Ruminations on our relationship with technology
What does it mean to say blockchains are trustless? The recent rise of cryptocurrency funds just might add to the fantasy of creating a new financial system based entirely on cryptocurrency. So, I thought it would be a good time to revisit some questions about the underlying technology that makes these so-called financial products possible: … Read more
Knowledge, communication, and technology in collectivist and individualist cultures Communicating tacit and explicit knowledge through technology Previously, I’ve written about the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge, as well as its application to information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as email or video calls. To briefly recap: Explicit knowledge refers to information that’s easy to … Read more
Why ask ethical questions about technology design? “Our conventional response to all media, namely that it is how they are used that counts, is the numb stance of the technological idiot.” – Marshall McLuhan (2003, p 31) Throughout his writings, Marshall McLuhan pointed out a cliché that we commonly hear about technology. Typically, it goes … Read more
How MS Word illustrates technology’s effect on writing Over the past few decades, Microsoft Word became one of the most prominent—if not the most prominent—word processors in the world. Recently, the BBC ran an insightful story about how this dominant word-processing software has affected the way we write. It’s a telling example of technology’s effect … Read more
VR schools: the future of education? If you’re a parent, teacher, or student, you may have noticed that the implementation of virtual reality (VR) in schools has gained ground lately. In fact, there are now VR schools in elementary education that are entirely online. For many people concerned about the future of education and literacy, … Read more
Is generative AI going through a hype cycle? Technological innovation often goes through what’s called a hype cycle. Represented graphically, there’s a peak of inflated expectations about some supposedly revolutionary technology, followed by a trough of disillusionment. Then, there’s a gradual slope of enlightenment, or understanding what the technology realistically can and can’t do. Finally, … Read more
Do online product reviews have a positivity problem? Summary: When reading product reviews online, we often see lots of extremely positive ratings—and just a few negative ones. What’s happening when there’s almost no nuance in how people rate things? Do these ratings have a positivity problem? When shopping online, we often read product reviews. After … Read more
Why do social media amplify outrage and division? One of the reasons I don’t sign up for most social networking sites is that they seem to bring out the worst in us. Nowadays, there’s never a shortage of angry outbursts on social media. In fact, Nature Human Behavior, a cognitive and behavioral science journal, recently … Read more
Are AI chatbots examples of general intelligence or cognitive automation? As artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT become famous, I can’t help but notice how a perpetual topic of debate about AI continues to reemerge. Are these chatbots examples of general intelligence or cognitive automation? To understand this debate, let’s briefly define what we mean … Read more