They can collect and analyze enormous numbers of facts very quickly. This makes them suitable for all kinds of work. They can pay wages, reserve seats on planes, control machines in factories. They can even play chess, write poetry, or compose music. But perhaps the most interesting applications will be for personal use. In some countries, modified television sets have been connected by telephone to a very large computer. Users dial a few numbers on the telephone to get information from the large computer such as schedules for airplanes, information from dictionaries, or weather forecasts. They can also use the computer to do complicated calculations and to play games.