Our Brains and Technology

I have been reading several articles on the interaction between humans and technology and how they affect and drive each other. Super interesting stuff! One article uses the term technostress which encompasses everything from technophobia to technoaddiction and everything in between. I even delved into a research paper on robotic systems in which a robot arm was connected to a pc and webcam (very simplified version). Robotic systems with sensory and motor skills are being currently being developed. They are capable of “learning” how to interact from observation during very basic experiments in order to help or cooperate with human partners. While research is still in the embryonic stages, those sci-fi movies with house robots and C3P’s might not be that far off. Already computers have removed much of the burden of performing everyday calculations and other mundane tasks. Information is much more readily available (I love when I pose a question in Google and it supplies how many seconds it took to answer me, as though it’s having a race against itself). I also read an interesting article by Matt Ritchel who covers Technology and Telecommunications for the New York Times and who was awarded the Pulitzer prize in 2010 for a series he wrote on driving and multi-tasking. Somehow he inveigled 5 neuroscientists into agreeing to accompany him for several days on a wilderness experience in Utah, disconnected from all technology. Their reactions were interesting even for the skeptics. I can’t wait for the day when my personal robot, does all the cleaning and cooking and homework for me! How about you?