Introduction: The Substitution of Human Faculties with Technology: Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems Research in artificial intelligence, starting in the 1960s, yet formulated a new goal: the automation of thought processes with intelligent machines. Although first attempts to develop "thinking" machines had only little success as the aimed at solving very general problems, the invention of expert systems marked a breakthrough. Albeit the application of those semi-intelligent systems is (still) restricted to quite narrow domains of performance, such as taxation and medical image interpretation, they are able to mimic the knowledge and reasoning capabilities of an expert in a particular discipline. While the development of intelligent machines, which are able to reason, to generalize and to learn from past experience is not likely to become reality in the very near future, research in artificial intelligence progresses quickly and sooner or later the substitution of men's unique faculties will come true.

TEXTBLOCK 1/3 // URL: http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611663/100438659459

Product Placement With television still being very popular, commercial entertainment has transferred the concept of soap operas onto the Web. The first of this new species of "Cybersoaps" was "The Spot", a story about the ups and downs of an American commune. The Spot not only within short time attracted a large audience, but also pioneered in the field of online product placement. Besides Sony banners, the companies logo is also placed on nearly every electronic product appearing in the story. Appearing as a site for light entertainment, The Spots main goal is to make the name Sony and its product range well known within the target audience.

TEXTBLOCK 2/3 // URL: http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611652/100438658026

FREEnet (The Network for Research, Education and Engineering) FREEnet is an academic and research network, interconnecting computer networks of research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities, colleges, and other research and academic institutions. It was established in 1991 by the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Center of Computer Assistance to Chemical Research. It provides its more than 350 members of the academic and educational community with all types of basic Internet services and various information services. Strategies and Policies FREEnets general intention is to become a backbone infrastructure providing: Open networking services for efficient access to the network and information resources located both in Russia and all over the Internet. Reliable network connectivity for research, academic and educational communities in Russia and abroad. Worldwide access to science and information resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences, universities and colleges in Russia. Assistance to the progress of Russian based fundamental research. Assistance to the development and application of modern information technologies in education.

TEXTBLOCK 3/3 // URL: http://world-information.org/wio/infostructure/100437611734/100438659253

Calculator Calculators are machines for automatically performing arithmetical operations and certain mathematical functions. Modern calculators are descendants of a digital arithmetic machine devised by Blaise Pascal in 1642. Later in the 17th century, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz created a more advanced machine, and, especially in the late 19th century, inventors produced calculating machines that were smaller and smaller and less and less laborious to use.

INDEXCARD, 1/3

Neighboring rights Copyright laws generally provide for three kinds of neighboring rights: 1) the rights of performing artists in their performances, 2) the rights of producers of phonograms in their phonograms, and 3) the rights of broadcasting organizations in their radio and television programs. Neighboring rights attempt to protect those who assist intellectual creators to communicate their message and to disseminate their works to the public at large.

INDEXCARD, 2/3

Medieval universities and copying of books The first of the great medieval universities was established at Bologna. At the beginning, universities predominantly offered a kind of do-it-yourself publishing service. Books still had to be copied by hand and were so rare that a copy of a widely desired book qualified for being invited to a university. Holding a lecture equaled to reading a book aloud, like a priest read from the Bible during services. Attending a lecture equaled to copy a lecture word by word, so you had your own copy of a book, thus enabling you to hold a lecture, too. For further details see History of the Idea of a University, http://quarles.unbc.edu/ideas/net/history/history.html http://quarles.unbc.edu/ideas/net/history/his...

INDEXCARD, 3/3