Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Smarter Than You Think -- Chapter 5

[Smarter Than You Think

In Chapter 5 “The Art of Finding” of Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson discusses the progressions that were made in how we find information. He begins with Phaedrus’ “PowerPoint” summary to Socrates and concludes with how we depend on Google as a tool for instant recall.

When highlighting the research of Betsy Sparrow, Thompson writes “For Sparrow, this suggests that her theory was right: When we’re surrounded by computer memory, we treat it the same way we treat other people. Google – or your smartphone – becomes like an insanely knowledgeable companion. You trust it enough to rely on as you would a spouse or nearby colleague” (128).

Based on the reading, what new or notable insight did you gain? What made that insight new or notable for you?

14 comments:

Jacqueline C said...

The thing that I thought was noticeable was that most people do rely on google search as reliable information rather than opening a boo.We dont realize how consumed we can become in technology.Reading teaches a lot and helps us expand our knowledge base.Technology will continue to evolve and people will continue following the trends instead of using traditional ways to look up informationb(read a book,research).

Unknown said...

I thought it was interesting how they pointed out that we need these sources of technology, yet we treat it like it is disposable. It is almost like we take it for granted because we know that anything we may need to know is at our fingertips and we just hope that it will always be there. It was an enlightening note because that is a light on technology that I haven't really looked into yet and saw how much we "need" it.

Unknown said...

This was definitely a very realistic point. I recently broke my phone and just got it replaced yesterday. In breaking my phone, I found myself both frustrated and relieved. I was frustrated at not having the convenience of a computer at my finger tips but I found myself working around it.

I also feel one of the reasons I was so at ease was because I knew the device was replaceable. Like the author says, we sometimes take these sorts of technological conveniences for granted.

Jade G said...

The thing that I found interesting as well was how much people really rely on Google or their smartphones for answers. In the world people may not realize how much they rely on technology instead of using their own natural resources. I know I am guilty of it as well as many youth. I hear all the time people saying "Google has all the answers" or "Let's check Google" or "Ask Siri". Technology is what runs our world and people may not realize how much they rely on it.

Candace P said...

One notable insight that I gained from Chapter 5 in Thompson's "Smarter Than You Think" is that search engines, such as Google, affects our creativity. Within this particular chapter, Thompson emphasizes Henri Poincare's description of how a breakthrough happens: long study and focus (132). However, those breakthrough and eureka moments can only occur if one has mental fuel, which can be obtained through moments of reflection rather than moments of Google-searching. Thompson further emphasizes this point by stating "You can't be googling the info; it's got to be inside you" (132).

Sandra N said...

Reading this chapter reinforced what We do treat google as a lifeline for almost everything. If we or people around us don't know an answer we turn to google. Sometimes we trust it more than friends and family. I've been seeing that about my friend and I, as well as other people our age. Technology is such a big part of our everyday lives. There have been many times where my phone stopped working or when my laptop broke down and I felt lost. After being used to have almost all knowledge at my fingertips, it's hard not being able to google everything or call a friend for information.

Anonymous said...

What I found most notable was how we as people (including myself) get bored with lectures but we find searching the internet for a topic more interesting (p.130). I found this more notable because I can relate to it. I always find myself googling something from my lecture Nursing courses and finding what I'm learning about online way more interesting than what I originally learned in class.

Jacquelene G said...

One thing I found to be notable in the reading was the fact that our dependency on the internet as well as technology was the very thing that Socrates warned against. He was afraid that when we started writing things down, we would no longer memorize them but just rely on the writings. While the internet and technology does allow us to do things a lot faster and have more time to focus on other things, I feel it also has dumbed as down a little. We are so reliant on technology that it has become a hard task to go without devices in our everyday lives. Personally, I found this to be true, I noticed over the years after the introduction of the use of graphing calculators in my classes, I lost some of the memory I had to do simple multiplication without the use of a calculator; this is a very sad reality but true; whereas in middle school these calculations would have been engraved in my head.

Jacquelene G.

Jenee B. said...

The idea of "transactive" memory was notable to me. It was notable because most people divide up memory tasks with people who are close to them and they don't even notice it. It also surprised me that in a way people develop their own systems for working together to piece information or memories back together.

Kiara Gay said...

The most notes or thing was actually the part about how we rely on Google as a resource because we really do. Instead of doing our homework, we Google the answers and never actually learn. When we need to know immediate information we Google the answer, which probably leads to forgetting the information quicker because we didn't have to go through alol of the effort to find the answer. I don't know whether to believe technology has done good for our society or made us more lazy and dependent.

Kayleigh E. said...

What I found interesting was on page 124 when it says "we store knowledge in the people around us..." I never realized how true this was before. I am definitely guilty of using technology, like Google, to remember things. I am also guilty of using people. My mom constantly tells me "remind me to ___." She and many others, like myself, don't rely on their own memory to remember something so they store it in someone else. The only fault in that though, is that we are humans and they person you tell to remember something can forget also. That is one advantage technology has over us. It will always remember.

Olivia Slater said...

I found the passage about how technology is necessary in modern life, yet we take it for granted, to be very interesting. I never realized how much my life is touched by technology. I treat it as though it is unimportant when in actuality I would not be able to maintain my lifestyle without modern technology.

C. S. said...

In regard to “transactive memory” I was astonished at how true the reality was. However, I don’t think the digital world saving our factual memories is bad. I think if we allow other devices to save impersonal information, it frees us from the burden of having to. It will allow us to experience personal relations, excel in the academic or work setting, and more.
Chante S

Kiana S said...

The most notable thing to me is the fact that we rely on Google and online resources. Previously I stated that I use online videos and tools regularly. I believe it is something that we take for granted sometimes. If I were stuck on something or couldn't think of a word, it wouldn't be long before I just looked it up online instead of taking the time to think about it. It is an extremely useful tool, but I think we should stop searching sometimes and take the time to actually think up what we are looking for if possible.