6A MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Oregon, Monday, April 13, 1939
Machines Learn
By Experience
New York, (Science Serv
ice) Automatic control devices
can be " designed to learn
through experience to im
prove their performances, as
a result of a new theory re
ported here today.
Robert Kalaba and Richard
Bellman of the RAND Cor
poration, Santa Monica, Calif.,
said they applied new math
ematical methods to devise a
system of controls that im
proves a machine's perform
ance by adapting it to cur
rent circumstances. The mili
tary and commercial implica
tions of such devices are "im
pressive," they reported to the
Institue of Radio Engineers
meeting here. -
A machine built using these
principles would be instruct
ed both in the routine opera
tions of arithmetic and in
ways to modify its routines in
accordance with the nature of
the solution.
What Is
The Law?
This column is prepared
as a public service by the
College of Law. Willamette
University, Salem, to ex
plain basic legal principles,
not to provide legal advice.
The reader is cautioned not
to apply these cases to his
own problems without an
attorney's advice, for . dif
fering facts may change
the outcome.
Statutes on Wills Can
Operate Contrary to Plan
In 1956 Joe was a very suc
cessful businessman who, al
though he was 43 years old,
had never married. He had
made a will while in the mili
tary service in World War II
which gave all of his property
to his two sisters, Joan and
Jane. His sisters were his
nearest and most beloved rel
atives. In 1957 Joe married Emma,
a 28-year-old divorcee. He did
not make another will after
the marriage. Joe and Emma
proved to be incompatible and
their marriage was on the
brink of dissolution when Joe
was killed in an automobile
accident in 1958. Despite the
will, Emma inherited all of
Joe's property, married Char
lie (who was well aware of
her financial status) and lived
happily thereafter. Jane and
Joan are now struggling along
on a small pension.
Victim of Rules
Joe never intended to leave
his sister's destitute. But he
was to blame for their pover
ty because he failed to keep
his personal affairs in order.
He was the victim of two
rules of law which are basical
ly beneficial but which may
operate to injure the negli
gent. One of these laws, on
the books in most states, holds
that marriage automatically
revokes all wills executed by
either spouse before the cere
mony. Statutes pronouncing
this rule are enacted by legis
latures to protect the deserv
ing wife. It was the presump
tion of the legislators that
most wives fall into this category-
It would have been un
just to have all of Joe's prop
erty go to his sisters under
his will if his wife had been
his faithful companion for 40
years.
Property Distributed
Another law provides that
if a person dies without a will
his property is distributed in
accordance with the plan pro
vided by statute. The law also
applies if the will is revoked.
This plan is designed to take
care of the ordinary situa
tions. In Oregon and most
states a wife and children
share the property of a de
ceased husband if he leaves
no will. The wife gets all of
the property if there are no
children.
Unfortunately Joe, Joan
and Jane did not represent
the orthodox family arrange
ment and the statutory plan
operated in a way clearly con
trary to the desires of the deceased.
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The Family Council
Editor's note. The Fnl council consists ol a judge a psychiatrist,
Uree clergymen, a newspapei editor a women's editor and two writers,
tach arUcle is a summary nf an actual report. The Family Council does
not give advice: it merely report on problems that hay been dealt
with by responsible agencies ana counselors
Mrs. J.
F. - My daughters-
in-law resent me.
Leonard F. She doesn't
let us do things for her.
Mn. J. F. - I am a 60-year-old
widow, living alone and
working part time to support
myself and not be a burden
on anyone. My husband died
a year ago, leaving me next
to nothing. t
My big pleasure in life is
my grandchildren. My two
sons each have three children
and I love spending time with
them. I like to have one fam
ily or the other over every
Sunday for dinner. In addi
tion, I visit a couple of eve
nings a week. I'm not the type
to make a pest of myself. I
just talk to the children for
a while. I don't even want a
cup of coffee.
In spite of this my daughters-in-law
seem to resent me.
They always seem to find ex
cuses for not coming to the
regular Sunday dinner. They
are very cool to me when I
visit. I have done everything
I can to be the right kind of
mother, but somehow I seem
to have failed.
Leonard F. - My wife and
I try our best to do things
for Mother, but she never
lets us. My brother says the
same thing.
We would like to contribute
to Mother's support, but she
won't let us. She says she
doesn't mind working, but
complains all the time of
tiredness. We try to stick to
a strict schedule for her Sun
day visits, but it doesn't al
ways work out right. Things
sometimes come up and we
can't make it.
Also, Mother has a habit of
bringing the kids things they
shouldn't have before bed
time. But if we say anything
she is off us for weeks. She
always acts as though she is
unwanted and sometimes
won't even take off her coat.
The Council - Probably it
would help everyone concern
ed if Mrs. J. F. would admit
to herself that she is lonely
and frightened and actually
wants more from her children
than they are able to give her.
She doesn't want money at
this time, or even more con
tact with them, but a sense of
security.
Undoubtedly Mrs. J. F. is
deeply troubled by her sud
den loneliness and can't help
thinking about the future -about
the time when she may
not be able to work or to
maintain herself. Perhaps her
sons can give her some re
assurance on that score. From
both accounts it is apparent
that they would not desert
her.
Once she has acknowledged
her own fears, Mrs. J. F.
would realize that she must
try to get over her self-pity
and take a more realistic
view of things. She actually
has as much security as a
person can reasonably expect.
She can take some pride in
her ability to work and be
independent, and this should
strengthen her inner most
feelings.
Mrs. J. F. could gain addi-
1
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tional strength by making a
big effort to find sociability
and interests outside of her
children. She is young enough
to become active in church
and community affairs, to
find hobbies and new friends.
When she needs her children
and grandchildren less, she
will find herself becoming
more at ease with them. She
will not refuse to take off her
coat or have a cup of coffee
in her son's home because
she will know from inside
that she needs and wants
little more from them than
affection and happy social interchange.
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