Somerecentdevelopmentsincomputerindustrymakescientistspredictthatthegapbetweenhumanbeingsandthemachinewillbeclosedbytheyear20000.Tounderstandthesignificanceofthisprediction,letuscomparethehumanbrainwithexistingcomputers.Thebrainconsumeselectricalenergyattherateof25wattsandoccupiesvolumeofonetenthofacubicfoot.Thebrainhousesbetween10billionand100billionitemsofinformation.Everybraincellisdirectlyconnectedtomanyothercells.Asaresult,thecellsinwhichinformationisstoredcancommunicatewiththousandsofothercells.Incontrast,jhe^computer^consu;mes_1000,000wwattsofelectricaLpower^andoccupieshundredsofcubicJ:eeLofspace.^rhe^computermemoryjisJlike^acellofpigeonholes^withnojhinking^capacityandnoconnectionselsewhere.Inaword,thejel^ctronicbrainsjcanjhopelesslysucceedJinjcomgarisonwiththehumanbrains.