We all joke about the desire to make a computer program which allows you to push a button, and have it [write your research paper, discover a new drug to cure cancer, wash our car, give you a dollar, etc..]. But what is it that they can do for us. Anyone who has tried to do anything beyond email, word processing, browsing the web, etc. can attest to the cost of equipment as their computational needs increase. Why should we invest this money? Couldnt we accomplish all of our needs using Microsoft Excel on a $1000 pc?

most people just want a big red button. Or perhaps a big green button instead.