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 |
