Humans are often distinguished from other animals by their ability, even need, to see patterns in everyday life. As we enter a new millennium, all aspects of society seem to want to take stock of what has happened in the past and what is likely to happen in the future.The computer industry is no different from others. Advances in Computers has been published continuously since 1960 and this year's volume is the fiftieth technical volume in the series (two index volumes were published as volumes 50 and 51). Since it is the fortieth year of publication, we decided to look back on the changes that have occurred since Volume 1 of Advances in computers appeared in 1960.We looked at the six chapters of that initial volume and decided that an appropriate anniversary volume for this series would be a collection of papers on the same topics that appeared in 1960. What has happened to those technologies? Are we making the progress we thought we would or are events moving more slowly? - Business computing - Numerical weather prediction - Spoken language - Language understanding - Microprocessor design - Computer games

This book serves to deepen the theoretical understanding of mesoscale dynamics and makes its basic concepts clear, reflecting new research results. It emphasizes important theories that have not been given enough attention in recent years, such as generalized potential temperature and the moist potential vorticity theory of non-uniform saturated moist atmospheres. By integrating theory with practice, the book also introduces the forecast method of rainstorms and other disastrous weathers using dynamic factors. This book can be used as a point of reference for operational forecasters, researchers and graduate and undergraduate students whose research interests are atmospheric sciences, and ocean and water sciences. It will also be of interest to scholars who study geological disasters, such as multiphase flow, mountains, debris flows and landslides, as well as geological seismologists.