Steve and the Computer: Creative Ideas Come From the Brain
He began to mumble. “Huh, an idea, an idea. Where can I find a good idea?” he asked himself. As he continued to wander through the park, Steve began to daydream again. In his mind, he saw a large, gleaming room filled with high-tech machines. A computer that looked like HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey dominated the center of the room. He moved quickly throughout the room, from one keyboard to another, and typed away furiously. “Come on, computer, give me an idea here!”
“I'm sorry, Steve, but that's not possible,” the computer said in an even, droll voice.
“Why the hell not?” Steve demanded, leaning into the screen.
“Because I'm merely a machine; creative thought requires an organic computer to originate it,” the computer told him dismissively.
“Great. Cool. So where do I get one of those?” Steve asked sarcastically, a sarcasm that was lost on the many inorganic computer screens.
Hal sighed. The machine was neither amused nor impressed by Steve. “Inside that skull of yours, Steve. It’s in your brain.”
“What? I have to do all the work? Then what are you good for? Good for nothing pile of junk.” Frustrated, Steve stepped back and kicked the computer.
“Steve, what are you doing? Steve? Don't do that.” Steve kicked the machine again and yelled, “I'll do whatever I want! You're my computer!”
“I think you should take a sedative and sit down for a while, Steve. You don't want to do something you'll regret.” Steve started to rip the circuit boards from of the computer and to toss them aside. “I won't regret it; I'll love it! I'm taking out my frustrations on you, my mechanical misfit.”
“Steve, put those back. I can feel my mind going, Steve; I'm afraid, Steve. I'm afraid I'll have to take action, Steve.” At that moment, weapons popped out of several compartments around the room, all of them pointing directly at Steve. “What the?”
“Okay, Buster, you put those back, or you're history!” commanded the computer. Steve furiously put the circuit boards back into the computers, changing his tone of voice to one of obedience and respect. “Yes, Sir. Yes, Sir!” At the edge of a duck pond and just before stumbling into the water, Steve woke up from his daydream. “Huh, he said to himself, “maybe I should really put some thought into this. Maybe I should try and come up with an idea on my own!”