THE MICHIGAN DAILY
RI
THE MICHIGAN DAILY 'RIL
dews Need
For Learned
2Aomputers
By DAVID GEIGER
The chief aim of researchers
udying artificial intelligence is
build "intelligent" computers,
rof. Marvin L. Minsky, mathe-
atician at the Massachusetts In-
itute of Technology, said in one
a series of computer apprecia-
on lectures here Thursday.
Digital computers which can
'lve problems according to a
refully mapped progam proce-
ire do show a kind of artificial
telligence in tne sense that they
oduce answers to problems for-
erly worked out only by human
Center Serves Three Purposes
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By ELLEN SILVERMAN
The purpose of the Internation-l
al Center is threefold, Robert B.
Klinger, a counselor for the cen-
ter, remarked last week.
"It is, a basic information cen-
ter for foreign students, a place
to turn to when a crisis arises
and a means of orientation into
a new way of life for them."
As a service agency run by the
University, the center meets the
first two of these functions by
serving the non-academic needs
of foreign students.
Counseling Service
It does this primarily by offer-
ing guidance on immigration laws
and other regulations set by the
government for aliens. The cen-
ter has complete records of all im-
migration laws and can also aid
students who have problems with
income tax, marriage and minor
regulations governing drivers' li-
censes or working.
This counseling is extended on.
a purely voluntary basis, with the
students providing the initiative,
Klinger said.
The heaviest and most diffi-
cult portion of the center's work
comes in fulfilling its third func-
tion, to orient the foreign student
to the United States.
'Americanization'
The center does not over-em-
phasize "Americanization" of these
students, Klinger stressed. "Stu-
dents come to the United States
to study so that one day they
may go back to their own coun-
try. We must remember that when
these students go home, many of
them will work for their own gov-
ernment. They must not lose con-
tact here with their own coun-
tries, yet at the same time they
cannot be considered alien in
ours."
To achieve this aim the center
provides programs such as sem-
inars and discussion groups to
keep foreign students aware of the
political, social and cultural de-
velopments in their home coun-
tries. The center also arranges for
foreign visitors to come to cam-
pus to lecture and meet students.
Other center programs are de-
signed to show foreign students
what America is like by tours
through industrial factories and
trips to Lansing, to observe the
Legislature.
Aids Student Clubs
The International Center also
aids and sponsors student clubs,
Klinger continued. Twenty-one of
the 84 nationality groups on cam-
pus are represented in nationality
clubs, who use the center's lounges
and rooms for group activities.
The International Students As-
sociation, an "arm" of the center,
is composed of students from all
over the world. Whereas the na-
tionality clubs mainly promote in-
tra-country friendships, the ISA
attempts,to promote understand-
ing among students from different
countries. This organization holds
group discussions and also oper-
ates projects such as the Asian
Book Drive.
Another service of the center,
the International Teas, is a 15-
But a more sophisticated form
of computer inteliligence is to have
the machine record or "learn"
pieces of data for future refer-
ence. Learning and pattern rec-
ognition are inseparable, he said.;
Recognition Problems
Although there are at present
machines capable of recognizing
printed letters and words by fit-
ting a template to specific letters,
other problems of recognition are
too complicated to be processed
by this method.
MIT researchers have been
working on computers which will,
define lines and their intersec-
tions in words describing their
lengths and positions.
These scientists are placing em-
phasis on having the computer re-
cord data of past errors to pre-
vent their recurrence and to fol-
low the procedure most likely to
succeed.
Store Information
This "learning" or storing of in-
formation concerning past mis-
takes, a property possessed by ma-
chines which are capable of play-
ing chess, is the only way compu-
ters will be able to solve problems
requiring even minimal human in-
telligence.
"It is unlikely that a computer
can be constructed large enough to
operate on a trial and error basis,"
Minsky noted.
Thus the new approach to
building "thinking" computers is
to program them so that at each
step in the problem the machine
will look for a reason to continue
the effort. _
year tradition. These are another
attempt to promote friendly rela-
tions between students of all coun-
tries, including the United States.
"The teas are truly international
in scope and we encourage Ameri-
cans to attend," Klinger stressed.
Positive Experience
The center encourages foreign
students to take advantage of any
speaking opportunities w h i c h
would inform others of their own
national culture. It also attempts
to provide financial aid to stu-
dents in need.
"In essence all these programs
aim at aiding the foreign student
in adjusting so that he can receive
the maximum experience of a pos-
itive nature during his stay at the
University," Klinger commented.
The International Center was
formed in 1937. Previously foreign
student affairs were handled by
various faculty counselors and the
now defunct Cosmopolitan Club.
As the need was shown for a
central meeting place and coun-
seling , facilities, Prof. Raleigh
Nelson, former overall campus in-
ternational counselor, asked the
University for a permanent area.
When the Union was built, the
center was given its present facili-
ties in the south wing.
"GOOD GRIEF !
THE ETERNAL
TRIANGLE."
Unifed Feature Syndicate, Inc.
A brand new
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PEANOUSstri ps
PEA NUTS
EVERY
SU/PA Y1
By CHARLES M.
SCH ULZ
This chorus of Greeks turned Oedipus Red
SAUCY SARAH SINGS
J e..
tfor.
This year's Spring Weekend,
"Jest in Time," produced several
pairs of wet feet, a great deal of
enthusiasm, some disappointment,
and generally a good time for all
concerned.
Epitomizing the widespread en-
thusiasm, one couple braved the
icy currents of the Huron River
to avoid a crowded bridge in their
haste to view the festivities yes-
terday afternoon,
Their actions accounted for four
wet feet, but there were more. Fri-
day's parade from the Diag to
Yost Fieldhouse, where the rest
of the afternoon's activities were
held because of the somewhat in-
clement weather, produced a few
more.
The weatherman finally co-
operated Saturday afternoon and
the events planned for Island
Park drew large crowds. The cul-
mination of the Weekend was the
big dance last night, after which
some very tired people could go
home and sleep off the effects of
their labors or other diversions.
Ian...
SERVICE CENTER-Located in the south wing of the Union, the
International Center orients foreign students to America.
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yesterday's events at Island Park. Evidently their fear of missing
some of the excitement would not permit them to wait for the
rest of the crowd.
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