:12:00
Troop movements, Soviet
missile tests, weather patterns.
:12:03
It all flows into this room,
and then into the WOPR computer.
:12:07
- WOPR? What is that?
- War Operation Plan Response.
:12:10
This is Mr Richter.
:12:12
Paul, would you like to tell
these gentlemen about the WOPR?
:12:16
Well, the WOPR spends all its time
thinking about World War Ill.
:12:20
24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
it plays an endless series of war games
:12:28
using all available information
on the state of the world.
:12:31
The WOPR has already fought
World War Ill, as a game,
:12:35
time and time again.
:12:37
It estimates Soviet responses
to our responses
:12:40
to their responses, and so on.
:12:43
Estimates damage. Counts the dead.
:12:45
Then it looks for ways
to improve its score...
:12:48
The point is that the key decisions
:12:50
of every option have already
been made by the WOPR.
:12:53
So all this trillion-dollar hardware
is really at the mercy
:12:57
of those men with the little brass keys?
:13:00
That's exactly right. Whose only problem
is that they're human beings.
:13:03
But in 30 days we could put in electronic
relays. Get the men out of the loop.
:13:08
Gentlemen...
:13:11
I wouldn't trust this overgrown pile of
microchips further than I could throw it.
:13:15
I don't know if you wanna trust the safety
of our country to some... silicon diode...
:13:21
Nobody is talking about entrusting
the safety of the nation
:13:24
to a machine, for God's sake!
:13:26
We'll keep control,
but here at the top where it belongs.
:13:29
All right, gentlemen.
:13:31
I think I'm going to recommend
McKittrick's idea to the president.
:13:35
And I'll get back to you on this.
:13:39
You won't regret this.