Ruminations on our relationship with technology
Christopher Cocchiarella Do hands-free devices make roads any safer? Recently, MinnPost (a Minnesota newspaper) published an opt-ed I wrote (“Hands-free cellphone bill won’t stop distracted driving”). In it, I criticized a hands-free law passed in Minnesota, which bans the use of hand-held phones while driving. Evidently, proponents of this law assume that using hands-free devices in the … Read more
How laptops affect learning—and why the medium is the message! Years have passed since media guru Marshall McLuhan declared “the medium is the message.” Nonetheless, his insights about technology remain relevant to this day. In particular, his ideas about media can shed light on an ongoing debate in education. Does using laptops and computers in … Read more
Media ecology, and the rise of celebrity politics Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election was a shock to many—myself included. Afterward, however, I couldn’t help but notice this electoral upset fit an emerging pattern I’ve seen most of my life. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up in the Reagan … Read more
Ten Great Science Fiction Films (concluded) Concluding the list of ten great science fiction films. (See Parts I, II, & III of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t previously.) #8) Gattaca “There’s no gene for fate.” Genetic Discrimination The human genome is a mystery scientists are unraveling … and manipulating. Of course, … Read more
Ten Great Science Fiction Films (continued) Continuing the list of ten great science fiction films. (See Parts I & II of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t yet.) #5) Interstellar Love is the one thing that we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space. Maybe we should trust that, … Read more
Ten Great Science Fiction Films (continued) Continuing the list of ten great science fiction films. (Check out Part I of this series on mythology in media if you haven’t already.) #2) Solaris (1972) We don’t want to conquer space at all. We want to expand Earth endlessly. We don’t want other worlds; we want a … Read more
Modern Myths, Mechanical Monsters In ancient and medieval times, mythological monsters were typically beasts, such as giants or dragons. In today’s mythical stories, most notably in science fiction films, monsters are commonly machines. Really, the Frankenstein monster was the first of these mythic, machine-like creatures, though a long line of mechanical monsters—from cyborgs to Artificial … Read more
Defining technology, according to Heidegger ‘Technology’ is one of those words that’s so commonplace, yet it’s hard to define. Computers and smart devices are technologies, but so are books and notepads. Indeed, the definition of technology may span from simple tools and utensils (hammers and spoons) to powerful machines and media (car factories and artificial … Read more
When innovation goes wrong Technological innovation is the lifeblood of our society, but at what point does it go wrong? According to Mary Shelley’s mythic story, Frankenstein, it’s when we’re no longer able to control our inventions. In Shelley’s myth, Victor Frankenstein learns this lesson after the machine-like creature he recklessly invents spins out of control … Read more