[The Sleepy Crow]

27/12/24

Tools, Technologies, and us

I've been thinking about how we — as humans — use tools. It's become so natural to us that we don't even notice how many tools and technologies we use on a daily basis. There are the obvious ones like our phones or kitchen appliances, but also things like reading and writing. You likely don't think of written language as a technology, but it is (IYI it has been invented only four times in the history of humanity). As it is not something we were naturally 'built' to use, we all needed to be taught, but once we learn, it becomes so easy you don't even think about it. When you pick up a pencil, you don't need to think about what your body is doing. You don't think about moving your hands and fingers to move the pencil, just about the pencil itself. You are able to integrate it into your body map. It's amazing how plastic the brain is, how it can adapt to almost anything. I've heard of people who've had half of their brain removed as a baby and lived completely normal lives. The fact that our brains can change — even as adults — means that we can always be improving. Contrary to the popular saying, you can teach an old dog new tricks.