Rich's Wedding
In Berkeley right now, hanging out until Rich and Agata's wedding tomorrow evening. Unfortunately, I left my cell phone in Pittsburgh. I think that Andy Clark's thesis in Natural Born Cyborgs might be right, that people adapt to technology and turn them into extensions of themselves, is on the mark. His book definitely went off in lots of odd tangents, but the overall premise is quite an interesting one.
One serious problem with Clark's book, however, is that it doesn't go into enough depth on any single topic. What exactly are the mechanisms for extension? Why does the human brain do that? Is this something that other animals can do too (like those African Gray Parrots)? How does Clark's theory relate to McLuhan's theory of media as an extension of man? Or Cziksentmihalyi's theory on flow?
And, the most important question from my perspective, how do we build applications and tools that fit more naturally as extensions of the human mind?
Well, lots to ponder. But on the plus side, my lack of cell phone didn't prevent me from meeting up with my friends and getting some veggie sushi, something I have been sorely missing in Pittsburgh.
One serious problem with Clark's book, however, is that it doesn't go into enough depth on any single topic. What exactly are the mechanisms for extension? Why does the human brain do that? Is this something that other animals can do too (like those African Gray Parrots)? How does Clark's theory relate to McLuhan's theory of media as an extension of man? Or Cziksentmihalyi's theory on flow?
And, the most important question from my perspective, how do we build applications and tools that fit more naturally as extensions of the human mind?
Well, lots to ponder. But on the plus side, my lack of cell phone didn't prevent me from meeting up with my friends and getting some veggie sushi, something I have been sorely missing in Pittsburgh.
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