Giant brains; or, Machines that think

Name: Giant brains; or, Machines that think
Rating: 3.5 (1 reviews)
Author: Edmund Callis Berkeley

by Edmund Callis Berkeley

★3.5/5

Listen Free

Free AI audiobook with natural voice. No signup required.

Chapters (532)

GIANT BRAINS OR MACHINES THAT THINK
PREFACE The Subject, Purpose, and Method of this Book
READING THIS BOOK
UNDERSTANDING THIS BOOK
BASIC FACTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 CAN MACHINES THINK? WHAT IS A MECHANICAL BRAIN?
HUMAN THINKING
NERVES AND THEIR PROPERTIES
BEHAVIOR THAT IS THINKING
THE DEFINITION OF A MECHANICAL BRAIN
THE KINDS OF THINKING A MECHANICAL BRAIN CAN DO
WHY ARE THESE GIANT BRAINS IMPORTANT?
Chapter 2 LANGUAGES: SYSTEMS FOR HANDLING INFORMATION
LANGUAGES
SCHEMES FOR EXPRESSING MEANINGS
QUANTITY OF INFORMATION
PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT FOR HANDLING INFORMATION
LANGUAGES OF PHYSICAL OBJECTS
THE CRUCIAL DEVICES FOR MECHANICAL BRAINS
Chapter 3 A MACHINE THAT WILL THINK: THE DESIGN OF A VERY SIMPLE MECHANICAL BRAIN
SIMON, THE VERY SIMPLE MECHANICAL BRAIN
SIMON’S FLESH AND NERVES— REPRESENTING INFORMATION
SIMON’S MENTALITY—POSSIBLE RANGE OF INFORMATION
SIMON’S MEMORY— STORING INFORMATION
THE CONTROL OF SIMON
THE USEFULNESS OF SIMON
SIMON’S THINKING— TRANSFERRING INFORMATION
SIMON’S COMPUTING AND REASONING
PUTTING SIMON TOGETHER
Chapter 4 COUNTING HOLES: PUNCH-CARD CALCULATING MACHINES
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
TYPES OF PUNCH-CARD MACHINES
Key Punch
Verifier
Sorter
Interpreter
Reproducer
Collator
Calculating Punch
Tabulator
HANDLING INFORMATION
ARITHMETICAL OPERATIONS
Counting
Adding and Subtracting
Multiplying and Dividing
Rounding Off
LOGICAL OPERATIONS
Translating
Comparing
Selecting
Digit Selector
Sequencer
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
SPEED
COST
RELIABILITY
GENERAL USEFULNESS
Chapter 5 MEASURING: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY’S DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER NO. 2
ANALOGUE MACHINES
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
SOLVING PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER
GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF MIT DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER NO. 2
Adders
Integrators
Function Tables
INSTRUCTING THE MIT DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER NO. 2
ANSWERS
HOW THE DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER CALCULATES
AN APPRAISAL OF THE MACHINE
Chapter 6 ACCURACY TO 23 DIGITS: HARVARD’S IBM AUTOMATIC SEQUENCE-CONTROLLED CALCULATOR
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL ORGANIZATION
PHYSICAL DEVICES
Switches
Relays
Timing Contacts
NUMBERS
HOW INFORMATION GOES INTO THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION COMES OUT OF THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION IS HANDLED IN THE MACHINE
Sequence of Steps
Transferring, Adding, and Clearing
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Consulting a Table
Selecting
Checking
Other Operations
RAPID APPROXIMATION FOR A LOGARITHM
AN APPRAISAL OF THE CALCULATOR
Speed
Cost and Value
Reliability
Efficiency
Chapter 7 SPEED—5000 ADDITIONS A SECOND: MOORE SCHOOL’S ENIAC ELECTRONIC NUMERICAL INTEGRATOR AND CALCULATOR
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
GENERAL ORGANIZATION
Panels
Parts
Numbers
HOW INFORMATION GOES INTO THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION COMES OUT OF THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION IS MANIPULATED IN THE MACHINE
Transferring Numbers, Adding, and Subtracting
Multiplying and Dividing
Consulting a Table
Programming
AN APPRAISAL OF ENIAC AS A COMPUTER
Speed
Ease of Programming
Memory
Reliability
Cost
Chapter 8 RELIABILITY—NO WRONG RESULTS: BELL LABORATORIES’ GENERAL-PURPOSE RELAY CALCULATOR
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
The Complex Computer
Special-Purpose Computers
ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL-PURPOSE COMPUTER
Physical Units
Numbers
HOW INFORMATION GOES INTO THE MACHINE
The Processor
The Problem Positions
HOW INFORMATION COMES OUT OF THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION IS MANIPULATED IN THE MACHINE
Storing
Addition and Subtraction
Multiplication and Division
Discrimination
PROBLEMS
AN APPRAISAL OF THE CALCULATOR
Reliability
Time Required
Staff
Maintenance
Cost
Chapter 9 REASONING: THE KALIN-BURKHART LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATOR
TRUTH
LOGICAL TRUTH
LOGICAL PATTERNS
THE SIMPLEST LOGICAL PATTERNS
CALCULATION OF LOGICAL TRUTH
LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATION BY EXAMINING CASES AND REASONING
LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATION BY ALGEBRA
CALCULATION OF CIRCUITS BY THE ALGEBRA OF LOGIC
LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATION BY MACHINE
CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION OF THE KALIN-BURKHART LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATOR
GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF THE MACHINE
UNITS OF THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION GOES INTO THE MACHINE
HOW INFORMATION COMES OUT OF THE MACHINE
A COMPLETE AND CONCRETE EXAMPLE
AN APPRAISAL OF THE CALCULATOR
Chapter 10 AN EXCURSION: THE FUTURE DESIGN OF MACHINES THAT THINK
WHAT EXISTING MACHINES HAVE PROVED
NEW DEVICES FOR HANDLING INFORMATION
Magnetic Wire
Magnetic Tape
Mercury Tanks
Electrostatic Storage Tube
NEW OPERATIONS
NEW IDEAS IN PROGRAMMING
NEW IDEAS IN RELIABILITY
AUXILIARY DEVICES
MECHANICAL BRAINS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Harvard’s Mark II
The IBM Selective-Sequence Electronic Calculator
Eckert-Mauchly’s Binac
Chapter 11 THE FUTURE: MACHINES THAT THINK, AND WHAT THEY MIGHT DO FOR MEN
FUTURE TYPES OF MACHINES THAT THINK
Automatic Address Book
Automatic Library
Automatic Translator
Automatic Typist
Automatic Stenographer
Automatic Recognizer
TYPES OF PROBLEMS THAT MACHINES WILL SOLVE IN THE FUTURE
Problems of Control
Problems of Science
The Weather Brain
Psychological Testing
Psychological Trainer
Problems of Business
Machines and the Individual
Chapter 12 SOCIAL CONTROL: MACHINES THAT THINK AND HOW SOCIETY MAY CONTROL THEM
MACHINE THAT BOTH THINKS AND ACTS
READING THIS CHAPTER
FRANKENSTEIN
ROSSUM’S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS
FACT AND FANCY
Escape from Danger
UNEMPLOYMENT
SOCIAL CONTROL AND ITS TWO SIDES
TYPES OF CONTROL— IF MEN WERE REASONABLE
OBSTACLES
Ignorance
Prejudice
Narrow Point of View
CONCLUSION
Supplement 1 WORDS AND IDEAS
WORDS AS INSTRUMENTS FOR EXPLAINING
SET OF WORDS FOR EXPLAINING
UNDERSTANDING IDEAS
Supplement 2 MATHEMATICS
DEVICES FOR MULTIPLICATION
BINARY OR TWO NUMBERS
BIQUINARY OR TWO-FIVE NUMBERS
SOME OPERATIONS OF ALGEBRA
ALGEBRA OF LOGIC
pronoun, variable
multiplicand, dividend, augend, etc.
subtraction by adding, nines complement
end-around-carry
tens complement
power, square, cube, reciprocal, etc.
table, tabular value, argument, etc.
constant
infinity
equation, simultaneous, linear
derivative, integral, differential equation, etc.
exponential
logarithm
sine, cosine, tangent, antitangent
Bessel functions
matrix
differences, smoothness, checking
Supplement 3 REFERENCES
THE HUMAN BRAIN
MATHEMATICAL BIOPHYSICS
LANGUAGES: WORDS AND SYMBOLS FOR THINKING
LANGUAGES: MACHINES FOR THINKING
PUNCH-CARD CALCULATING MACHINES
PUNCH-CARD CALCULATING MACHINERY: APPLICATIONS
THE DIFFERENTIAL ANALYZER
HARMONIC ANALYZERS AND SYNTHESIZERS
NETWORK ANALYZERS
MACHINES FOR SOLVING ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS
ANALOGUE MACHINES— MISCELLANEOUS
HARVARD IBM AUTOMATIC SEQUENCE-CONTROLLED CALCULATOR
ENIAC, THE ELECTRONIC NUMERIC INTEGRATOR AND CALCULATOR
BELL LABORATORIES RELAY COMPUTERS
THE KALIN-BURKHART LOGICAL-TRUTH CALCULATOR
OTHER DIGITAL MACHINES FINISHED OR UNDER DEVELOPMENT
THE DESIGN OF DIGITAL MACHINES
DIGITAL MACHINES— MISCELLANEOUS
APPLICATIONS OF DIGITAL MACHINES
NAME INDEX
SUBJECT INDEX
[Pg viii]
[Pg ix]
[Pg x]
[Pg xi]
[Pg xii]
[Pg xiii]
[Pg xiv]
[Pg xv]
[Pg xvi]
[Pg 1]
[Pg 2]
[Pg 3]
[Pg 4]
[Pg 5]
[Pg 6]
[Pg 7]
[Pg 8]
[Pg 9]
[Pg 10]
[Pg 11]
[Pg 12]
[Pg 13]
[Pg 14]
[Pg 15]
[Pg 18]
[Pg 19]
[Pg 20]
[Pg 21]
[Pg 22]
[Pg 23]
[Pg 24]
[Pg 25]
[Pg 26]
[Pg 27]
[Pg 28]
[Pg 29]
[Pg 30]
[Pg 31]
[Pg 32]
[Pg 33]
[Pg 34]
[Pg 35]
[Pg 36]
[Pg 37]
[Pg 38]
[Pg 39]
[Pg 40]
[Pg 41]
[Pg 42]
[Pg 43]
[Pg 44]
[Pg 45]
[Pg 46]
[Pg 47]
[Pg 48]
[Pg 49]
[Pg 50]
[Pg 51]
[Pg 52]
[Pg 53]
[Pg 54]
[Pg 55]
[Pg 56]
[Pg 57]
[Pg 58]
[Pg 59]
[Pg 60]
[Pg 61]
[Pg 62]
[Pg 63]
[Pg 64]
[Pg 65]
[Pg 66]
[Pg 67]
[Pg 68]
[Pg 69]
[Pg 70]
[Pg 71]
[Pg 72]
[Pg 73]
[Pg 74]
[Pg 75]
[Pg 76]
[Pg 77]
[Pg 78]
[Pg 79]
[Pg 80]
[Pg 81]
[Pg 82]
[Pg 83]
[Pg 84]
[Pg 85]
[Pg 86]
[Pg 87]
[Pg 88]
[Pg 89]
[Pg 90]
[Pg 91]
[Pg 92]
[Pg 93]
[Pg 94]
[Pg 95]
[Pg 96]
[Pg 97]
[Pg 98]
[Pg 99]
[Pg 100]
[Pg 101]
[Pg 102]
[Pg 103]
[Pg 104]
[Pg 105]
[Pg 106]
[Pg 107]
[Pg 108]
[Pg 109]
[Pg 110]
[Pg 111]
[Pg 112]
[Pg 113]
[Pg 114]
[Pg 115]
[Pg 116]
[Pg 117]
[Pg 118]
[Pg 119]
[Pg 120]
[Pg 121]
[Pg 122]
[Pg 123]
[Pg 124]
[Pg 125]
[Pg 126]
[Pg 127]
[Pg 128]
[Pg 129]
[Pg 130]
[Pg 131]
[Pg 132]
[Pg 133]
[Pg 134]
[Pg 135]
[Pg 136]
[Pg 137]
[Pg 138]
[Pg 139]
[Pg 140]
[Pg 141]
[Pg 142]
[Pg 143]
[Pg 144]
[Pg 145]
[Pg 146]
[Pg 147]
[Pg 148]
[Pg 149]
[Pg 151]
[Pg 152]
[Pg 153]
[Pg 154]
[Pg 155]
[Pg 156]
[Pg 157]
[Pg 158]
[Pg 159]
[Pg 160]
[Pg 161]
[Pg 162]
[Pg 163]
[Pg 164]
[Pg 165]
[Pg 166]
[Pg 167]
[Pg 168]
[Pg 169]
[Pg 170]
[Pg 171]
[Pg 172]
[Pg 173]
[Pg 174]
[Pg 175]
[Pg 176]
[Pg 177]
[Pg 178]
[Pg 179]
[Pg 180]
[Pg 181]
[Pg 182]
[Pg 183]
[Pg 184]
[Pg 185]
[Pg 186]
[Pg 187]
[Pg 188]
[Pg 189]
[Pg 190]
[Pg 191]
[Pg 192]
[Pg 193]
[Pg 194]
[Pg 195]
[Pg 196]
[Pg 197]
[Pg 198]
[Pg 199]
[Pg 200]
[Pg 201]
[Pg 202]
[Pg 203]
[Pg 204]
[Pg 205]
[Pg 206]
[Pg 207]
[Pg 208]
[Pg 209]
[Pg 210]
[Pg 211]
[Pg 212]
[Pg 213]
[Pg 214]
[Pg 215]
[Pg 216]
[Pg 217]
[Pg 218]
[Pg 219]
[Pg 220]
[Pg 221]
[Pg 222]
[Pg 223]
[Pg 224]
[Pg 225]
[Pg 226]
[Pg 227]
[Pg 228]
[Pg 229]
[Pg 230]
[Pg 231]
[Pg 232]
[Pg 233]
[Pg 234]
[Pg 235]
[Pg 236]
[Pg 237]
[Pg 238]
[Pg 239]
[Pg 240]
[Pg 241]
[Pg 242]
[Pg 243]
[Pg 244]
[Pg 245]
[Pg 246]
[Pg 247]
[Pg 248]
[Pg 249]
[Pg 250]
[Pg 251]
[Pg 252]
[Pg 253]
[Pg 254]
[Pg 255]
[Pg 256]
[Pg 257]
[Pg 258]
[Pg 259]
[Pg 260]
[Pg 261]
[Pg 262]
[Pg 263]
[Pg 264]
[Pg 265]
[Pg 266]
[Pg 267]
[Pg 268]
[Pg 269]
[Pg 270]

How to Listen

1. Click "Listen Free" above
2. The book opens in CastReader's browser reader
3. Click the play button — AI narration starts with word highlighting
4. Use "Send to Phone" to continue listening on your phone

FAQ

Is this audiobook really free?

Yes. "Giant brains; or, Machines that think" is a public domain work from Project Gutenberg. CastReader converts it to audio using AI text-to-speech for free. No account or payment needed.

What does the AI voice sound like?

CastReader uses Kokoro TTS, a natural-sounding AI voice. It handles punctuation, names, and dialogue naturally. Most listeners forget it's AI after a few minutes.

Can I listen on my phone?

Yes. Open the book, then use "Send to Phone" to stream audio to your phone via Telegram. No app download needed.