March 4, 2012
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My head in the clouds
I read an article recently in TIME magazine titled “Head in the Clouds”. It was a great article and pointed out how our memory is different than it used to be. Previously we needed to retain information and knowledge we read and heard, such as remembering or writing down an address from a phone book to a place we are visiting, or what various organs in our body did and how that serves us.
Everything is digital now. We live in a world of information that is free and readily available. I no longer need to look up an address, I can punch the address or even the business name into my phone or Garmin and it will guide me. I do not need to remember the rules of fractions when calculating sales prices, I can punch it in. If I can’t remember the name of a movie or actor, I can use IMDB from my phone app and look as if I knew it all along. I only need to remember and store how and where I found this information so I can go back to it.
This frees up a lot of memory for me. I do not have to memorize much or worry about on the spot regurgitation to look smart or educated. When I know information is free, accessible, and at my fingertips I do not need to make the conscious effort to store it. What this doesn’t help with is higher level thinking skills. It doesn’t help me to learn to be a critical thinker, or use my imagination, or learn how to solve complex problems. Though I have a world of information that nobody could ever have dreamed of 100 years ago at the tips of my fingers, I don’t believe I have exercised my brain enough to be as skilled a thinker as I could have.
I am always plugged in. I am a hippie in a sense, I love nature, green technology, peace, love and the “natural way” of doing things. But I am never far from my information. My Iphone, laptop, Garmin, Ipod (when I am hiking and do not want to risk my phone) and Kindle accompany me at all times. I even get more than a little irritated when I have my Kindle somewhere where I have to ask for the network key to connect to the internet. I mean, I don’t want to have to wait until I get home for my magazines to download.
What would I do if something happened, and there was no longer a grid to rely on? What if I had to go back to books with paper? How would I ever get around Denver? Am I capable of retaining information anymore, or has my brain gone soft? I see many people talking about going off the grid, but I think I am too old and my brain is spongy.
Google, don’t fail me now.
Comments (43)
I remember when school was only about memorizing and pushing that information back out. I think that some of that is still valuable even with current changes. It is good to have your brain pushed in as many different directions as possible.
I wonder what life would be like without my smartphone now. I use it like crazy.
@TheTheologiansCafe - I was great at that during school, too. Not so much now. Maybe you have gone soft with me.
@BoulderChristina - I lost half of my memory skills one year after graduate school. Now, I got nothing.
I don’t know what Garmin is. *covers face in shame*
But, yeah. I’m at the computer a lot. More than I should be. Still, I read actual books, and I try to learn and retain knowledge. So, I guess in that small way, the information superhighway hasn’t corrupted me…yet.
This is what gravitates me to you. I’m almost positive (by the evidence) that we are complete opposites, yet I am intriqued by how you think. That said, I do believe when all’s said and done we’d likely come up with similar solutions…….just in a different way.
Then again, I’m no neurosurgeon and my sponge for a brain is swimming…….
Listen up, sponge brain. j/k. There’s a one in eight chance that by 2020 the Earth will be affected by a crippling solar flare. This is from the journal ‘Space Weather’ — you can look it up. It might cause “disruption of the transportation, communication, banking and finance systems, and government services; the breakdown of the distribution of potable water owing to pump failure, and the loss of perishable foods and medications because of lack of refrigeration,” according to a National Resource Council report from 2008.
Bye bye, knowledge.
I still use that thing called a MAP that is printed on PAPER… I hate using anything electronic when I need to go somewhere. Just for giggles one day I decided to map quest a place I knew where to go and it sent me on weird way that added 20 minutes to my time. I still buy paper books. Kinda hard to read when the battery dies mid page. But I miss my phone when I can not get access to the internet or I can’t download via the Playstation Network. So I AM SO Screwed if the internet dies… Good thing I have my boxes of books and magazines…
@Unstoppable_Inner_Strength - Hang tight! Don’t let it happen to you!
See, I disagree. You’re worried about your brain going soft because you don’t memorize things any more, but you’re still using your brain; now you’re memorizing ways of finding and storing information instead of the information itself. Also, for me at least, technology has greatly increased my critical thinking skills. For instance, in school, I don’t have to worry about memorizing dates or names or formulae; I can focus on the underlying concepts, patterns, and trends, then go back and look up the details. Maybe the difference is just that I’m growing up with the technology.
@Kellsbella - Our spongy brains can swim in the pool together! Exact opposites, eh? I will have to spend some time this week reading your posts, I am intrigued!
@we_deny_everything - Thank you for adding to my heightened sense of paranoia, I will now have to start reading space journals, too! And, what’s a girl to do when she is already so spoiled? Maybe I will start with making notes to retain the vast amounts of knowledge I acquire.
Still, just for shits and giggles I did download a puzzle book onto my Kindle, maybe that will help me flex my brain again!
@Zoz36 - MAP… PAPER… what are these items you speak of?
I have never been able to read a map, and I have no sense of direction, so I hope if the Zombie apocalypse heads our way I can team up with someone like you!
@Doitean - And maybe you’re just more clever than me!
Both scenarios are very possible!
@BoulderChristina - It’s too bad we can’t just take a vacation from the interwebs. I am addicted. And so is everybody else. I used to know stuff, you know? But now — well, who knows.
I’ve always had a great memory; especially long term, however I have noticed lately that I can’t remember as good as I used to in particular when it comes to remembering useless facts like actors or movies.
@BoulderChristina - Bah, you don’t give yourself enough credit
@we_deny_everything - I am going to try to take a real “No web” (except for the Garmin) vacation in May. I will let you know if I survive. In case I don’t, I may email you my password and login so you can warn people of the real dangers of going offline!
We will see how well you know chess. I will submit my move this evening, sir.
@heckels - You’re young yet, the ooze may not have affected you yet! Hang on to your brains while you can, I have a feeling it will be a rare commodity in 20 years!
No you are not too old. Yes it would be more difficult than when you were younger, but that was a very long time ago. We talking before puberty here, so you know, don’t feel bad or anything.
I just hate seeing people limiting themselves like that.
Well, with a MAP printed on PAPER with a address, I CAN find you… Just as long as you have a shotgun and plenty of shotgun shells…Those zombies have NO chance… Yeah, let us know how that goes, not being able to access to the internet. Or disconecting from the addiction we call cyber space
Actually that’s why I try to minimize my usage of technology as much as possible. In fact, I don’t even have a GPS and I try to rely on my own sense of direction. Actually, I don’t have a kindle or any other type of ebook reader as I have a mountain of regular books in my home.
That being said, I need to brush up on my math skills more. That part is getting soft.
I have a friend, a sailor of his own boat, who is learning to navigate using a sextant. Seems most now use GPS (interesting, I couldn’t remember GPS for love nor money and had to look it up) so he thinks that when the communication network as we know it crashes he will be able to survive on his boat with his sextant.
I used to hate memorizing in school but I think that’s because I went to religious school and basically had to memorize things every day but now I actually appreciate it because it is so easy to memorize things and I still use those gifts but I fear the day is fast approaching when I lose that.
Funny you mentioned this. We are studying this topic in a Technology and Society course I’m taking this semester. If you are interested, check out the book “Is Google Making Us Dumb” by Nicholas Carr. Then if you want to get creeped out, read his book called “The Big Switch”. He goes into research that Google and others are doing on artificial intelligence. Some of these engineers flatly state that their goal is a direct interface between the brain and the the vast database of all knowledge that has been stored
Thing is we use gadgets to tell us how to do things, but our memory recognizes if what the gadget is telling us is right or wrong.
I am never far from technology either. My husband laughs because I have my computer, my tablet and my smartphone. I will be putting your question to the test starting tomorrow as I am starting school. We shall see how the ol’ sponge retains info. =))
I’m just walking the hall of Xanga, saw you and thought I would say good morning.
@vexations - Good morning, doll! Hope your weekend was terrific!
@TigersLovePepper - You’re going back?? I am thinking about that, too! You will have to tell me all about it. I may have to move to texting you because you and I are rarely on here at the same time.
@The44thHour - You are so right. I just read Quantum Storm’s post about the Little Engine that Could, and I am going to try to practice his techniques!
@ClashoftheTaiten - I have a library, myself. When I moved from the house into a condo, I only kept my bedroom and living room. I use the other bedroom for wall to wall books and a tiny desk and rocking chair. I was aware of space enough that I went through all of my years of magazines, pulled out my favorite articles and put them into scrapbooks sorted by year and magazine name. For example, I have 6 large scrapbooks of NewsWeeks with only my fav articles, but that is over 12 years!! I have trouble parting with my books and magazines and probably never will. I call it “off site storage”. Hehe
@vexations - Keep your friend close, because if the zombie apocalypse comes we will need his skills! I am working on things like baking bread and I am signed up for a wilderness survival camp this summer, which I am SUPER excited for. I have a good background for it, but I cannot wait to check it out!
@godfatherofgreenbay - I can still spit out so many prayers and verses that were beat into be by my grandma (OK, not literally beat into me, I wasn’t abused) but the funny thing is, I can still pull that information without effort and recite 1Chorinthians 4-8 or the Apostles Creed, but I can’t tell you what songs were popular at the time or even where my keys are right now.
@ThereWillBeDragons - If I am only interested enough to read one of those, which would you suggest? I have a rather short attention span.
@catstemplar2 - I may have to put that to the test sometime!
Didn’t you post about this yesterday? Only kidding. I think collectively our memories are doing just fine, it’s just how we utilize them that’s changed.
@Shadowrunner81 - Haha, I did post that yesterday! I didn’t even time stamp, so I am not confusing you! I think you can relate when I say ADD plays a big role in my memory, but I can definitely work on my retention!
Ah yes, living off the grid. May have to happen in the future. Prepare for the worst, but enjoy this stuff while you have it, is my philosophy.
@WaitingToShrug - Great philosophy!
@BoulderChristina - Is Google Making Us Dumb
@BoulderChristina - Snoopsmama and I have the same problem sometimes. She is out in Washington.
@BoulderChristina - Go for it. You are a smart cookie.
I’m over here visualizing ‘spongy’ brains and am not sure I like the sound of that. What in heavens name do you suppose they (CSI, Body of Proof, etc) would find when they saw the top of my head off? I’m rather afraid to even think about it.
I believe the brain continues to learn new things as you use the fandangled new technology that is meant to make life easier. For instance, I am seriously directionally challenged, but it only takes a couple times to use it before my brain programs in the directions and I can get where I’m going without it. I work with puzzles and online games (Angry Birds and Ants – LOL) to keep the cells working and it still amazes me, that if the office where I worked for 15 years calls and asks for help, I can still remember where the files are on my computer data base to help them locate what they need.
The mind is a terrible thing to waste.