∂07-Jun-78  2310	JMC  
To:   feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
CC:   REF   
Lerner dinner 6pm Fri faculty club, meeting 8pm 133 Tressider

∂02-Jun-78  1911	JMC  	Addison-Wesley
To:   DEK    
Mike Harrison of UCB, who is an also an editor for A-W expressed interest
in publishing my LISP book.  Do you recommend them?  I have been
planning to produce camera-ready copy using PUB, the XGP, and your
photo-composer anyway, but I wonder what are the advantages and
disadvantages of using the same publisher.  Did they pay directly
for the machine?

∂02-Jun-78  1813	JMC  
To:   REF    
We propose to house her Friday.  Saturday too unless someone else puts in
a claim.  Can you arrange to be sure she is picked up?

∂02-Jun-78  1810	JMC  
To:   DEW    
I don't recall saying it.  He is acceptable as far as I am concerned.

∂02-Jun-78  1809	JMC  
To:   DCO    
Order form in your box.

∂31-May-78  0317	JMC  
To:   TED    
My Imlac is broken.  I can't get the run light to go on.

∂29-May-78  1901	JMC  	Bauer dinner  
To:   GHG, JGH    
I shall come, and Vera will come to if she is back from Mt. Whitney in time,
but this seems unlikely.

∂29-May-78  1306	JMC  
To:   panko at BBN-TENEXB   
Patrick Winston's Artificial Intelligence and Margaret Boden's
Artificial Intelligence and Natural Man

∂28-May-78  1034	JMC  
To:   LES    
 ∂28-May-78  0934	Lynch at SRI-KL (Dan Lynch) 	(Response to message)
Date: 28 May 1978 0934-PDT
From: Lynch at SRI-KL (Dan Lynch)
Subject: (Response to message)
To:   JMC at SU-AI, LES at SU-AI
cc:   LYNCH

In response to the message sent 27 May 1978 2004-PDT from JMC@SU-AI 

John,

	"Action" is a humanless repository for all our operations staff
to use so random users can send a request/complaint to one mailbox
and not have to guess who is on duty, etc.  The real purpose (methinks)
for all this is that some of the odd-hour operators would like 
access to the wire services you have running when they get bored.
If that is amenable to you I would appreciate it.  I have noticed that
the courtesy account for SU here at SRI only gets odd-hour use.

Dan
-------

∂27-May-78  2226	JMC  
To:   LLW    
TK just phoned, and there is a bit more.

∂27-May-78  2205	JMC  
To:   tk at MIT-AI
(415)321-7580

∂27-May-78  2147	JMC  
To:   TK
What can you say about someone wanting to kill S-1 project triggering review?

∂27-May-78  2142	JMC  	enemy of S-1  
To:   LLW    
I heard from Ed Fredkin, who heard it from Tom knight, that your
program review was triggered by a letter from someone, he didn't
know who, but in Defense Department, I think, proposing that the
project be killed.  It was alleged that there was no new technology
and that the software goals were unattainable.  Do you know anything
about this?  I could probably try to find out more if you don't.

Second topic: it occurs to me that it would be good if some form of
tertiary storage were integrated into the system design.  In present
systems that have it, it is an afterthought and doesn't fit in well.
The question is whether a  cost-effective form of such storage
exists.

∂27-May-78  2004	JMC  
To:   LES, lynch at SRI-KL  
Reciprocation OK, but who in hell is Action?

∂27-May-78  1320	JMC  
To:   FXB    
Datadisk lives, but its replacement is waiting availability of large
address micro-processors such as Zilog 8000.  Then it will probably also
wait a bit for engineering manpower and money.

∂27-May-78  1307	JMC  
To:   FXB    
A 50 chip version sounds good, although I don't know how many your original
terminal had or how much the new one would cost.  The name LISP is an
acronym of "LISt Processor coupled with a taste for a slightly self-deprecating
name - in reaction to something that seemed pompous - I can't remember what.

∂26-May-78  1952	JMC  
To:   JMC    
(defun f (n) (cond ((equal n 0) 0) ((equal n 1) 0) ((equal n 2) 1)
(t (plus (f (times (sub1 n) (difference (f (difference n 2)) (f 
(difference n 3)))) (f (plus (times (difference n 3) (difference
(f (sub1 n)) (f (difference n 2)))) 2))))))

∂26-May-78  1948	JMC  	0→0,1→0,2→1,n→f((n-1)(f(n-2)-f(n-3)))+f((n-3)(f(n-1)-f(n-2))+2) 
To:   JMC    

∂26-May-78  1142	JMC  
To:   ZM
2.  biography of zohar for the board of trustees in the following
    format:  
    you should describe in a paragraph zohar's academic field and
    highlight his major scholarly work, achievements and publications
    in clear and non-technical language.

    And in another brief paragraph outline his teaching role, why he is
    important to the department, and what contributions within the
    School and/or Univ. he has made.

    would like to see it let me know.

thanks...laurie
-------

∂26-May-78  1030	JMC  
To:   AJT    
We can't make it an AI Memo.

∂25-May-78  1644	JMC  	xeroxing part of the qual    
To:   CET    
I would like to to get xerox copies of two pages of the students' solutions
to the qual.  The two pages contain the two problems on verification
and the solutions given.  The first problems gives a program, asks what
it does and for the student to give an invariant that proves it.  The
second problem starts on that page and also occupies the next page.  There
is no need to xerox the answers of the students who did nothing at all
on the problems.  My purpose is to convince the faculty interested in
verification that we need to teach more of it.

∂24-May-78  2308	JMC  	killing dial job   
To:   ME
About an hour ago, I killed your detached DIAL job after phoning and
after noting that it had been inactive for 87 minutes.  Since you have
re-established it, I assume it serves some purpose, and I apologize for
killing it.  Out of curiosity, what is its purpose?

∂24-May-78  1932	JMC  
To:   DON
CC:   LES   
Yes, he is.  We are merely slow bureaucrats.

∂24-May-78  0204	JMC  
To:   REF    
Exams will be in your office this morning.

∂23-May-78  2048	JMC  
To:   RWW    
I'll look for it.

∂23-May-78  1153	JMC  
To:   levin at SUMEX-AIM    
Any of those days is ok with me.

∂23-May-78  1012	JMC  
To:   nilsson at SRI-KL
CC:   bobrow at PARC-MAXC   
Please transmit my regrets to Lofti.  I am much too far behind in
my own work.  It occurs to me that Bob Moore at SRI has views somewhat
similar to mine.

∂23-May-78  0924	JMC  
To:   nilsson at SRI-KL
CC:   bobrow at PARC-MAXC   
Yes, if we can return soon after the panel.

∂22-May-78  1901	JMC  
To:   JBR    
It was in talk position.  Les fixed it.

∂22-May-78  1853	JMC  	DIAL dials but doesn't connect.   
To:   JBR    
Is this cconnected with switch to DCA?  Vera would like to move
a file from IBM.  Must we await Ted?

∂22-May-78  1838	JMC  
To:   LES    
 ∂22-May-78  1812	Danielson at Rand-Rcc 	Account at SU-AI 
Date: 22 May 1978 at 1749-PDT
From: Danielson at Rand-Rcc
Subject: Account at SU-AI
To:   JMC at SU-AI


I would like to request an account at SU-AI to be used by
myself to assist in testing user and server ARPANET
software which I am responsible for here at RAND.  My usage
would be limited and primarily during the early evening (our
systems time is from 6-8 PM) and late evening hours.  I try to
have some sort of account on the various types of systems on
the ARPANET to try and catch any inconsistancies that might
arise between the two hosts.

An appropriate account designation would be 1,BRD

My network mailing address is: DANIELSON at RAND-RCC



Bill Danielson
Liaison, RAND-RCC

∂22-May-78  1838	JMC  
To:   ZM
The last time I talked to Feigenbaum, his subjective probability was .99.
It had passed the Appointments and Promotions Committee and the Dean of
Humanities and Sciences and was on Miller's desk.

∂22-May-78  1837	JMC  
To:   ZM
The last time I talked to Feigenbaum, his subjective probability was .99.

∂21-May-78  1136	JMC  
To:   ZM
Welcome back.

∂20-May-78  2153	JMC  
To:   TED    
DIALER rings numbers, but doesn't connect.  DIAL 4935505 timed out.

∂20-May-78  1818	JMC  
To:   gjs at MIT-AI, gls at MIT-AI    
I think the "hairy hack" theory is more nearly correct.  However, EVALQUOTE
wasn't the original form, I think.  We were in the original habit of
hand coding LISP, so that the first APPLY written by Steve Russell
simply read three lists and did apply[f,arglist,alist] or perhaps it
just read two taking the alist as NIL.  In any case, I remember that
there weren't outer parentheses, so it was possible to get out of sync.

You might ask Steve Russell who is now at D.E.C. Maynard, and I would
be glad to know what he says.
In any case, I don't remember aiming my desire for mathematical elegance,
which showed up elsewhere in LISP, at this particular question.

∂19-May-78  2055	JMC  
To:   simon at CMU-10A
CC:   newell at CMU-10A 
Thanks for facts about von Neumann and chess.

∂19-May-78  0216	JMC  	von Neumann lecture
To:   newell at CMU-10B
In a panel on history of AI, Paul Armer mentioned von Neumann giving a
lecture at RAND on the problem of making a machine play chess.  He
couldn't remember anything about it but thought you might.  If there
is a reference, I would appreciate a pointer, otherwise whatever you
remember and have time for.  I am particularly interested in whether
he imagined a program for Johnniac or a special purpose machine and
how such an interest in AI interacted with his opposition to large
memories for computers.

∂19-May-78  0039	JMC  
To:   RWG    
Yes, the argument is an old one.  It originally took the form of claiming
that the energy debt was larger than the plant would produce in its
liftime.  This is absurd on the face of it since any energy used in
in constructing the plant and its components, etc. had to be paid for
and hence would show up in the price of the plant.  The person who
originated the argument in New Scientist some years ago recanted
shortly thereafter.  I have more recently heard numbers of .5% and
3% of the energy produced by the plant and have also heard the figure
of 6 months to repay the energy debt.  If we imagine that construction
of the plant is of average energy intensity (which I don't especially
claim), that half the cost of the electricity generated is capital cost,
and that energy costs are 4% of the GNP (which is also a guess), then
the plant would incur an energy debt of 2% of the energy produced
and if the life were 40 years, it would take 10 months to pay back
the debt.

∂19-May-78  0030	JMC  
To:   HPM    
 ∂19-May-78  0008	Friedland at SUMEX-AIM 	sky hook   
Date: 19 May 1978 0010-PDT
From: Friedland at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: sky hook
To:   mccarthy at SU-AI

	I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your discussion
tonight and appreciated your hanging around to answer questions.  Do you have
a reference on that sky hook idea?

			Thanks,

			Peter Friedland
-------

∂18-May-78  1424	JMC  
To:   bmoore at SRI-KL 
You may phone Lindzey to ask, but he has already discussed the possibility
with Drew, so I don't think there is anything wrong with your calling
Drew directly, since if the matter is still undecided, he will know
that.

∂18-May-78  1018	JMC  
To:   bmoore at SRI-KL 
John Haugeland has been invited and most likely Drew McDermott has also
been invited.  I think Sloan was contacted and was not encouraging, but
I think they'll manage somehow.  Professors are encouraged to use
sabbatical money.  I'll have more information for you later.

∂17-May-78  1654	JMC  
To:   tajnai at SUMEX-AIM   
I will use a newer edition of the course notes Carolyn Talcott and I
are making into a book.  As usual, the best version will be ready at
the last minute.  We may also use the Maclisp manual if one is available
by then.

∂17-May-78  1018	JMC  
To:   JJK    
I have edited.

∂16-May-78  1309	JMC  
To:   JJK    
Forwarded at Baskett's request.
 ∂16-May-78  1214	100  : fxb via AMES-TIP#14 	terminals   
With respect to waiting for high resolution, Motorola has a new monitor,
the M4408, which is a high resolution monitor (780 wide by 1024 high)
that is supposed to sell for $500 in one's.  That makes me think that
we may not need to wait for high resolution although we will still
apparently have to wait for color.  I agree about the need for a big
address space and the Zilog Z8000 looks like a good candidate.  The
Intel 8086 is a loss in my mind and the I have my doubts about the
Intel 8800.  The Motorola MACS will probably be even better than the
Z8000 and I should have access to a good supply of either.  So why
not have one in every terminal?  Oh yes, the memory.  Do you know
how Tektronics did the display list in the 4025?  Maybe that's the
answer.  It is very flexible and doesn't use much memory at all and
can do all the bit mappy things (more slowly than I would like).
What have you thought about or done about campus computer networks?
I gathered up all the details on the Chaos Net at MIT that Tom Knight
did.  Why don't we just duplicate that?  The cost is roughly $200
per transceiver plus the digital inteface to your favorite computer
and it is 8 megabits at healthy distances.  Distributed processing
makes sense with the donations we can get if we can just
share a file system and things like a Dover.

∂16-May-78  1308	JMC  
To:   FXB
CC:   JJK   
I have forwarded your previous to JJK.
The addressees of a message are separated by commas, and an addressee
who receives just a copy has /cc after his initials.  As in
mail jmc,jjk/cc

I had not heard of the Motorola micro-processor, and I am glad to
have your opinion of the relative merits of the different models,
although I don't think I have any immediate decisions to make.
It wasn't the ccst of monitors that worried me as much as the ccst
of memory and perhaps the cost of higher band with communication (of
which I know nothing).  As to the relative cost of centralized and
distributed memory, I was enthusiastic about your old terminal
design till I heard the ccst.  I think we should cost out both
approaches.  The M.I.T. chaos net looks attractive.  The fundamental
terminal system objective is to get one for each faculty member and
at least one for each grad student office.  Once a way of achieving
that objective is found, then we can devote further resources to
improving quality.

It looks like the CSD will have computers running out of its ears -
maybe more than we can support.  JJK is taking a census of plans and
aspirations.

My other ambition is a giant file for Stanford.  SCIP had a plan to
get one, but they wanted to charge $15 per megabyte month, and we can
amortize imitation 3330s at that price in 4 months.  Since the rental
to them from IBM was $.30 per megabyte month, it was their sterling
personnel again that contributed the costs.  These facts came from
the IBM salesman, and I fired off a memo that apparently helped put
the project into a dormant state.  I would like to find a way to revive
such a project managed in a cost-effective way, but the price of
entry seems very high.  Have any interesting salemen been around to
see you about such things?  Does Los Alamos have a giant file or
plans for one?

∂16-May-78  1127	JMC  
To:   MAIL2.SYS[CSD,JJK]:   
I must confess that I instigated worry about the problem of too many
computers, but I don't see that a meeting is needed until some decision
has to be made.  I there money burning a hole in some pocket?

∂16-May-78  0955	JMC  
To:   minsky at MIT-AI 
Yes, it would be.

∂15-May-78  2101	JMC  
To:   minsky at MIT-AI 
You are correct.  It is the academic year 1979-80.  Gardner Lindsey would
like you to call him at (415)321-2052.

∂15-May-78  0933	JMC  
To:   FXB
CC:   LES, JJK, feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM   
 ∂15-May-78  0649	FXB   via AMES-TIP#14 	terminals   
What is the status of departmental terminal projects, if any?  I guess
I would like to get involved and do something although it would likely
be something that didn't quite fit your view (as I have understood it
in the past).  Are you thinking about this subject these days?

As you know, I have wanted bit map terminals but found your old
terminal too expensive; a centralized memory seems to be cheaper.
I have delayed the project in the AI Lab, at LOTS and in the
Department for two reasons.  Mainly, the new 16 bit large address
microprocessors forthcoming from Intel and Zilog has made me
want a larger address, because squeezing all the fonts, etc. into
the 12K address space that remains in a PDP-11 after 16K is used
to address the bit map seems marginal.  A larger address space
makes the size and shape of the bit map more flexible, and we can
contemplate a system that will grow to high resolution and even color
if we have enough address space.  A secondary reason is that the
price of 16K RAMs hasn't declined as rapidly as was expected.
In short the project is delayed but not forgotten.  Johnathan
King has been pursuing money, and he has different ideas.  I
propose to argue for my ideas when money arrives or the technology
is ready - whichever is first.
It seems to me that agreement will be easier, when we are ready to
go financially, because some of the options will be clearer.

∂14-May-78  2121	JMC  
To:   LES    
 ∂14-May-78  2117	PRATT at MIT-AI (Vaughan Pratt)    
Date: 15 MAY 1978 0017-EDT
From: PRATT at MIT-AI (Vaughan Pratt)
To: jmc at SU-AI

Some students here are trying to mass-purchase some 16k chips from
TI @ $14 or so.  As you can see from the enclosed, they have run into
a bureaucratic snag.  Is what they say about Stanford true, and/or
can you offer any suggestions as to their course of action.  I guess
I can contact the officials in question tomorrow, but I thought
I'd give you a try now since you're there.

PGA@MIT-ML 05/14/78 14:56:14 To: PRATT at MIT-AI, PGA at
MIT-AI 

 I wish I could say I had sent the order out by this time,
but0 unfortunately I still have it in a drawer.  As I have
been telling others I have talked to in the last couple  of
weeks, a problem has developed in the Deans' office.  As it
turns out the dean has decided he does not want a student
organization to be involved with the handling of huge
quantities of money, and involved in what amounts to
business. HIs reasons for objecting are quite debatable
especially in the light of the precedents set by other
institutions.  Stanford, for example has a stockroom which
does a brisk business in components and group purchasing, I
am led to understand.


Do you have any suggestions about how I might go about
getting the support of the EE dept?

---------

(back to PRATT again)  Incidentally, the organization in question is our
local students electronic society, an MIT sanctioned entity (entered sanctity).

I will try to figure out to whom I might refer your message who might
know what Stanford does.

∂14-May-78  2121	JMC  
To:   pratt at MIT-AI  
I will try to figure out to whom I might refer your message who might
know what Stanford does.

∂14-May-78  2012	JMC  
To:   WD
Well, but what's the Russian?

∂14-May-78  1310	JMC  
To:   ME
Could αβ↓ result in entering the line editor even when done from
the last line?

∂11-May-78  1147	JMC  	Allen book for Ershov   
To:   feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM    
I just received a postcard asking for it.  Is there money left,
and is it easy for you to get copies when it comes out?

∂11-May-78  1051	JMC  
To:   barr at SUMEX-AIM
Thanks for the reminder.  Alas, I shall be in L.A.

∂10-May-78  2220	JMC  	finger   
To:   LES, JBR    
How come doing a finger takes more than three seconds of computer time
and occupies 32 pages?

∂10-May-78  2215	JMC  
To:   JC
CC:   TOB, LES    
 ∂10-May-78  2056	TOB  	system   
Concerning our discussion of big jobs,
There are now two music jobs of 242p, XM.
Karp says they lock themselves in core also.
Tom
John, what was the outcome of the musicians' meeting?

∂10-May-78  0930	JMC  	weizenblast   
To:   jm at MIT-ML, Dertouzos at MIT-MULTICS    
Apart from the fact that we disagree with it, the weizenblast is written
badly.  You are probably reluctant to do anything about this, because you
both are criticized in it.  Therefore, I suggest that you get an independent
editorial judgment, perhaps from a non-technologist, about whether to include
it as is, reject it, or ask for changes, especially condensation and removal
of redundancy.  You might ask for the removal of the loose comparisons
with the allegations that computer programs were made to generate
false reports about bombing.  His arguments should stand on their own feet
and not lean on borrowed emotion.

∂10-May-78  0927	JMC  
To:   RAK    
I tole 'em.

∂10-May-78  0926	JMC  
To:   CET    
Dick Karp said he would take care of notifying you that Dileep Divekar
passed.  He did.

∂09-May-78  2256	JMC  
To:   levinthal at SUMEX-AIM, TOB
CC:   feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM    
I also have no problems with the Automation Center Proposal and would
be glad to be present at the meeting with Miller.

∂09-May-78  1451	JMC  
To:   MFB    
I haven't seen it.

∂08-May-78  1723	JMC  
To:   jm at MIT-ML
My secretary found it for me.

∂08-May-78  1556	JMC  
To:   stefik at SUMEX-AIM   
It seems to me I have seen one recent article, but I can't recall where.

∂08-May-78  1344	JMC  	letter to Russian publishing house
To:   PAT    
Gentlemen:

	You  have my permission and that of Professor Reddy, who was
Chairman of the IJCAI program commitee to translate and print my
article, Epistemological Problems of Artificial Intelligence.

∂08-May-78  0134	JMC  
To:   KRD    
No deadline yet, so I'll try to catch you.

∂08-May-78  0023	JMC  
To:   RDG    
If you want to work more on SP, I have some new ideas.

∂07-May-78  1451	JMC  	Encyclopedia article on AI   
To:   KRD    
It turns out that there is time to revise the article.  I am now working
from two texts: The first is my original and is ARTIFI[W78,JMC].  The
second is their somewhat bowdlerized version.  It is ARTIFI.2.  The
version now being written is ARTIFI.3 and is being edited from
ARTIFI.2.  At present I am up to the section entitled AI and the
Everyday World but haven't revised it yet.

∂07-May-78  1434	JMC  	Weizenblast   
To:   moses at MIT-ML, Dertouzos at MIT-MULTICS 
	I received the introduction to the book and the weizenblast, but
somehow the copy disappeared.  Could you send me another.  Actually,
pointing me at a file will help me get started in composing
an answer, although I would also like a paper copy.

∂07-May-78  0106	JMC  
To:   REM    
How is compression?

∂06-May-78  1519	JMC  	your message  
To:   RSP    
Previous message was before seeing yours.  You can flush your FOO.
As I said everything works fine. - Thanks much.

∂06-May-78  1212	JMC  	efind    
To:   RSP, LES    
With new SSORT, EFIND is now complete, and I have converted to it with
good results.  It needs to be advertised, and it needs to be explained
how best to prepare files for it.
Many thanks for a good job.

∂05-May-78  1425	JMC  
To:   DEW
CC:   LES   
Yes, we can give you the service level you request for two or three
mornings or evenings.  Perhaps mornings are better.

∂04-May-78  2107	JMC  	Thomas thesis 
To:   LES    
In deciding whether to make an AI memo out of Arthur Thomas's thesis
(a marginal decision), I would like to know the marginal cost.  It would
be about 210 pages, he says.

∂04-May-78  1832	JMC  	Russian desire to reprint paper   
To:   reddy at CMU-10B 
The Russians want to reprint my 1977 IJCAI paper in a collection of
translations of Turing addresses.  My Turing address was never written,
and the 1977 IJCAI paper is the closest I have come to its subject
matter.  Is that OK?  I forget whether I already asked you this.