The Dutch professor Polak has suggested that an increasing number of higher order specific human thinking functions such as memory, supervision, guidance, schooling, &c. will soon be eliminated and replaced by machines. This sounds alarming, but it should be viewed against the general background of the relationship between man and electronics. The entire structure of the working community in general, and on board ship in particular, is already and will be further influenced and changed by the ever increasing introduction of electronics in general and remote control and automation in whatever form in particular.