What the Net does is shift the emphasis of our intelligence, away from what might be called a meditative or contemplative intelligence and more toward what might be called a utilitarian intelligence. The price of zipping among lots of bits of information is a loss of depth in our thinking.
Interpretation
The quote highlights how the internet alters our way of thinking, prioritizing practical intelligence over deep contemplation.
Nicholas G. Carr's quote reflects on the impact of the internet on human intelligence, suggesting that while we gain access to vast amounts of information, we may sacrifice the ability for deep, meditative thinking. This shift towards a more utilitarian form of intelligence means that our cognitive engagement may become superficial, leading to a decline in the depth of our thoughts and insights.
In practice
In a discussion on the effects of technology on learning, this quote serves to illustrate the potential drawbacks of digital information consumption.
We don’t constrain our mental powers when we store new long-term memories. We strengthen them. With each expansion of our memory comes an enlargement of our intelligence. The Web provides a convenient and compelling supplement to personal memory - but when we start using the Web as a substitute for personal memory, by bypassing the inner processes of consolidation, we risk emptying our minds of their riches.
The future is green energy, sustainability, renewable energy.
You can get it in any color, as long as it is black
A breakthrough in machine learning would be worth ten Microsofts.
The cost of adding a feature isn't just the time it takes to code it. The cost also includes the addition of an obstacle to future expansion. ... The trick is to pick the features that don't fight each other.
Television isn't inherently good or bad. You go to a bookstore, there are how many thousands of books, but how many of those do you want? Five? Television's the same way. If you're going to show people stuff, television is the way to go. Words and pictures show things.
What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us to understand one another better, or will they deceive us and keep us apart?
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