Звездный десант

           Butthesuitsareconsiderablystrongerthanagorilla.IfanM.I.inasuitswappedhugswithagorilla,thegorillawouldbedead,crushed;theM.I.andthesuitwouldn’tbemussed.

           The"muscles,"thepseudo-musculature,getallthepublicitybutit’sthecontrolofallthatpowerwhichmeritsit.Therealgeniusinthedesignisthatyoudon’thavetocontrolthesuit;youjustwearit,likeyourclothes,likeskin.Anysortofshipyouhavetolearntopilot;ittakesalongtime,anewfullsetofreflexes,adifferentandartificialwayofthinking.Evenridingabicycledemandsanacquiredskill,verydifferentfromwalking,whereasaspaceshipoh,brother!Iwon’tlivethatlong.Spaceshipsareforacrobatswhoarealsomathematicians.

           Butasuityoujustwear.

           Twothousandpoundsofit,maybe,infullkit—yettheveryfirsttimeyouarefittedintooneyoucanimmediatelywalk,run,jump,liedown,pickupaneggwithoutbreakingit(thattakesatrifleofpractice,butanythingimproveswithpractice),danceajig(ifyoucandanceajig,thatis,withoutasuit)—andjumprightoverthehousenextdoorandcomedowntoafeatherlanding.

           Thesecretliesinnegativefeedbackandamplification.

           Don’taskmetosketchthecircuitryofasuit;Ican’t.ButIunderstandthatsomeverygoodconcertviolinistscan’tbuildaviolin,either.Icandofieldmaintenanceandfieldrepairsandcheckoffthethreehundredandforty-sevenitemsfrom"cold"toreadytowear,andthat’salladumbM.I.isexpectedtodo.