Page 30 - Way Out to the Old Ballgame

Framing the Pitch

computers, organs and nerves and muscles for humans—and we
cannot simply replace the internal processor with a newer, faster
model as we do with computers, we are left with one possibility:
reprogramming. Most recently-written computer programs are highly
inefficient, wasting with impunity the extravagantly abundant
resources of storage and instruction logic available today. And
evolution, while conservative, is equally wasteful: once something
works, unless survival pressure is placed upon an organism’s use of
that function, it will not develop into something requiring less energy
to do more work. That is the human brain I am describing, and the
programming required for perception exists in its current form to
provide us with the ability to cope with most situations affecting our
survival. A well-pitched baseball is at the outer limits of that ability—
for even the best athletes—it would pose no difficulties for a
hummingbird or, at an equivalent scale, an ant—creatures moving
much faster than us, but with tremendously less reserve brain-
power.”
“But I’m not a computer, Professor. You can’t reload the software
in my brain, like a new game cartridge for ProBall.”
“Of course not.” Fort smiled indulgently, pleased at his student’s
confusion. “You are in a psychology lab, not a computer workshop.
I am going to reprogram your frames-per-second speed by traditional
conditioning methods. It will take about six sessions of two hours
each. Then the real world will be your proving grounds. Are you
ready?”
“Yes, sir. But if I am the first one to try this, how do you know it
will work?”
The professor gestured at the rat cages.
“Animal models.”

. . . . .

Six months later the baseball season ended and Professor Fort, as
he had expected, saw a notice in the Daily Kernel that Luke Matthews,
the Ferrets’ star right-fielder, would be stopping by the campus to
give his autograph to anyone wishing to pay for it. Before the slugger
had left for Grainsville in the spring the psychologist had cautioned

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