> 99. In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust: The machines can't.
It seems worth noting here that the English verb "to adjust" is ambitransitive.
> 99. In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust: The machines can't.
It seems worth noting here that the English verb "to adjust" is ambitransitive.
Why?
It either means man must adjust (themselves), or must adjust (the machine).
So it's a somewhat arch joke than may not be apparent due to shifts in language usage. (Also, "man" in this context was short for "human" without regard to sex (which we now call gender)).
The parent alludes to the fact that the sentence could conceivably be read as "In man-machine symbiosis, it is man who must adjust [the machine]", i.e. reading "adjust" as transitive rather than as intransitive.
However, I think it's clear that the intended meaning is intransitive.