Would you like to see a real caravan in action? the book would ask, and then proceed if Nell responded in the affirmative. During a tale, for example, if the book speaks aloud The dragon attacked the caravan with its fiery breath, Nell would likely ask What's a caravan? The primer would immediately open up a new discussion, often with a video or picture, that would talk about the word caravan, its definition, often its derivation, and maybe offer up some synonyms or alternatives. The primer responds to its user's needs - when the book falls into the hands of young Nell, an uneducated girl from the the slums, the book's programming immediately begins to assess the girl's intelligence and understanding of the world by asking questions, telling simple fairy tales, and frequently taking tangents in mid-discussion. Although it's mainly used as a plot device, the primer really stole the show for me as I pondered what it would take to create something like it in the real world. One of those futuristic devices that I so wish existed today is A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer - if you're not familiar with it, go grab a copy of Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age: A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, one of my favorites of his stories, and start reading.
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