Our bodies may be modern, but our BRAINS are still prehistoric–at least according to one researcher, who says that our minds, bodies, businesses, governments, and social institutions are no longer capable of coping with the rapid rate of change in technology.
William Davidow, formerly head of the microprocessor division at Intel, says we must first recognize the problem and then resolve to take measures to mitigate its effects–above all by strictly limiting our dependence on virtual reality in all its forms.
Research shows that our brains have become addicted to the blandishments of multimedia devices–smart-phones are merely the leading refinement at the moment. This phenomenon first became obvious in people’s obsessive checking and re-checking of their e-mail. Today it has expanded into new realms, such as social media. The internet image of reality dominates our minds, and as a result, we are having trouble seeing what’s in front of our noses.
The recent meltdown in the world’s financial system (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show) is one example. Financial crises have been coming in cycles for centuries, but the latest one was aided and accelerated by instant communications, virtual reality technology, and fast-trading algorithms that made a mockery of governments’ pose of being in charge of things. It is quite clear that nobody understands many of the financial instruments that rule today’s economy.
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