Ruminations on our relationship with technology
To understand how technologies affect our minds and lives, we may ask: How do technologies shape the way we think? That is, what types of tools, machines, or media work best for what kinds of thinking? Cognitive science, which makes up part of the Educational Topics on this site, can help shed light on this question.
In brief, cognitive science studies how our minds process information—for example, how we think, feel, and make decisions. Closely related to is the field of artificial intelligence (AI), which studies how machines can (or can’t) do the same. To explore ideas from these topics, select any of the articles below.
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
Multitasking skills? There was a job interview I had in the not-too-distant past when the hiring manager asked me a peculiar question: “So, how are your multitasking skills?” Now, as a former student who minored in cognitive science, and as someone who dabbles in mindfulness meditation, I felt tempted to go into a spiel about … Read more
Online outrage on social media “Geez, I was only on Facebook for three minutes, and in that time I lost eight friends!” So said a buddy of mine as we were catching up over beers. Unsurprisingly, his remarks took place during an election season. As usual, he (and many others) saw no shortage of outrage … Read more
Cellphones and distracted driving When I was in grad school studying technical communication and cognitive science, a pressing question bothered me. It dealt with a problem that affected many of my peers, particularly those of us who drove. Why does using a cellphone in the car distract from driving? What is distracted driving? It’s a … Read more