- Email: [email protected]
Introducing the TIPS computer club
8
TIPS -January 1983
Computer Club The world of pharmacology computing
Introducing the TIPS Computer Club The following letters mark the commencement of the TIPS Computer Club. They contain numerous suggestions for possible Club activities but what actually comes to pass depends on you, the reader. The use of. computers and microprocessors in pharmacology is increasing all the time, and TIPS wishes to assist the process. It can accomplish this by publishing brief articles
F r o m M r R. M a r s h a l l The adverts tell us that 'microcomputers put real computer power within the reach of researchers and teachers'. However, many people do not realize that the power of computers is only potential until harnessed by programs embodying the expertise of the user. A computer becomes 'intelligent' by virtue of the programs supplied to it. The use of computers can be approached from two distinctly different directions. In the first the user makes no attempt to develop programming skills but buys a complete package of hardware (computer) and software (programs) to carry out a clearly defined and essentially unchanging task. This can be very satisfactory for circumscribed applications such as word processing or statistics where many well written and, equally importantly, wellsupported program packages are available. The weakness of this approach lies in the inability of the worker to modify the programs to meet even the smallest changes in task, thereby failing to exploit the inherent flexibility of a computer, even though its work capacity may be fully utilized. The second approach requires the user to devote substantial time to developing programming skills which then allow him to exploit the flexibility of his computer in research and/or teaching. A range of intermediate approaches involving varying degrees of help from an 'expert' lie between the extremes of these two approaches. This can work well, but the progress of one's research can then rely on continuing 'expert' help. To make such a collaboration work one must establish a O Elsevier Biomedical Press 1983
about specific programs, problems, uses of computers, routines, etc. and these can now be sent to the TIPS editorial office. There is insufficient space in the journal for publication of lengthy program listings (although short routines can be reproduced) so authors of TIPS Computer Club articles should be prepared to provide these direct to other interested scientists. TIPS is prepared to advertise availability of programs from individual pharmacologists free of charge, so if you have written a program and do not think it warrants an article in TIPS, but still wish to disseminate
it to other pharmacologists, just send us brief details. Even if you wish to sell your programs, we will publish details without charge provided you are an individual whose primary occupation is as a pharmacologist. From now on please let us, and hence other TIPS readers, know what you are doing in pharmacology computing. Write to: TIPS Computer Club, Elsevier Biomedical Press, 68 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1LA, U.K.
fLrrn understanding with the 'expert' and if necessary his superior(s) about the degree of continuing support to which he is willing and able to commit himself. At the time of writing, the second approach is forced on pharmacologists who wish to use computers for real-time data collection and analysis in the laboratory, since not only are commercial programs seldom available in such specialized fields but also the tasks in such research applications can vary from day to day. For example, a program suite to collect and analyse data from tissue bath experiments is unlikely to be sufficiently flexible to cope with every type of tissue bath experiment but could easily be modified by an experimenter with programming experience. I am very much in favour of the second approach. It was forced on me when I developed my tissue-bath data collection and analysis system, since neither interfaces nor programs were available when I started. However, the knowledge I was forced to acquire has subsequently allowed me to develop systems to investigate drug action on human tremor, the dynamics of skeletal muscle twitches in humans and animals, the roughness of human skin as
estimated by scanning densitometry of photographic negatives and on the dynamics of human saccadic eye movements. The broadening of my research potential that these techniques represent has amply repaid the initial investment of time. Unfortunately time spent in developing these skills is often derided as 'fiddling with computers' and labelled unproductive. As a consequence few pharmacologists make this investment or, worse still, invest so little time that the computer systems they develop are clumsy, difficult to use and actually hinder experimentation. Despite their benefits computers can cause dependence and tolerance. This syndrome is characterized by increased keyboard time with reduced productivity. Withdrawal can cause a marked sense of loss often accompanied by involuntary finger movements. Like narcotics, computers can be abused but when used with skill and imagination can increase the quality and quantity of information obtained from experiments.
From Dr R. B. B a r l o w
~
Do you remember the names Brunsviga, Diehl, Facit, Marchant, Munroe? Perhaps you had better not admit it if you wish to retain your youthful image. These were makes of calculating machine, mostly electrically driven, with which pharmacologists used to process their results. It was an impressive business: grim faces, shining
0165 - 6147/83/0000 - 0000/$01 00
ROGER
MARSHALL
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Welsh Naaonal School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN, U.K.
with intelligence and effort, hands busily writing down numbers, and eyes, hawklike, desperately trying to spot errors. A truly heroic age! Then came the computer. Amazingly expensive machines which lived in specially built air-conditioned 'centres' (or 'centers') and were looked after by superintelligent beings who spoke strange languages. Most pharmacologists felt very out
TIPS -January 1983
Computer Club The world of pharmacology computing
Introducing the TIPS Computer Club The following letters mark the commencement of the TIPS Computer Club. They contain numerous suggestions for possible Club activities but what actually comes to pass depends on you, the reader. The use of. computers and microprocessors in pharmacology is increasing all the time, and TIPS wishes to assist the process. It can accomplish this by publishing brief articles
F r o m M r R. M a r s h a l l The adverts tell us that 'microcomputers put real computer power within the reach of researchers and teachers'. However, many people do not realize that the power of computers is only potential until harnessed by programs embodying the expertise of the user. A computer becomes 'intelligent' by virtue of the programs supplied to it. The use of computers can be approached from two distinctly different directions. In the first the user makes no attempt to develop programming skills but buys a complete package of hardware (computer) and software (programs) to carry out a clearly defined and essentially unchanging task. This can be very satisfactory for circumscribed applications such as word processing or statistics where many well written and, equally importantly, wellsupported program packages are available. The weakness of this approach lies in the inability of the worker to modify the programs to meet even the smallest changes in task, thereby failing to exploit the inherent flexibility of a computer, even though its work capacity may be fully utilized. The second approach requires the user to devote substantial time to developing programming skills which then allow him to exploit the flexibility of his computer in research and/or teaching. A range of intermediate approaches involving varying degrees of help from an 'expert' lie between the extremes of these two approaches. This can work well, but the progress of one's research can then rely on continuing 'expert' help. To make such a collaboration work one must establish a O Elsevier Biomedical Press 1983
about specific programs, problems, uses of computers, routines, etc. and these can now be sent to the TIPS editorial office. There is insufficient space in the journal for publication of lengthy program listings (although short routines can be reproduced) so authors of TIPS Computer Club articles should be prepared to provide these direct to other interested scientists. TIPS is prepared to advertise availability of programs from individual pharmacologists free of charge, so if you have written a program and do not think it warrants an article in TIPS, but still wish to disseminate
it to other pharmacologists, just send us brief details. Even if you wish to sell your programs, we will publish details without charge provided you are an individual whose primary occupation is as a pharmacologist. From now on please let us, and hence other TIPS readers, know what you are doing in pharmacology computing. Write to: TIPS Computer Club, Elsevier Biomedical Press, 68 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1LA, U.K.
fLrrn understanding with the 'expert' and if necessary his superior(s) about the degree of continuing support to which he is willing and able to commit himself. At the time of writing, the second approach is forced on pharmacologists who wish to use computers for real-time data collection and analysis in the laboratory, since not only are commercial programs seldom available in such specialized fields but also the tasks in such research applications can vary from day to day. For example, a program suite to collect and analyse data from tissue bath experiments is unlikely to be sufficiently flexible to cope with every type of tissue bath experiment but could easily be modified by an experimenter with programming experience. I am very much in favour of the second approach. It was forced on me when I developed my tissue-bath data collection and analysis system, since neither interfaces nor programs were available when I started. However, the knowledge I was forced to acquire has subsequently allowed me to develop systems to investigate drug action on human tremor, the dynamics of skeletal muscle twitches in humans and animals, the roughness of human skin as
estimated by scanning densitometry of photographic negatives and on the dynamics of human saccadic eye movements. The broadening of my research potential that these techniques represent has amply repaid the initial investment of time. Unfortunately time spent in developing these skills is often derided as 'fiddling with computers' and labelled unproductive. As a consequence few pharmacologists make this investment or, worse still, invest so little time that the computer systems they develop are clumsy, difficult to use and actually hinder experimentation. Despite their benefits computers can cause dependence and tolerance. This syndrome is characterized by increased keyboard time with reduced productivity. Withdrawal can cause a marked sense of loss often accompanied by involuntary finger movements. Like narcotics, computers can be abused but when used with skill and imagination can increase the quality and quantity of information obtained from experiments.
From Dr R. B. B a r l o w
~
Do you remember the names Brunsviga, Diehl, Facit, Marchant, Munroe? Perhaps you had better not admit it if you wish to retain your youthful image. These were makes of calculating machine, mostly electrically driven, with which pharmacologists used to process their results. It was an impressive business: grim faces, shining
0165 - 6147/83/0000 - 0000/$01 00
ROGER
MARSHALL
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Welsh Naaonal School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN, U.K.
with intelligence and effort, hands busily writing down numbers, and eyes, hawklike, desperately trying to spot errors. A truly heroic age! Then came the computer. Amazingly expensive machines which lived in specially built air-conditioned 'centres' (or 'centers') and were looked after by superintelligent beings who spoke strange languages. Most pharmacologists felt very out