Saturday, July 30, 2011

iBrain Chapter 9 - The Future


So where do we go from here? What is the future

They are currently working on computers controlled by brain waves, we have HUDs with interactive controls and lets not talk about motion activated games like Kinect and Wii.

Think back... what a wonder it would have been for all of us to have our own laptop while in class. I keep telling my current students your kids are going to say, "I can't believe you had to carry around that large laptop!"

With laser projected keyboards, remote controlled sized projectors and our smart phones having more computer power then last years laptops the future looks small

but unlike the books author maybe this may not be all bad.

So... in the end what did you think? More important... next year when they ask me what book should we read do YOU have any recommendations


3 comments:

  1. The book "Everything Bad is Good for You" deals with technology and learning and is much more readable.
    Professionals have moved from desk tops to laptops and are now moving to smaller units such as iPads. The future is wide open.

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  2. I liked that book too. I would like to see books that focus more on the actual learning with computers. That show more specifics.

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  3. Ok, this last chapter is also a bit out there saying that in the near future cyber brain devices will be the norm, but I will save any snarky comments since I am at the end of the book. I’ve seen some documentaries where they showed how brainwaves could be used to control a computer and do some basic typing. I’ve also seen a few youtube videos of prosthetic hands that could be controlled by thoughts and nerve impulses. I know the technology is emerging, but it seems to be a funny way to conclude this book with a projection of a Jetson’s like vision of the future. This book really seems geared towards digital immigrants with very little experience with technology. For them, all this talk of cyber brain devices is probably along the same lines as flying cars and jet packs. I don’t see how this vision of the future is going to help bridge the brain gap. If anything, it will make digital immigrants even more weary of technology. Why not end the book with a vision of a more grounded future, where technology helps make the world less complicated. A future where technology is so seamlessly integrated into our lives that it no longer matters if you are a digital native or a digital immigrant. The technology itself will bridge the gap.

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