From Malcolm Powell
Rick Fielder asserts that Freeman Dyson’s comparison of biotech with computers is nothing to worry about because children’s games do not yet involve the construction and programming of computer systems (Letters, 18 March). It seems he has overlooked Lego’s Mindstorms product, which may well be what Dyson had in mind. This allows children, and quite a few adults, to build robotic systems that react to input from sensors. At the heart of the system is a brick containing a computer and a programming system designed for children to use. This product has been available since 1997 and a significant upgrade will be released later this year. Personally, I am looking forward to building my own hipporoo from a kit aimed at children in the not too distant future.
Congleton, Cheshire, UK
