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Joe is a 1974 model logic, and this is the story of how Frank Caldwell saved civilization as we know it.
Frank is a salesman who deals in logics. It’s a machine like an old fashioned TV. Just ask it a question, press a few buttons, and after a few calculations it spits out the answer. Sounds like a computer to me.
blockquote>Hey Siri… What’s a logic?
A systematic form of arguments.
Hmm… I guess it means something different in the far flung year of 1974.
Hey Siri, how do you ki…
I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by, “How do you….”
Hmm… Nevermind. I really don’t want to know.
Sorry again, but this is just too close to technology of the 21st century. Back to the story.
In a humorous, tongue in cheek telling, criminals try to take advantage of the heavy influence of these machines on the world. Just when you think that people will take advantage of the machines, they turn around to block the attempt. Machines know your life history, connect you to long lost loved ones, know secrets about personal lives that we would like to keep secret.
Hmm… when was the last time I updated my virus software, and cleared my cookies and browsing history? /darnit! More distractions. Sorry. Now where was I with the story…
How does Frank deal with his problem from the perspective of 1955 looking ahead to the mid 1970? Call out military force?
Hide from the cops? Something else?
It was Frank who discovered the security risk with the logics, and it’s his idea that will plug the hole. It all hinges on the logic named Joe, and the trouble has to be put to a stop.
PS: Often mid 20th century futuristic writers get it all wrong, or atleast figure that technology will either move at a mpre advanced rqate. Though the technology in this episode is slightly ahead of it’s time, it’s not that far off. It only missed by 30 or 40 years. Computers now evade just about every aspect of our lives. We freely upload our personal data into the cloud, lr on social media sites, and ex;expect p;ublic forums to be our private place to rant. Hackers, spammers, scammers have taken advantage of security flaws, but in a much bigger way than in the show. Fortunately, just as in the show, humans are still capable of outsmarting machines. They aren’t the real cause of the havok afterall. machines are simply tools that can be used equally for good, or bad. It’s people who are still in control of that.
