Today smart phones are fashion icons. It is regarded as a height of accomplishment for citizens of information society. Living without broadband access is unthinkable. Any time and any where is the mantra of information-citizens. Few questions arisen in my mind. Whether I use electronic gadgets to enhance my cognitive ability (like use of knife) or to overcome my inability (use of crutches)? Are we smarter than our ancestors? A person who adapts to the environment and at the same time achieves his or her goal is termed as smart. In today’s environment, accessing electronic gadgets is associated with smartness. Adaptation is otherwise called as learning.
We spend much time on how to display information in mobile phones, tablets, computer screens and TV. We seldom think about "Why we have to display the content." This post deals the evolution and need to display information.
Learning and artifacts
Any living being (bacteria to human beings) adapt to environment. It means environment is observed, changes in stimuli are noted and responses modified to suit environment. Put is simple way “living beings learn.” What is learned by yester generation living beings are passed to future generation is passed down. It may be in the form genetic mutation or in bevavioural change. Present day bacteria are resistant to anti-biotic medicines due to mutations (for more information google “drug resistant Tuberculosis”). Wild grasses due to genetic mutations become rice, wheat and so on. Long long ago few wolves started interacting with human beings. The relationship was beneficial to both of them. Slowly aggressiveness of wolves mellowed, and gave birth to new species called “Dogs.” In the stated case change in behaviour has resulted in change in anatomy. Adaptation to environment makes changes in brain connections in other cases. Reorientation in neuron changes makes marked changes in behaviour. Storage of information in brain is not inherently permanent. Unless efforts are taken information stored in brain becomes unrecoverable. Our ancestors somehow learned to store the information in external objects. This is blessing as well as curse for us.
The biggest difference between humans and other living beings is that they are able to create objects. The entire human history can be divided into four categories based on amount of storage of information on external objects: tribal society, agrarian society, industrial society and information society.
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| Figure 1. (Left) Tribal society (right) Ploughing - root for agrarian society |
The information they used may be types of animals and plants they can consume, probable places where they can get them, list of dangerous places and dangerous animals. They moved in small groups and searched for food. The younger ones learned information through hands on experience. Routes were stored in their muscle (without paying attention we reach our home from school or office; this is because our body is trained) as well as in brain. This obviated the need for storage of information. Tribes created artifacts that gave a shelter from fear. For example a sharp stone that helped to kill an attacking tiger. This objects outlived his lifetime (in those days lifespan of a human was just 30 years). It helped his descendants to overcome fear and the objects were venerated to a level of guardian or god. As they made more external objects they slowly shaped the minds of descendants.
Agrarian society
Slowly our ancestors learned the art of domesticating animals and agriculture. Post harvest, grains were required to be stored and preserved as long as possible. They have to learn the art of granary making, preservation technology and tool making. One person cannot learn all required skills in life time. So specialist like smiths, masons were created.
Agriculture required participation of relatively large number of people. Society was formed and to maintain the order in society and to safeguard from enemies kings were created. Forts were formed and administrative machinery (govt. officials, soldiers) lived there. Laws were codified. Kings waged wars, plundered other countries and expanded their territories. Large armies were stationed in faraway places from capital city. Country was divided into provinces and they were ruled by governors. To maintain large army and to cater lavish life of royals, commoners were taxed. Reliable communication between king and his administrative machinery was carried out by exchange of letters. The tax collection details were also written down. This created a new profession called scribes (present day equivalent of Information Technology professional). Use of Papyrus (writing medium) was expanded and aristocrats started storing information in Papyrus. Literature that was still now in oral tradition was transferred to Papyrus. Ability to read and write became the key to understand the huge piles of scrolls. Meaning of learning changed from acquiring skills to acquiring the ability to read and write.
In agrarian society most of the people lived in villages. They too learned through experience or oral traditions i.e. story narrations, information was etched in their brains. But counter parts of living in cities or forts had to live in a man made but comfortable zone. Villagers got vegetables from their own fields or through barter deals, but city dwellers got from market place by paying money. Upward mobility in urban society was connected with ability to learn (read and write).
Agrarian society provided lot of time to think (i.e. worry) and folk-lore, literature blossomed. It is also mandated indoctrination of youngsters to fit into the prevailing society. Fear of Gods and fear of kings made youngsters to fall in line. People become less alert. They had long hours of sleep and better nutrition availability. So they traded their freedom for physical comforts. State religions were introduced. King gave protection to religion and religious heads extended support to kings. This was a win-win situation for them.
Huge pile of law books, religious texts, tax details, literature and pool of literates were created. The prohibitive cost writing technology kept commoners at a bay. Reading was an aristocratic activity. Agrarian social system was complex and fragile and ability to read was a necessity to understand the system. Aristocrats and priest faced the problem abundant availability of documents, sifting documents for information.
In 16th century, Protestant Christian Gutenberg introduced printing press into Europe to make owning a Bible a reality for common man. Three reasons kept the commoner from owning Bible. As Bible is sacred, Catholic clergy felt commoners may misinterpret the Biblical saying. Second cost of Bible was high and acquiring is out of question for commoners. Before printing press, scribes have to write the entire book. Third there were no public schools to teach learning and writing.
Printing press enabled to create lot of books and in turn universities. Printing press published secular text like Greek and Roman literature. This created a Renaissance period. Separation of state and religion emphasized and secular countries were born. All these things created a large pool of literates. Concept of individual freedom was freely discussed.
In the next post industrial society and information society will be discussed. If possible it will answer to the question “Whether we are smarter than our ancestors?”
