How to & Information.

This Week - How to Fold a T-shirt.




Sometimes I do wonder about the state of our intelligence as a collective, not the Oddballs, but the human race. At times I can’t help wonder if we are not a lot smarter than previous generation, not because of any higher intelligence as such but because of the constant stream of information we are exposed to. To gain knowledge in today’s society is so much easier than it was only 10 years ago. Now with a few presses on the keyboard and a few clicks with the mouse and the world is one big oyster of endless information for you to devour.

Perhaps I should rephrase my original statement because it is not intelligence, but rather information we are supercharged with. I think of my great grandfather who not only taught himself to read and write, but also taught himself English. His struggle for information must have been greater than mine yet I in no way think that my intelligence is greater than his was.

At the same time I am fairly certain he never knew how to fold a t-shirt in 5 seconds, or what a wet willy entails or what the ingredients of a New York Egg Cream are. Now I can’t help wonder what will that information do for us? Is this the dawn of a new type of human civilization with another approach to information? Or is it just my own curiosity that drives me into finding these things out? Perhaps those of us that use the easy access to information are few and far between.

I don’t know, but I do know that the definitions of intelligence and information are redefining. Can information continue to be a source of power when the access to it is so simple? Will this threaten or strengthen our society?