A Look at the Automatic Mechanism in Action

We marvel at the awesomeness of interceptor missiles which can compute in a flash the point of interception of another missile and "be there" at the correct instant to make contact.
Yet, are we not witnessing something just as wonderful each time we see a center fielder catch a fly ball? In order to compute where the ball will fall, or where the "point of interception" will be, he must take into account the speed of the ball, its curvature of fall, its direction, wind­age, initial velocity and the rate of progressive decrease in velocity. He must make these computations so fast that he will be able to "take off" at the crack of the bat. Next, he must compute just how fast he must run, and in what direction in order to arrive at the point of interception at the same time the ball does. The center fielder doesn't even think about this. His built-in goal-striving mechanism computes it for him from data which he feeds it through his eyes and ears. The computer in his brain takes this in­formation, compares it with stored data (memories of other successes and failures in catching fly balls). All necessary computations are made in a flash and orders are issued to his leg muscles—and he "just runs."