The tools we use change the way our brains work
Mediocre computing is computing that aims for parity with mediocre human performance in a realish domains where notions of excellence are ill-posed.
Excellent computing is computing that aims to surpass the best-performing humans in stylized, closed-world domains where notions of excellence are well-posed.
Venkatesh Rao • The Dawn of Mediocre Computing - by Venkatesh Rao The Dawn of Mediocre Computing
In a 2004 study, Angelo Maravita and Atsushi Iriki discovered that when monkeys and humans consistently use a tool to extend their reach, such as using a rake to reach an object, certain neural networks in the brain change their “map” of the body to include the new tool. This fascinating finding reinforces the idea that external tools can and
... See moreTiago Forte • Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
Spacial Computing
I think that there are many possible paths that technology can take. And the underlying power of it has nothing to do with the computers or the chips or the lenses. The underlying power of this is the fact that the human brain and body are inherently spacial, right?
We are spacial organisms. And so whatever positive outcomes or
... See moreEvery new tool shapes the way we think, as well as what we think about.
Clive Thompson • Smarter Than You Think
In the European Union, iPhone and iPad users can now use apps that bypass the App Store. Unfortunately, the options are limited and require a third-party app store, which seems to miss the point. In building these systems mandated by EU regulations, Apple has used its work on macOS as the foundation. Non-App Store apps come from recognized... See more
In the parable of the blind men and the elephant, each paid attention to a different aspect of the creature. The brain may do something similar by mapping out the qualities of perceptions, experiences and abstract concepts along various dimensions, with the help of the same system that it uses to map out physical spaces.
Jordana Cepelewicz • The Brain Maps Out Ideas and Memories Like Spaces | Quanta Magazine
worth noting that it is possible to navigate without using landmarks. Many navigation episodes start from a familiar “home” or “base”. In such cases, self-motion cues (e.g., vestibular and proprioceptive signals, motor efference copies, optic flow) can be used to keep track of displacement from the starting point. This strategy, known as path... See more
The cognitive map in humans: Spatial navigation and beyond
This is the same method implemented in some newer more friction-less UI designs.
“ Stories are actually a form of technology. They are tools that were designed by our ancestors to alleviate depression, reduce anxiety, kindle creativity, spark courage and meet a variety of other psychological challenges of being human. ”― Angus Fletcher, Wonderworks
Sally Mallam • The Science of Storytelling
[Patricia Greenfield] concluded that “every medium develops some cognitive skills at the expense of others.” Our growing use of the Net and other screen-based technologies has led to the “widespread and sophisticated development of visual-spatial skills.” We can, for example, rotate objects in our minds better than we used to be able to. But our... See more