I read a story recently about a man who went into a bus station in Athens, Georgia to buy a ticket to Greenville, South Carolina. As he paid for his ticket, the clerk said, "The bus is a bit behind schedule. Have a seat, and it will be along shortly." As the man sat down, he noticed one of those novelty machines that purports to tell you everything about yourself. He thought it might be interesting, so he pumped in a quarter. The machine whirred and buzzed a bit, and out came a slip of paper: "Your name is Bill Jones, you are 35 years old, you're from Athens, Georgia, and you are waiting for a bus to Greenville, South Carolina." "That's amazing," the man thought. "I wonder if it can do it again."

Another quarter went in. More buzzing and whirring. Another slip of paper: "Your name is Bill…