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About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker distinguishes between creative selection of data and the repetitive manipulation that follows, suggesting the latter belongs to machines.
In plain terms
Machines should handle the repetitive work, humans do the creative selection.
What can you take from it?
Human creativity should focus on selection, not manipulation.

Where it applies

  • data science
  • strategic planning

Putting it to work

  • focusing on strategy
  • using software for calculations

Questions to consider

  • Where does creativity end and repetition begin?
  • What part of your work is repetitive?

Another view

This distinction may not hold for tasks requiring iteration and creation simultaneously.

More from Vannevar Bush

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  3. The advanced arithmetical machines of the future will be electrical in nature, and they will perform at 100 times present speeds, or more. Moreover, they will …

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