Total intelligence is increased when technological advancements are combined with the human brain. One person who evaluates these very advancements, and agrees with the above statement is Clive Thompson. In his article “Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better” he explains just how much technology in the world today has an impact on our brains. Clive Thompson’s article and his use of research reports are thought-provoking and effective.
Within his article, Thompson uses strong reasoning and logic, as well as good examples to support his argument. Thompson states “Which is smarter at chess-- humans or computer? Neither. It’s the two together, working side by side” (347). In this example, Thompson is explaining that when playing a game of chess, combining technology with the human mind is more beneficial in comparison to just computers or just humans. Thompson’s example is strong and effective because the study that he used in his article is reliable. He explained a study that was done to prove that it was more effective when combined, instead of assuming it was. It is also evident that even though Thompson did not provide statistics for the how much more effective it is to use both technology and human brains, it
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He explains “The one thing that both apocalyptics and utopians understand and agree upon is that every new technology pushes us toward new reforms of behavior while nudging us away from older, familiar ones” (349). In other words, Thompson is evaluating the ideas of certain groups that may not share a lot of ideas. In doing this, and showing what they agree on, help support his argument. His use of analyzing the ideas of groups of people helps elaborate on the effects of technology. Clive engages the reader to think for themselves on how technology impacts them, due to showing the ideas of apocalyptics and
In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” written by Nicholas Carr, it talked about how Google and other technologies are changing the way we think and process information. This article starts out by talking about an instance where a person was almost killed by an artificial brain (Carr 731). The author talks about how over the years he believes that someone is changing his brain and the way that he thinks. The author gives examples of this by telling how he used to be able to read a long passage and keep attention to it but now he can’t keep focus for more than a few sentences (Carr 731).
Carr is worried about technology and the effect that it has on the human brains. The essay provides a list of advances that show that change always brings this worry, but it does bring change. Carr does state that some of the changes are beneficial, but people should still worry about them. Nicholas Carr is right when he says that the internet is affecting us by making people’s attention spans shorter and is also affecting critical thinking skills.
Lately, research has shown that kids these days are not that intelligent as the use of technology increased. Their reading and math skills decreased and the amount of books they would read has also decreased as well. This has brought some worry to many adults that this upcoming generation will end up being the “dumbest.” However, there are multiple factors that can cause us to seem the “dumbest generation.” In Goldberg’s article, “If Technology Is Making Us Stupid, It’s Not Technology’s Fault,” he uses pathos and logos to prove that technology itself is not the reason why our level of intelligence is decreasing; instead, technology actually can prove to be making us smarter in different ways from the past.
The misuse of technology lead to a distinct society. As a result, the community became anti-social and judged Mr. Mead’s individualism and beliefs. Technology affected the people in the future so badly that they wouldn’t even go for a walk, they always drove. Furthermore, no one went outside at night.
Reading is harder, focusing is difficult, books are a thing of the past. In an intriguing article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” Nicolas Carr explains how the internet is affecting people’s cognitive ability to function. Since the creation of the internet, information has become more readily available, but at the cost of the human brains cognitive ability. Carr states that artificial technologies have an effect on the brains cognitive ability because its causing us to change our habits for the artificial technology. He writes about Friedrich Nietzsche a writer “[who’s] vision was failing, [who couldn’t keep] his eyes focused on a page [without it] becom[ing] exhausting and painful” (Carr 3).
In the present global world, we are living in the era of advanced technology like computes, smart phones, TV and so on; and I love that. As early day goes by technology is changed. Technology makes things happen so faster. In the article, “Meet your iBrain,” the authors Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan talk about the current explosion of digital technology and how is changing the way we lives, how we communicate, and it is also rapidly and profoundly altering our brains. “Our brain is evolving right now at a speed like never before” Gary and Gigi.
As a result people are allowing their brains to form another of thinking in a more broader way. People are applying their knowledge which they gathered from a variety of technological sources to convey a concept in their thinking
The article “Mind Over Mass Media”, written by Professor Steven Pinker, describes the impact of media on human lives and brains. Pinker illustrates the benefits people gain from using the worlds quickly increasing technology and media. Pinker suggests that today’s technology such as, PowerPoint, Google, and other forms of social media can actually enhance and bring more intelligence to the mind, instead of being detrimental. Critics believe that the many different forms of media can lower intelligence. However, Pinker declares that scientists are using all of this technology everyone else is using, and are still discovering new things.
He mostly relates his article to the game of chess and makes the point that no matter how good you are with your critical thinking once the internet is added into the “mix” the internet gives the players the upper hand because no one is able to think of as many possible moves as the internet. The internet will continue to shape our critical thinking as it brings more tools to our brains. While, I mostly agree with Thompson there are some valid points that Carr makes as well. I agree mostly with Thompson because he is saying the internet is shaping our critical thinking and we, as human, don’t realize how we are being affected.
He includes quotes from large, technology tycoons who believe that advancement in technology is beneficial because it is making information more accessible and more useful. Carr counters this claim by stating that with the large advancements that technology “Is doing the work of the mind” (324). While he addresses naysayers in his argument he does not completely dismiss their ideas, instead discussing them in a calm way that builds his credibility with the reader. Though Carr believes the most important thing that technology is doing is getting close to replacing human thinking, he discusses the ideas that people believe could be a positive. His rational discussion of the opposition makes him appear knowledgeable to the reader which further builds his argument.
In Clive Thompson’s essay, “Smarter Than You Think”, he argues that computers and search engines such as Google actually improve our memory and therefore our ability to analyze information. Thompson bases his theory on the concept of Transactive memory, a social system in which information is shared collectively in a group, with different people assigned key pieces of that information to remember. In Thompson’s opinion, the internet has become that “collective memory” for the people that use it, storing and dispensing knowledge and details more efficiently and accurately than any human could. Though he admits that when humans store information on a computer we’re less likely to personally recall it, he persists that historically human beings
actually affects our brains and the way we use them. Many people would argue that technology has more cons than pros, however it’s quite the opposite. We use technology in our everyday lives and it helps us to gain more knowledge than we’ve ever been able to before. The technology we have today is one of the greatest advantages we could have. Andrea Lunsford, who wrote “Our Semi-Literate Youth?
Technology and Its Control Over Society In many of his pieces, writings, and novels, Ray Bradbury reflects the immense reliance and close connection that humanity has with technology. He also depicts the dangerous effects that could come from having this relationship, such as a loss of independency and self-control over one’s mind and actions. If humanity were to continue to allow technology to have this disastrous power and control, society’s downfall is certain and destined to come.
Our brains are very malleable. Our use of technology is affecting the way we think on a daily basis. The internet is something anyone can access immediately anywhere in the world. This could possibly be reason for humans current dependence on the internet. Our thinking process is even getting affected.
Since the beginning of mankind, the human brain has proven to be the most complex and essential organ that we possess. Over decades, centuries, and millenniums; the biology of the human brain has changed and adapted in order to keep up with the ever improving and growing complexity of technology. Technology provides information at the ease and speed of a click and as a response we developed the need for the same speed of reaction and comprehension in our brains. Today, more than ever, we have a bigger need to achieve the highest efficiency in the shortest amount of time, to multi-task between activities and different technology, as well as a complete new means of communication that was unimaginable 100 years ago. Technology has affected biology immensely.