31 : 5/ Electronic Computers 585 



Digital computers have made it possible to undertake statistical studies 

 of a greater magnitude than formerly possible, at the same time relieving 

 the investigators of tedious, time-consuming detailed calculations. 

 Similarly, the discovery of the shape of the myoglobin molecule was 

 possible only through the use of high-speed digital computers. The 

 problem involved such lengthy numerical calculations that it was not 

 feasible to do it by any other method. 



Throughout the areas of biology which can be investigated by physical 

 techniques and reasoning, new problems are continually appearing for 

 which theories cannot be fully developed without resort to numerical 

 techniques. The high-speed, electronic, digital computers are special- 

 ized physical instruments which make these investigations possible. The 

 digital computers are large, expensive to operate, and very slow as 

 compared to an analog computer. Accordingly, both types of electronic 

 computers have an important role to' play in the technology of bio- 

 physics. 



REFERENCES 



1. Barkeley, E. C, and L. Wainwright, Computers, Their Operation and Applica- 

 tions (New York: Reinhold Publishing Corporation, 1956). 



2. Johnson, C. L., Analog Computer Techniques (New York: McGraw-Hill Book 

 Company, Inc., 1956). 



3. Pepinsky, R., Computing Methods and the Phase Problem in X-ray Crystal 

 Analysis (Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University 

 Park, Pennsylvania, 1952). 



4. Chance, Britton, D. S. Greenstein, Joseph Higgins, and C. C. Yang, 

 "The Mechanism of Catalase Action. II. Electric Analog Computer 



Studies," Arch. Biochem. 37: 322-339 (June 1952). 



5. Brown, W. N., Jr., and W. B. Birtley, "A Densitometer Which Records 

 Directly in Units of Emulsion Exposure," Rev. Scientific Instr. 22: 67-72 

 (Feb. 1951). 



6. Mackay, R. S., "X-ray Visualization and Analysis of Multicomponent 

 Subjects" (Abstr.), Science 128: 1622-1623 (Dec. 26, 1958). 



7. Jacobson, Bertil, " Dichromography — A Method for In Vivo Quantitative 

 Analysis of Certain Elements" (Abstr.), Science 128: 1346 (Nov. 28, 1958). 



