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When Objects Become Extensions of You

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu

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Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#11

Post by specialist »

jgilias wrote: post #9

Oh, absolutely! We're all cyborgs already. Irrespective of the actual interfaces we use to fuse ourselves with technology. Take yourself driving somewhere and using navigation that shows where the traffic jams are. At that point you've effectively delegated the decision making for achieving the particular goal to the hive-mind, and you yourself have become a node in the larger network. At that point, 'you' effectivel…

re cyborgs

Yes, and... "Continuity of the Mind" sounds complimentary to, an update to, Norman's Things That Make Us Smart and McLuhan's Understanding Media.

https://www.amazon.com/Things-That-Make-Smart-Attributes/dp/...

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Media-Extensions-Marsha...

--

We geeks are truly well served by the seminal texts, the classics. I'd heard about cybernetics second hand. But I was already a cyborg, taking the modern world for granted. Reading the source blew my mind. Somehow the impact of progress were clearer to the observers present during the transition(s).

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#14

Post by WJW »

gonzo41 wrote: post #10
spupy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was taken to the extreme in the novel Accelerando. The main character is mugged and loses his "cyberware". He thus loses the memories and thinking capabilities he had offloaded to the hardware.

Considering how stunted most people are without a phone and google on hand. Sounds like the main character had a rough time learning to spell and do math again :).

It was way worse than that in the novel. He didn't even know his own name anymore IIRC.

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#15

Post by snikeris »

jgilias wrote: post #9

Oh, absolutely! We're all cyborgs already. Irrespective of the actual interfaces we use to fuse ourselves with technology. Take yourself driving somewhere and using navigation that shows where the traffic jams are. At that point you've effectively delegated the decision making for achieving the particular goal to the hive-mind, and you yourself have become a node in the larger network. At that point, 'you' effectivel…

I think this is due to the general-purposeness of our wetware. We are born into bodies that we largely do not know how to operate. Through a process of trial and error we learn how to use our muscles and bones to move us through the world. It's not surprising that the same wetware easily adapts to controlling a car or a nation as an extension of itself.

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#16

Post by Cthulhu_ »

handol wrote: post #3

When my bicycle is subjected to hard bump, even if no part of my body experienced much acceleration, I'll make the same sort of sharp inhale I do if my elbow is subjected to a hard bump. You really do develop the sensation of feeling the road as though your nerves extended down to the tires.

Isn't that also because you have a really expensive bike? (just making a guess here)

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#17

Post by ASalazarMX »

WJW wrote: post #14
gonzo41 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering how stunted most people are without a phone and google on hand. Sounds like the main character had a rough time learning to spell and do math again :).

It was way worse than that in the novel. He didn't even know his own name anymore IIRC.

Backups, people! Or at least don't offload your whole identity to an external device.

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#18

Post by ryukafalz »

jgilias wrote: post #9

Oh, absolutely! We're all cyborgs already. Irrespective of the actual interfaces we use to fuse ourselves with technology. Take yourself driving somewhere and using navigation that shows where the traffic jams are. At that point you've effectively delegated the decision making for achieving the particular goal to the hive-mind, and you yourself have become a node in the larger network. At that point, 'you' effectivel…

Don’t forget the software of your car, which is gradually becoming nontrivial.

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#19

Post by handol »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #16
handol wrote: post #3

When my bicycle is subjected to hard bump, even if no part of my body experienced much acceleration, I'll make the same sort of sharp inhale I do if my elbow is subjected to a hard bump. You really do develop the sensation of feeling the road as though your nerves extended down to the tires.

Isn't that also because you have a really expensive bike? (just making a guess here)

Not especially, but certainly more money than I would light on fire. That would actually be an even more abstract extensions of the self though, incorporating the bike by way of my finances.

Re: When Objects Become Extensions of You

#20

Post by henrypasta »

tough wrote: post #6

I've my mac so customized usually, always dark mode, terminals etc... For another person to try and use my computer is usually a weird/hiccuped experience I also love changing defaults for keyboard shortcuts too. I also have always an english keyboard layout even if almost no one does this, it's great for coding though! same for terminal alias... from git commands: ga . && gc -am "commit" && gp or yarn: y && yb && ys…

Not sure why you’re being downvoted
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