We are the machines. Jun 10, 08

Really interesting article from the Atlantic — Is Google Making Us Stupid? The gist is that with such easy access to near-limitless amounts of information, we let machines supplant thinking and our attention span and memory retention suffers accordingly. I think the historical examples found at the end of the article are an interesting counterpoint to the premise — be wary of change because Bad Things will surely occur. However, in every example, the changes — paper, printing press, internet — brought much more positive change than negative. Perhaps we’re in the thick of a similar cycle — our brains just need to catch up with our ambition.