In Licklider’s essay, he used the example of fig trees and the insect Blastophaga grossorun to explain the concept of symbiosis. In his article, he says that “The tree and the insect are thus heavily interdependent: the tree cannot reproduce without the insect; the insect cannot eat without the tree; together, they constitute not only a viable but a productive and thriving partnership.” After that, he introduced the concept of Man-computer symbiosis. Today’s computers are primarily designed to solve pre-defined problems or data. Licklider believes this symbiosis is unnecessary. He believes that computers should be able to work with humans in complex decision-making, rather than relying on pre-programmed programs. This is very helpful for our design thinking. We work with computers for a win-win situation. Licklider’s article provoked me to think more.
