"We take you now to Washington for a look at the mid-Sixties. Come in, Pentagon."

A graying I.B.M. machine is seated behind a desk, in front of an American flag bearing 150 stars.

"Good evening, and welcome to another T.V.-side chat. I'm sure all of you are concerned with the un-American activities in our newest state. I assure you that my staff of machines has studied the matter closely and is convinced that a little Good Will can straighten out the Commonwealth of Cuba.

"Also, I am happy to announce the end of the strike by humans at the I.B.M. plant. As you know, we invoked an 80-day cooling off period, after which your vice-President brought both sides together, and by means of some tricky cross-programming came up with the suggestion that they bargain In Good Faith.

"I come now to our most pressing national problem. I know all of you are worried about the recent advances made by the Soviet Union. Last week the Russians offered to join our Alliance Club, in flagrant violation of the 1960 Summit Treaty. However, I assure you that our policy, conceived by the top machines in the country, is firmly rooted in our two great principles: the Give-em-an-inch-and-they'll-take-a-foot Doctrine, and the You-can-trust-the-Russians-as-far-as-you-can-throw-them Policy."

The camera switches back to the announcer.

"There it is, friends--a glimpse at the Spectacular Sixties, the Good Life of the future. People and things will be so much fun to be with. How does it look to you, Chet?"

"Right, Dave. We stand at the blackboard of the Sixties with a clean slate, so to speak. Today is a divisional point, a change of trains, a time of stock-taking, of personal inventory, of renascent hope, of rededication, of crossing over, of escape from tedium."

"Devices are also being developed that can teach themselves without human intervention," the "Times" continued. "They will soon be making decisions at speeds and through steps of human reasoning beyond the reach of human minds."

Excelsior!