Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

There has been some discussion that as technology advances, we--as individuals--are getting dumber. We don't memorize data because it lies at our fingertips at all times. We indulge mindlessly in reality television. We disconnect from one another as we develop online personas that more closely match what we wish upon our real selves.

I posit that although we may be undergoing changes--biologically, sociologically--as we delve deeper into the world of advanced technology, whether we grow emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually is still up to us. And in many ways, technology has aided us in that we have tools at our fingertips that we can use to learn, even if it is on the smallest scale, those things which we seek. I may not know your phone number by heart, but that doesn't mean that I have a void where that information would have been stored.

Often--since the internet is indeed at my fingertips--I search for answers to simple questions that pass through my mind throughout the day, and I've noticed that almost always, someone has already asked the question, and someone else has already provided an answer. We share our knowledge because we feel compelled to share, and we seek because we feel compelled to know.

As I learn to embrace change, and to flow with the electronic tide, I find that I discover in the e-world that which I had already found in myself (and thought myself alone or one of few in my discovery--but that is not the case). We are obviously connected, and we have found a way of expressing that to one another. Crude a start as it may be, here are some of the ways technology makes me smarter, better, and more in love with you:

Radiolab
Among the many podcasts that I listen to while working or otherwise living, Radiolab is one of my favorites. Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich regale me with artful and scientifically poignant discussions on the human condition.

The Moth
True stories told live without notes, available in podcast form. These stories are emotional, heartening, funny, frightening, sad, and beautiful. They make me feel less alone.

WIRED Magazine
I love to know what is happening now in technology, and what advances we're musing upon and reaching toward as the future becomes today.

TED Talks
Ideas worth spreading. I enjoy watching these conference-style talks on a great variety of subjects.

Audible
I read while doing other things; working, driving, exercising. Audible offers one audiobook per month for a subscription fee, and it is well worth it.

Stack Exchange
I have knowledge to share, and I have questions to ask. Stack Exchange is a group of Q&A websites on a huge variety of topics. You get credibility points and badges for participating, but even more exciting is how the structure of these sites lends to sheer erudite intelligence. Not to mention how quickly you can get detailed answers to specific questions.

There's so much information out there. Use it for good. And don't feel bad for not remembering my phone number.

Intelligence Weekly: Technology For Liberty

Tonight I read this article on Huffington Post. Apparently Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officials in San Fran got a hot tip that a protest was set to occur, and they decided to cut cellular communications in order to prevent people from coordinating a potentially dangerous gathering.

Lately there has been a great deal of discussion on the subject of technology being used to promote liberty, in light of the Arab Spring. Check out this article on the impact and relevance of social media during the uprisings.

After reading the HuffPo article about BART, I browsed some of the comments to see how others felt about the situation. As one can expect when reading any comments related to a politically charged situation, the reactions were very polarized. I did hit a link from one of the indignant reactors that took me to the source of my inspiration for this post: a YouTube video of Naomi Wolf speaking to an audience about her book, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot. I highly encourage you to follow the link and watch the video. Over 1 million people have seen it--a testament to technology for the preservation and promotion of liberty--and I feel it's such important subject matter for anyone who cares about the fundamental liberty that we stand to lose.

Tech of the Future: Bedchambers

Where once I could sleep on any surface and in any position--not to mention in any circumstance and for nearly any length of time--as I creep  toward the end of my youth, I have lost that precious gift. Now I must perform very specific and timely bedtime rituals  in order to get my winks (which better be 8-10 hours worth or else), including but not limited to brushing and flossing, reading something, allowing at least 30 minutes of quiet time in bed, assuming a time tested side or back position, switching between those at least 4 times, sticking the landing, praying toward mecca, kissing a quartz crystal, striking animal bones together, etc. And if I try to sleep anywhere but in my own bed upon my 3-inch memory-foam pad, forget it. It's like The Princess and the Pea up in here.

In the future, I propose we have bedchambers--not the whole bedroom, per se, but an actual chamber--where we can completely customize our environment to suit individual needs. In discussing this idea with co-workers and friends, I was offered some ideas which I will now share along with my own:

• Houses come equipped with them. They're as common an appliance as a refrigerator.
• Soundproof to the outside world, but can wake you in an emergency or for an otherwise specified reason.
• Wake you peacefully, in contrast to most (heinous) modern alarm clocks.
• Custom lighting, sounds, temperatures, and smells permeate your sleeping environment according to your pre-programmed desires.
• A plasma mattress or some kind of air cushion force cradles you perfectly.
• Sensors adapt the environment to keep you cool/warm.
• Can easily accommodate 2 (or more) people for sleeping and/or horizontal dancing.
• Your settings travel with you to foreign bedchambers. There's an app for that!