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.