One of the reasons Socrates never wrote a book (a technological innovation at the time) was because he believed it would negatively affect his memory, since he wouldn't need to remember as much.
Similar arguments were made when the calculator was invented, people said it would negatively impact our math skills.
I think definitely progress itself shouldn't be blamed for the disuse our brains, much less stalled. Our brains could easily be put to another use. For instance, if easy math calculations can be done by computers, then use the extra time that gives you to solve math equations (proofs, whatever) that computers can't.
So at the end of the day it's laziness that's to blame, not technology.
How do you know it did not happen?
If there is no necessity in using a skill it is just not used in the same way you do not grow your own vegetables and do not raising cattle because you don't have to. This skill indeed shrinks, not so much out of laziness but because there is no existential need discovered in training it.
I would also be lost in the open waters not finding my way looking at the stars - I would need a navigation tool, .... oh what?, no, I would need GPS!
It really depends how much of the population (of a country, nation, community...) needs skills for what. We are no agrarians and we are not building our own houses, so no particular need for skill developing in that area, too.
Guess, you'd have a lot to blame on me - lol - probably I have 0.0000something % knowledge of what is known and worked on in all the professions and sub-professions of the sub-professions - Gosh, how much dependence in this independence!
Have you heard the expression that we are becoming very smart dummies? :-)
P.S. I like Sokrates attitude:) thanks for that piece of info.
P.P.S. my man always says: you don't have to know a thing, just to ask the right people or searching engine. lol. Thats kinda true - in the given circumstances he and I (and probably all internet users) move.
That's all very true. But the reason it happens is because we can advance technology but not (yet) our brains.
In the future, I think, technology and brains will mesh (become one). So your calculator will be in your brain. So you will be able to do all the calculations. I mean, you would like to know how to grow cattle and navigate with the stars etc., right? I know I will!
But even now, as long as people push themselves to the limit, at least some function of ours will be trained to the hilt. Socrates may have had a great memory, but there's also things he didn't know. Like maybe he also didn't know how to grow cattle and stuff, cos it was the farming society that allowed him to stay in place and philosophize while the slaves did everything else. How else was he able to spend most of his time at the Agora?
So they also made inventions that allowed them to do what they really wanted (philosophize and talk about politics). We drive cars so we don't need to walk, and in the future driverless cars will allow us to move without needing to drive! We'll read instead of driving, much like many people now listen to audiobooks while driving. We delegate so we can do more, not so we can do less.
What we have done so far is to "dis-advance" our sense and body skills: cars, trains, planes for moving,
glasses, goggles, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, videos, monitors for seeing,
fire-alarm-systems, scent-sensivitve devices for smelling,
scissors, razors, scalpels, surgery, pads, touch-screens, stirring wheels, buttons, silk, wool, cotton, mohair for touching,
audio-files, megaphones, speakers for hearing.
Now I ask myself: Were we better with our senses before we had those extensions? Could very well be, no? I mean better off in the literal meaning of being better off in using the very sensory parts of our bodies.
It's not an offense, just curiosity. Which comes to mind reading about this topic...
I must kinda laugh because now cyborgish technology comes into play to mix machines with humans to get back the skills we formerly probably had... ? LOL
Not sure if more knowledge is not less knowledge (but of course I would like to know how to brew my own medicine). :-))))!! Pls, don't take me seriously, I am in a silly mood.
Like the argument I was having with a friend during the course of the week. Computers are the least of our problems. We should be more concerned about the other technologies that would outperform us in every task. Think about ASI; artificial Superintelligence; when it goes mainstream, we wouldn't even have any need to put our brains to use.
To say they'll sideline us is to say the least.
We only need to brace up to what's coming ahead.
Thanks for coming around
Well that will be interesting to see, as I'm doubtful anything can really replace us for now and the foreseeable future.
But if they can, let's start with manual labor first, and then move on to replacing the rest of us! :D