I do not have a specific part of the book that will stick with me, but instead an overall understanding of what the book conveys to me. It opened my eyes to understand how reliant and idle the human mind is becoming. We do not spend enough time truly observing the world around us. Most of us much rather take life the easy way that computers are giving us, yet I now have the want to not become one of those people. I want to expand my knowledge based on the world around me and those I come into contact with. I do not want to leave college and go into my career almost completely dependent on computer technology. I see the potential in it's qualities and I know that it will not be avoidable, yet I do not want to become so deeply rooted to technology that I don't develop my sense of worldliness and communication skills. I want to have knowledge deeper than the knowledge I can get with the swipe, touch, and click of my finger.
After reading the novel The Glass Cage by Nickolas Carr I believe Chapter 8: Your Inner Drone, (Pg. 192), will stick with me the longest. This passage discusses the possibility of swapping out human soldiers for automated ones in war. This exchange makes sense when considering how automated soldiers save thousands of human lives, do not need to be fed or provided with welfare, and the lack moral qualities of humans. These factors gain the popular opinion of the public due to the fact that these soldiers save resources and make loss in war more bearable. However, this is not the part that stuck in my head. My mind clung to the idea that automated soldiers would be better in war because, even though they lack a moral compass, they may contain more human qualities than humans themselves. Automated soldiers are not capable of rape, torture, revenge, prejudice, or deceit. Automated soldiers follow orders because they are not swayed by feelings of compassion, sympathy, love, or regret. It made me wonder if maybe automated soldiers are better than human soldiers, and if robots could make better people than people themselves.
There are many parts of this novel that will affect my daily life. Computers and automation are helping bring humans closer to our highest potential, but we need to use it wisely. As shown to me in The Interlude, we should get to know people who we want a relationship with personally, not through a screen. Likewise, we should not repeatedly focus on our GPS system to get us where we want to go, we need to instead memorize how to get there. We need to start paying attention to the world around us. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said; “There is nothing worth more than this day.”
There are many things to take away from The Glass Cage by Nicholas Carr and many thoughts and ideas that will affect life for many people, me included. The chapter that had the most impact on me was the first one, Passengers. Technology is an amazing thing and it brings about many benefits but we are also beginning to lose “the sense of control and involvement”. Things are done automatically and we are not given the satisfaction of manually being involved in and completing the process. We are becoming separated from the workings of life.
To me, this book had an overall dark tone. I will probably have what Carr said about plane crashes and misdiagnoses in the back of my mine while on planes and in hospitals. However, I thought the best section was chapter seven. In this chapter, Carr discussed some of the ways we could effectively use technology. Carr doesn’t seem optimistic that this will happen. It’s hard to image a world that is less dependent on technology, but I believe it’s a possibility. For now, we have the obligation to do what we can to not rely on technology.
The part of the book that will stick with me is Chapter 4, The Degeneration Effect. It'll stick with me because I'm definitely guilty of automation complacency and bias. People are becoming too dependent on machines and software and it's scary. Not only is software influencing job decisions, it's even replacing jobs. Machines will continue to take more jobs. If we continue to be more and more biased to machines, our future is doomed. This chapter will stick with me because it points out the problems with the machines and shows what can happen if the problem continues.
There are many things that I will take away from The Glass Cage. Nicholas Carr made me reevaluate many aspects of society that I never would have cared to look into. He made me realize how much society has come to rely on technology. The part of the book that will stay with me the longest has to be Chapter 4. While I knew that computers played a large role in the business world, it was not until reading "The Degeneration Effect", that I realized how large that roll really was. This chapter made me realize that Society's bias and complacency towards technology, is a dangerous game to play.
I can’t choose just one part of this book that stuck out to me. Reading about tragic plane accidents, mechanical doctors, and automated soldiers has changed my outlook on life. Now when I look at machines I see helpful technology that is also dangerous. I will now avoid GPS to keep my hippocampus healthy and pay more attention to news about self-driving cars because I now better understand the debates behind these machines. I will not be surprised if I go back to reread parts of this book or use it as a reference. It was an incredibly eye-opening read.
I found the impact of computers on the medical field interesting because they are changing the dynamic of the job. I enjoyed the bit about how we lose our skills when we hand jobs to the computers. The big example in the book was autopilot, but an example in my life is the spellchecker. Without this technology, I would be a better speller. My final note is on flow. I found it so interesting that we hate going to work, but it is where we are the happiest. I can definitely relate to this phenomenon.
One chapter that stuck out with me the most was the fourth chapter. I find it interesting to read about how people trusted technology too much, and it went wrong. It really made me stop and consider how much I trust technology. It really opened my eyes to how I mindless do something on the computer, or search something and assume it is right. This chapter will stick with me, as I continue onto my college career to remind me that not everything you find online can automatically be assumed was the correct information.
I feel that I will take away a new understanding of the good and bad of technology. This book made me realize that I have become too dependent on some technology. In some ways, I have let myself become mentally lazy. I plan to reduce my use of technology when and where I am able to. I also plan to make better use of the technology I am given. I will use technology to sharpen my mind instead of using it to avoid doing mental work. This was an excellent book for me to read before starting college.
The part about this book that will stick with me the most is when Carr says, “we’re inclined to desire things we don’t like and to like things we don’t desire” (15). This really stood out to me because I have never thought about work as being something that I desire. It really gives me a bigger appreciation for having “flow” and doing things without the help of machinery
I really related with chapter 7, machines are better than us at many things. Technology can greatly help a job market, or it can hinder it. This is a game of Darwanism that we don't have to play if we don't want. We have the human element of mindfulness. At the end of the day we as a society can choose our destiny. Machines may make more money, and that's a dangerous predicament. We can set the focus on people if we get away from the dollar.
I think I’ll find it the most difficult to forget reading Carr’s descriptions of horrific plane crashes due to pilot and auto-pilot error while waiting to board one myself in Oklahoma City. I was certainly ‘mindful’ of every bump on that flight after that chapter, not to mention the rough takeoff and landing. It echoed Carr’s central warning against detaching ourselves from our situation or from our actions. He made it impossible to forget that these aren’t simply an author’s faraway, vaguely technophobic concerns I’m reading about. These are real issues with real consequences, and they’re mine as well.
A specific topic in chapter two – The Robot at The Gate, struck out to me. The first paragraph speaks about a sketch by a political cartoonist Leslie Illingworth. I feel like the sketch as described in the book screams out a very important message that Automation is taking over jobs. As we discuss and focus more on higher level issues such as automation bias and automation complacency, somewhere we forget the very basic problem– Automation is snatching away jobs from many people. Hailing from a developing country like India I can truly relate to this problem. In countries like India, China etc. a large population of people still rely on manual labor to find a job. They are not literate enough to work in software companies and therefore their only hope to earn their daily bread is through jobs which are restricted to manual labor. However with the onset of automatic machines, job descriptions are changing and no longer require manual labor. It is true that automation sometimes is beneficial for companies since it cuts down costs and adds efficiency, however we need to find a middle ground where we can accommodate both because snatching away someone’s daily bread cannot be considered an option. Another point that I could definitely take away from this book is the concept of automation bias. As I discussed in one of my earlier responses, automation bias leads to brainwashing our minds into losing self-confidence and trust in our own capabilities. Technology is indeed a gift to mankind however we need to be aware of how much is too much. After reading this book I have learnt to make exaggerated efforts to use my own abilities prior to depending on automation and conduct time to time introspection to account for any form of automation bias.
I think the part of the book that will stick with me the longest is how the book explained that all these technological advancements are taking away jobs from people and making the new jobs they create have very limited skill required. This will become a very big issue within the next 10-15 years. The population is growing faster than ever and we don’t have enough jobs for everyone to provide for themselves or their family. I will always remember that I need to make sure I don’t over automate my life with ever changing technology.
"If autonomous machines are to be set loose in the world, moral codes will have to be translated, however imperfectly, into software codes." (187) This quote will stick with me due to the sheer amount of new questions it posed in my mind. What is moral? Who decides what is ethical? Who is liable when an automaton acts in an unethical way? How can we justify shifting our responsibility to be moral and just to a machine?
At the end of chapter five, Carr credits Oakeshott with “a perfect description of computer intelligence: eminently practical and productive and entirely lacking in curiosity, imagination, and worldliness" (124). Latter, one of the questions I answered focused on this and made me reflect on this statement. Yes, a computer has intelligence but without curiosity, imagination, and worldliness our world becomes made of those who never stop to enjoy it. But if all we had was curiosity, imagination, and worldliness then we would not be able to survive. So for humanity to survive and for humans to reach their fullest potential, we need a combination of both intelligence and creativity.
I cannot say that I had a favorite part or one that will stick with me forever, but the whole concept of the book is one I will not forget. Reading it not only opened up my eyes to how far we have advanced in the technological side of the world, but also to the dangers of putting too much trust in it that we forget how to trust our own instincts.
I especially connected with Carr's idea that being overly dependent on technology may take away from an individual's ability to express the truest version of their personality. As technology continues to dictate social behavior, it becomes more restrictive to the complex nature of the human spirit. However, I can certainly see the other side of this argument as well. People crave an outlet for self-expression, and modern technology provides this outlet on a greater scale than has ever been available. Yes, most will attempt to push a certain image, but perhaps all we truly are is what we present ourselves to be.
Carr's comments on the automation that is growing in medicine is definitely what will stick with me the longest. I can not express to you how deeply I am shaken by the idea of Doctor's being replaced by diagnosis programs. My entire life has been centered around my dream of becoming a doctor so that I can heal, help, and most importantly empathize. I will do everything in my power to assure my patients are taken care of with compassion, a computer can not reassure like a human can.
Matthew Crawford stated that “To really know shoelaces, you have to tie shoes. If thinking is bound up with action, then the task of getting an adequate grasp on the world, intellectually, depends on our doing stuff in it” (147). I’ve always been adventurous, but this still hit home for me. To learn, to grow, to succeed, get out in the world and get your hands dirty. Take initiative. Do something to further yourself and others. I love that, and this quote will not be forgotten.
“Scientific advancement can become stifled if front-line physicians, who blend medical expertise with respect for research are prevented from exploration and are discouraged from making discoveries” (123). As someone who’s only ever wanted to help people and is now going to school in the hopes of one day becoming a surgeon, reading these words made them all too real. My takeaway from this book is that by allowing automation to rule our lives and healthcare systems through mandated EBMs, we are inhibiting scientific progress, resulting in a decline in patient care. People should always come first, not computers.
The Glass Cage taught me that as technology advances, it drastically changes the way that society functions and affects us in our daily lives. The part of the book that I think I will remember the most is the section where Carr discusses the pilots that were unable to save the plane from crashing because they had been too reliant on the autopilot and therefore, they had lost some of their manual flying skills (43). The entire scenario of this happening seems incredibly scary, and it honestly shocked me when I first read it. This is something that happens on a small scale to all of us every day. We have become too reliant on technology and in turn we have lost some of our most basic skills. After reading The Glass Cage, I feel like I am more aware of how much I and our world rely on technology.
I believe that the entire book will haunt me for awhile. I think that it's fine to automate many routine tasks, such as washing dishes. But what happens when everything becomes automated? I think life would become extremely boring. In the idyllic technology driven society, humans don't have to work, instead spending all their time in leisure. However, with no goals to work towards, life quickly becomes meaningless. The Glass Cage has made me wary of automation, and inspires me to reduce the number of tasks I automate.
I belive what stuck with me the most isn't so much the problems The Glass Cage presents but more that no possible solutions are presented. The issues discussed in the book are problems that our generation will face. They are problems that (after reading the book) are not black and white and often not obvious. They are problems that will shape our society going forward. Most importantly, these problems must be solved if we wish to continue growing as a human race.
The part of the book that stuck with me the most was chapter four, the degeneration effect. The whole concept of automation bias and automation complacency made me laugh at first because I had experienced what the book described firsthand. But after the humor died down, I realized how right Carr was. I am proud to say that I now try to get around places with out using my GPS "just in case."
I think that Chapter 9 will sick with me. Because it’s the chapter where mindlessness and mindfulness meets in the middle. Carr’s discussion about Robert Frost’s poem “Mowing” shows the mindlessness that comes with getting caught up in the fluidly of work, but also the mindfulness that comes from that action. It is memorable for me as an image for what life should be like. Every time I feel like that I am using my phone too much, I now feel the urge to just turn it off and hide it away from myself and live an actual, meaningful life.
I think my takeaway from this book would revolve around my changed perspective on automation in my life. I opened the book with the mindset that it had nothing to do with me and I would just be reading about how much it had to do with other people. I came to realize quickly how much it actually did impact my life. The part of the book that stuck with me the most was the section on miswanting. I related to this subject, and it was the first instance that I really started to change my perspective on automation. Kamryn Akers
The thing that is most likely to stick with me the longest is the description of moving from a manual to standard transmission. It was a very descriptive and thorough detail of his experience that resonated loud and clear. I also experienced a similar scenario with Cruise Control. It was hard letting go of the control over speed and not becoming frustrated when cruise control would lag when going up a hill because it couldn’t plan ahead to build up speed at the base of the hill. I know use it on almost every trip to maintain speed as I can be a bit of a lead foot and go faster than I should without cruise control.
"The computer is becoming our all purpose tool for navigating, manipulating, and understanding the world, in both its physical and its social manifestations." p17 Computers are important for unknown information, however, they can make us lazy and mindless. Computers should just be a tool, not a lifestyle or job. They should help the human brain, not deteriorate it.
What I am taking away from this book is that no matter how many machines take over human based jobs there will always be a demand for humans. Turing is quoted on page 120 saying “algorithms will never replace intuition entirely that there will always be a place for spontaneous judgements which are not the result of conscious trains of reasoning.” This is saying that while algorithms are smart they lack common sense and emotion. Things very much needed in this world of ours. We don’t need to fear computers we need to regain control of them.
My favorite part was actually in chapter 1. Is was the section where Carr discussed Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s study of “the paradox of work” (14). This doesn’t have much to do with the actual theme of the book, as it is just a road to other topics. However it will serve me well to remind myself that watching Netflix isn’t as great as it seems and the fact that once I’m at work or doing homework it isn’t as dreadful as I thought it would be. Leisure doesn’t always conquer labor.
I really enjoyed this book but I do not think a specific part stood out the most with me. I enjoyed the overall concept. Chapter 7 was, personally, the most intriguing because it posed the question "Who needs humans anyways?" This question sums up the entire book for me. If we keep allowing technology to advance at a pace that we can no longer control, machines will overrule us and be able to perform our daily tasks at a speed much faster than we can. My major is English and a lot of people do not see the point in that major, but the point is, Humanities, whether it be literature, art, or music, is what makes us humans. So no, we do not need humans to get through daily life but we do need humans to make emotion, to make sound, life, and feelings.
The largest part that will stick with me was towards the beginning of the book when Carr quotes George Tyson with, “We are brothers and sisters of our machines..”.This connection and resource really just set the whole mood of the book for me. He then goes on to expand that notion with the phrase, “Sibling relations are notoriously fraught, and so it is with our technological kin.”. This is just so bold and true to me; there will be no end to technology and no mass of people agree on the use or application of all components but it is a part of us. As with siblings, or any family unit, technology and people are at ends with each other constantly based on beliefs or custom, but we are connected and that bond cannot be severed. There are few old souls that refuse to join the technological revolution but those ideas are dying out fast and it is nearly impossible to be an active part of society without partaking in any technological advances or innovations. Technology and the supercomputer are a vital part of our world today and we would never be as advanced, economically or physically, as we are today without those founding theories, projects, and individuals. I didn’t realize the complete impact of technology before reading Carr’s novel, but now that he has raised the veil it is easier to comprehend and be an advocate for one side or the other.
The thing that will stick with me the most is the comparisons of how much is now automotive and machine controlled. Growing up with very little technology compared to higher end families and doing most things, such as writing, drawing, gardening, and other various things by hand and never seeing how much has changed from my childhood to today, I am stunted at how reliant we are on our machines. Use to, hard work and manual labor defined someone, but now it is hard work and who can use a computer or machine more efficiently.
My takeaway from this book is that computers and technology can be both good and bad. Technological advancements are inevitable, but the progress of the advancements should be questioned often. “To resist invention is not to reject invention. It’s to humble invention, to bring progress down to earth.” (Carr 232) Chapter 6 discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Inuit’s depending on GPS to hunt. Chapter 8 makes a case for technology by saying that technology is great for monitoring data for abnormalities, in the case of the German submarines in WWII. Both of these stories in this book will stick with me.
I've taken away the affirmation that while technology can be good, it can also make us lazy. When we invent new technology we hope it aids our life, but in reality we lose a part of ourselves that we didn't know we needed. The loss of the Inuits ability to navigate across arctic terrain can be detrimental to their lifestyle. A pilot's inability to think quickly can be fatal.
What will stick with me from this book is Csikszentmihalyi’s perspective of work in chapter one. “Jobs, even crummy ones, are actually easier to enjoy than free time.” I think about this quote, or the concept of flow at least once a day. I love feeling like I matter, and that I’m working towards a higher goal when I experience flow. I love this concept because it’s so ironic. Humans hate to work, but they feel more accomplished and at peace than when they are left to their own devices.
The portion of the book that will stick with me the most is probably Chapter 8- Your Inner Drone. The attempt to find a moral algorithm and the question of implanting our occasionally flawed sense of ethics and potentially our biases into our technology raised many questions for me. Particularly about blurred lines between our physical realities and our virtual ones, and definitions of morality, reality, and humanity. Carr notes, “With a smartphone in hand, we become a little ghostly, wavering between worlds”
The part of the book that will stick with me the longest is the notion of the Generation Effect in Chapter 4. As someone who is actively pursuing a career in the medical field, it is important to my education and success that I retain the knowledge I have learned and amassed over the coming years. While I have never been a visual learner, this book implies that visual learners remember concepts better because instead of just reading on a topic, they create the topic. So with this in mind, my goal is to become a visual learner; to take the time to create a concept that I am learning instead of just reading over it. I think that if I am able to do this, i can avoid the Degeneration effect so studying for the GRE and MCAT will in the long run, be easier on my stress level.
I waited until the very last minute to do my takeaway so that I would have as much time as possible to figure out what I really took from this book. It’s something that we discussed last monday during the Burkean Parlor and we had some interesting discoveries. The idea that technology has become so minute and necessary that we have put it into every single part of our lives and we don’t even recognize how much we depend on its quiet computations. Our cars wouldn't run the same, our traffic lights wouldn’t keep order, cars would be made by hand, and there would be so much more room for human error in every single aspect of life, but since we’ve handed control to these mechanical marvels, we have forgotten how do all of these simple things. And that could cause us a lot of problems in the future if/when all these technologies fail.
I do not have a specific part of the book that will stick with me, but instead an overall understanding of what the book conveys to me. It opened my eyes to understand how reliant and idle the human mind is becoming. We do not spend enough time truly observing the world around us. Most of us much rather take life the easy way that computers are giving us, yet I now have the want to not become one of those people. I want to expand my knowledge based on the world around me and those I come into contact with. I do not want to leave college and go into my career almost completely dependent on computer technology. I see the potential in it's qualities and I know that it will not be avoidable, yet I do not want to become so deeply rooted to technology that I don't develop my sense of worldliness and communication skills. I want to have knowledge deeper than the knowledge I can get with the swipe, touch, and click of my finger.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the novel The Glass Cage by Nickolas Carr I believe Chapter 8: Your Inner Drone, (Pg. 192), will stick with me the longest. This passage discusses the possibility of swapping out human soldiers for automated ones in war. This exchange makes sense when considering how automated soldiers save thousands of human lives, do not need to be fed or provided with welfare, and the lack moral qualities of humans. These factors gain the popular opinion of the public due to the fact that these soldiers save resources and make loss in war more bearable. However, this is not the part that stuck in my head. My mind clung to the idea that automated soldiers would be better in war because, even though they lack a moral compass, they may contain more human qualities than humans themselves. Automated soldiers are not capable of rape, torture, revenge, prejudice, or deceit. Automated soldiers follow orders because they are not swayed by feelings of compassion, sympathy, love, or regret. It made me wonder if maybe automated soldiers are better than human soldiers, and if robots could make better people than people themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis response almost threw me into an existential crisis.
DeleteThis response almost threw me into an existential crisis.
DeleteThere are many parts of this novel that will affect my daily life. Computers and automation are helping bring humans closer to our highest potential, but we need to use it wisely. As shown to me in The Interlude, we should get to know people who we want a relationship with personally, not through a screen. Likewise, we should not repeatedly focus on our GPS system to get us where we want to go, we need to instead memorize how to get there. We need to start paying attention to the world around us. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said; “There is nothing worth more than this day.”
ReplyDeleteThere are many things to take away from The Glass Cage by Nicholas Carr and many thoughts and ideas that will affect life for many people, me included. The chapter that had the most impact on me was the first one, Passengers. Technology is an amazing thing and it brings about many benefits but we are also beginning to lose “the sense of control and involvement”. Things are done automatically and we are not given the satisfaction of manually being involved in and completing the process. We are becoming separated from the workings of life.
ReplyDeleteTo me, this book had an overall dark tone. I will probably have what Carr said about plane crashes and misdiagnoses in the back of my mine while on planes and in hospitals. However, I thought the best section was chapter seven. In this chapter, Carr discussed some of the ways we could effectively use technology. Carr doesn’t seem optimistic that this will happen. It’s hard to image a world that is less dependent on technology, but I believe it’s a possibility. For now, we have the obligation to do what we can to not rely on technology.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick with me is Chapter 4, The Degeneration Effect. It'll stick with me because I'm definitely guilty of automation complacency and bias. People are becoming too dependent on machines and software and it's scary. Not only is software influencing job decisions, it's even replacing jobs. Machines will continue to take more jobs. If we continue to be more and more biased to machines, our future is doomed. This chapter will stick with me because it points out the problems with the machines and shows what can happen if the problem continues.
ReplyDeleteThere are many things that I will take away from The Glass Cage. Nicholas Carr made me reevaluate many aspects of society that I never would have cared to look into. He made me realize how much society has come to rely on technology. The part of the book that will stay with me the longest has to be Chapter 4. While I knew that computers played a large role in the business world, it was not until reading "The Degeneration Effect", that I realized how large that roll really was. This chapter made me realize that Society's bias and complacency towards technology, is a dangerous game to play.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI can’t choose just one part of this book that stuck out to me. Reading about tragic plane accidents, mechanical doctors, and automated soldiers has changed my outlook on life. Now when I look at machines I see helpful technology that is also dangerous. I will now avoid GPS to keep my hippocampus healthy and pay more attention to news about self-driving cars because I now better understand the debates behind these machines. I will not be surprised if I go back to reread parts of this book or use it as a reference. It was an incredibly eye-opening read.
ReplyDeleteI found the impact of computers on the medical field interesting because they are changing the dynamic of the job. I enjoyed the bit about how we lose our skills when we hand jobs to the computers. The big example in the book was autopilot, but an example in my life is the spellchecker. Without this technology, I would be a better speller. My final note is on flow. I found it so interesting that we hate going to work, but it is where we are the happiest. I can definitely relate to this phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteOne chapter that stuck out with me the most was the fourth chapter. I find it interesting to read about how people trusted technology too much, and it went wrong. It really made me stop and consider how much I trust technology. It really opened my eyes to how I mindless do something on the computer, or search something and assume it is right. This chapter will stick with me, as I continue onto my college career to remind me that not everything you find online can automatically be assumed was the correct information.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I will take away a new understanding of the good and bad of technology. This book made me realize that I have become too dependent on some technology. In some ways, I have let myself become mentally lazy. I plan to reduce my use of technology when and where I am able to. I also plan to make better use of the technology I am given. I will use technology to sharpen my mind instead of using it to avoid doing mental work. This was an excellent book for me to read before starting college.
ReplyDeleteThe part about this book that will stick with me the most is when Carr says, “we’re inclined to desire things we don’t like and to like things we don’t desire” (15). This really stood out to me because I have never thought about work as being something that I desire. It really gives me a bigger appreciation for having “flow” and doing things without the help of machinery
ReplyDeleteI really related with chapter 7, machines are better than us at many things. Technology can greatly help a job market, or it can hinder it. This is a game of Darwanism that we don't have to play if we don't want. We have the human element of mindfulness. At the end of the day we as a society can choose our destiny. Machines may make more money, and that's a dangerous predicament. We can set the focus on people if we get away from the dollar.
ReplyDeleteI think I’ll find it the most difficult to forget reading Carr’s descriptions of horrific plane crashes due to pilot and auto-pilot error while waiting to board one myself in Oklahoma City. I was certainly ‘mindful’ of every bump on that flight after that chapter, not to mention the rough takeoff and landing. It echoed Carr’s central warning against detaching ourselves from our situation or from our actions. He made it impossible to forget that these aren’t simply an author’s faraway, vaguely technophobic concerns I’m reading about. These are real issues with real consequences, and they’re mine as well.
ReplyDeleteA specific topic in chapter two – The Robot at The Gate, struck out to me. The first paragraph speaks about a sketch by a political cartoonist Leslie Illingworth. I feel like the sketch as described in the book screams out a very important message that Automation is taking over jobs. As we discuss and focus more on higher level issues such as automation bias and automation complacency, somewhere we forget the very basic problem– Automation is snatching away jobs from many people. Hailing from a developing country like India I can truly relate to this problem. In countries like India, China etc. a large population of people still rely on manual labor to find a job. They are not literate enough to work in software companies and therefore their only hope to earn their daily bread is through jobs which are restricted to manual labor. However with the onset of automatic machines, job descriptions are changing and no longer require manual labor. It is true that automation sometimes is beneficial for companies since it cuts down costs and adds efficiency, however we need to find a middle ground where we can accommodate both because snatching away someone’s daily bread cannot be considered an option.
ReplyDeleteAnother point that I could definitely take away from this book is the concept of automation bias. As I discussed in one of my earlier responses, automation bias leads to brainwashing our minds into losing self-confidence and trust in our own capabilities. Technology is indeed a gift to mankind however we need to be aware of how much is too much. After reading this book I have learnt to make exaggerated efforts to use my own abilities prior to depending on automation and conduct time to time introspection to account for any form of automation bias.
I think the part of the book that will stick with me the longest is how the book explained that all these technological advancements are taking away jobs from people and making the new jobs they create have very limited skill required. This will become a very big issue within the next 10-15 years. The population is growing faster than ever and we don’t have enough jobs for everyone to provide for themselves or their family. I will always remember that I need to make sure I don’t over automate my life with ever changing technology.
ReplyDelete"If autonomous machines are to be set loose in the world, moral codes will have to be translated, however imperfectly, into software codes." (187)
ReplyDeleteThis quote will stick with me due to the sheer amount of new questions it posed in my mind. What is moral? Who decides what is ethical? Who is liable when an automaton acts in an unethical way? How can we justify shifting our responsibility to be moral and just to a machine?
At the end of chapter five, Carr credits Oakeshott with “a perfect description of computer intelligence: eminently practical and productive and entirely lacking in curiosity, imagination, and worldliness" (124). Latter, one of the questions I answered focused on this and made me reflect on this statement. Yes, a computer has intelligence but without curiosity, imagination, and worldliness our world becomes made of those who never stop to enjoy it. But if all we had was curiosity, imagination, and worldliness then we would not be able to survive. So for humanity to survive and for humans to reach their fullest potential, we need a combination of both intelligence and creativity.
ReplyDeleteI cannot say that I had a favorite part or one that will stick with me forever, but the whole concept of the book is one I will not forget. Reading it not only opened up my eyes to how far we have advanced in the technological side of the world, but also to the dangers of putting too much trust in it that we forget how to trust our own instincts.
ReplyDeleteI especially connected with Carr's idea that being overly dependent on technology may take away from an individual's ability to express the truest version of their personality. As technology continues to dictate social behavior, it becomes more restrictive to the complex nature of the human spirit.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can certainly see the other side of this argument as well. People crave an outlet for self-expression, and modern technology provides this outlet on a greater scale than has ever been available. Yes, most will attempt to push a certain image, but perhaps all we truly are is what we present ourselves to be.
Carr's comments on the automation that is growing in medicine is definitely what will stick with me the longest. I can not express to you how deeply I am shaken by the idea of Doctor's being replaced by diagnosis programs. My entire life has been centered around my dream of becoming a doctor so that I can heal, help, and most importantly empathize. I will do everything in my power to assure my patients are taken care of with compassion, a computer can not reassure like a human can.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Crawford stated that “To really know shoelaces, you have to tie shoes. If thinking is bound up with action, then the task of getting an adequate grasp on the world, intellectually, depends on our doing stuff in it” (147). I’ve always been adventurous, but this still hit home for me. To learn, to grow, to succeed, get out in the world and get your hands dirty. Take initiative. Do something to further yourself and others. I love that, and this quote will not be forgotten.
ReplyDelete“Scientific advancement can become stifled if front-line physicians, who blend medical expertise with respect for research are prevented from exploration and are discouraged from making discoveries” (123). As someone who’s only ever wanted to help people and is now going to school in the hopes of one day becoming a surgeon, reading these words made them all too real. My takeaway from this book is that by allowing automation to rule our lives and healthcare systems through mandated EBMs, we are inhibiting scientific progress, resulting in a decline in patient care. People should always come first, not computers.
ReplyDeleteThe Glass Cage taught me that as technology advances, it drastically changes the way that society functions and affects us in our daily lives. The part of the book that I think I will remember the most is the section where Carr discusses the pilots that were unable to save the plane from crashing because they had been too reliant on the autopilot and therefore, they had lost some of their manual flying skills (43). The entire scenario of this happening seems incredibly scary, and it honestly shocked me when I first read it. This is something that happens on a small scale to all of us every day. We have become too reliant on technology and in turn we have lost some of our most basic skills. After reading The Glass Cage, I feel like I am more aware of how much I and our world rely on technology.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the entire book will haunt me for awhile. I think that it's fine to automate many routine tasks, such as washing dishes. But what happens when everything becomes automated? I think life would become extremely boring. In the idyllic technology driven society, humans don't have to work, instead spending all their time in leisure. However, with no goals to work towards, life quickly becomes meaningless. The Glass Cage has made me wary of automation, and inspires me to reduce the number of tasks I automate.
ReplyDeleteI belive what stuck with me the most isn't so much the problems The Glass Cage presents but more that no possible solutions are presented. The issues discussed in the book are problems that our generation will face. They are problems that (after reading the book) are not black and white and often not obvious. They are problems that will shape our society going forward. Most importantly, these problems must be solved if we wish to continue growing as a human race.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that stuck with me the most was chapter four, the degeneration effect. The whole concept of automation bias and automation complacency made me laugh at first because I had experienced what the book described firsthand. But after the humor died down, I realized how right Carr was. I am proud to say that I now try to get around places with out using my GPS "just in case."
ReplyDeleteI think that Chapter 9 will sick with me. Because it’s the chapter where mindlessness and mindfulness meets in the middle. Carr’s discussion about Robert Frost’s poem “Mowing” shows the mindlessness that comes with getting caught up in the fluidly of work, but also the mindfulness that comes from that action. It is memorable for me as an image for what life should be like. Every time I feel like that I am using my phone too much, I now feel the urge to just turn it off and hide it away from myself and live an actual, meaningful life.
ReplyDeleteI think my takeaway from this book would revolve around my changed perspective on automation in my life. I opened the book with the mindset that it had nothing to do with me and I would just be reading about how much it had to do with other people. I came to realize quickly how much it actually did impact my life. The part of the book that stuck with me the most was the section on miswanting. I related to this subject, and it was the first instance that I really started to change my perspective on automation.
ReplyDeleteKamryn Akers
The thing that is most likely to stick with me the longest is the description of moving from a manual to standard transmission. It was a very descriptive and thorough detail of his experience that resonated loud and clear. I also experienced a similar scenario with Cruise Control. It was hard letting go of the control over speed and not becoming frustrated when cruise control would lag when going up a hill because it couldn’t plan ahead to build up speed at the base of the hill. I know use it on almost every trip to maintain speed as I can be a bit of a lead foot and go faster than I should without cruise control.
ReplyDelete"The computer is becoming our all purpose tool for navigating, manipulating, and understanding the world, in both its physical and its social manifestations." p17
ReplyDeleteComputers are important for unknown information, however, they can make us lazy and mindless. Computers should just be a tool, not a lifestyle or job. They should help the human brain, not deteriorate it.
What I am taking away from this book is that no matter how many machines take over human based jobs there will always be a demand for humans. Turing is quoted on page 120 saying “algorithms will never replace intuition entirely that there will always be a place for spontaneous judgements which are not the result of conscious trains of reasoning.” This is saying that while algorithms are smart they lack common sense and emotion. Things very much needed in this world of ours. We don’t need to fear computers we need to regain control of them.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part was actually in chapter 1. Is was the section where Carr discussed Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s study of “the paradox of work” (14). This doesn’t have much to do with the actual theme of the book, as it is just a road to other topics. However it will serve me well to remind myself that watching Netflix isn’t as great as it seems and the fact that once I’m at work or doing homework it isn’t as dreadful as I thought it would be. Leisure doesn’t always conquer labor.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book but I do not think a specific part stood out the most with me. I enjoyed the overall concept. Chapter 7 was, personally, the most intriguing because it posed the question "Who needs humans anyways?" This question sums up the entire book for me. If we keep allowing technology to advance at a pace that we can no longer control, machines will overrule us and be able to perform our daily tasks at a speed much faster than we can. My major is English and a lot of people do not see the point in that major, but the point is, Humanities, whether it be literature, art, or music, is what makes us humans. So no, we do not need humans to get through daily life but we do need humans to make emotion, to make sound, life, and feelings.
ReplyDeleteThe largest part that will stick with me was towards the beginning of the book when Carr quotes George Tyson with, “We are brothers and sisters of our machines..”.This connection and resource really just set the whole mood of the book for me. He then goes on to expand that notion with the phrase, “Sibling relations are notoriously fraught, and so it is with our technological kin.”. This is just so bold and true to me; there will be no end to technology and no mass of people agree on the use or application of all components but it is a part of us. As with siblings, or any family unit, technology and people are at ends with each other constantly based on beliefs or custom, but we are connected and that bond cannot be severed. There are few old souls that refuse to join the technological revolution but those ideas are dying out fast and it is nearly impossible to be an active part of society without partaking in any technological advances or innovations. Technology and the supercomputer are a vital part of our world today and we would never be as advanced, economically or physically, as we are today without those founding theories, projects, and individuals. I didn’t realize the complete impact of technology before reading Carr’s novel, but now that he has raised the veil it is easier to comprehend and be an advocate for one side or the other.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that will stick with me the most is the comparisons of how much is now automotive and machine controlled. Growing up with very little technology compared to higher end families and doing most things, such as writing, drawing, gardening, and other various things by hand and never seeing how much has changed from my childhood to today, I am stunted at how reliant we are on our machines. Use to, hard work and manual labor defined someone, but now it is hard work and who can use a computer or machine more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteMy takeaway from this book is that computers and technology can be both good and bad. Technological advancements are inevitable, but the progress of the advancements should be questioned often. “To resist invention is not to reject invention. It’s to humble invention, to bring progress down to earth.” (Carr 232) Chapter 6 discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Inuit’s depending on GPS to hunt. Chapter 8 makes a case for technology by saying that technology is great for monitoring data for abnormalities, in the case of the German submarines in WWII. Both of these stories in this book will stick with me.
ReplyDeleteI've taken away the affirmation that while technology can be good, it can also make us lazy. When we invent new technology we hope it aids our life, but in reality we lose a part of ourselves that we didn't know we needed. The loss of the Inuits ability to navigate across arctic terrain can be detrimental to their lifestyle. A pilot's inability to think quickly can be fatal.
ReplyDeleteWhat will stick with me from this book is Csikszentmihalyi’s perspective of work in chapter one. “Jobs, even crummy ones, are actually easier to enjoy than free time.” I think about this quote, or the concept of flow at least once a day. I love feeling like I matter, and that I’m working towards a higher goal when I experience flow. I love this concept because it’s so ironic. Humans hate to work, but they feel more accomplished and at peace than when they are left to their own devices.
ReplyDeleteThe portion of the book that will stick with me the most is probably Chapter 8- Your Inner Drone. The attempt to find a moral algorithm and the question of implanting our occasionally flawed sense of ethics and potentially our biases into our technology raised many questions for me. Particularly about blurred lines between our physical realities and our virtual ones, and definitions of morality, reality, and humanity. Carr notes, “With a smartphone in hand, we become a little ghostly, wavering between worlds”
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick with me the longest is the notion of the Generation Effect in Chapter 4. As someone who is actively pursuing a career in the medical field, it is important to my education and success that I retain the knowledge I have learned and amassed over the coming years. While I have never been a visual learner, this book implies that visual learners remember concepts better because instead of just reading on a topic, they create the topic. So with this in mind, my goal is to become a visual learner; to take the time to create a concept that I am learning instead of just reading over it. I think that if I am able to do this, i can avoid the Degeneration effect so studying for the GRE and MCAT will in the long run, be easier on my stress level.
ReplyDeleteI waited until the very last minute to do my takeaway so that I would have as much time as possible to figure out what I really took from this book. It’s something that we discussed last monday during the Burkean Parlor and we had some interesting discoveries. The idea that technology has become so minute and necessary that we have put it into every single part of our lives and we don’t even recognize how much we depend on its quiet computations. Our cars wouldn't run the same, our traffic lights wouldn’t keep order, cars would be made by hand, and there would be so much more room for human error in every single aspect of life, but since we’ve handed control to these mechanical marvels, we have forgotten how do all of these simple things. And that could cause us a lot of problems in the future if/when all these technologies fail.
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