"Today, in the age of software, we have come to think of them [our brains] as operating 'like computers.'"
— Carr, Nicholas (b. 1959)
Author
Work Title
Date
July-August, 2008
Metaphor
"Today, in the age of software, we have come to think of them [our brains] as operating 'like computers.'"
Metaphor in Context
The process of adapting to new intellectual technologies is reflected in the changing metaphors we use to explain ourselves to ourselves. When the mechanical clock arrived, people began thinking of their brains as operating "like clockwork." Today, in the age of software, we have come to think of them as operating "like computers." But the changes, neuroscience tells us, go much deeper than metaphor. Thanks to our brain’s plasticity, the adaptation occurs also at a biological level.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Nicholas Carr, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The Atlantic (July/August, 2008). <Link to theatlantic.com>
Date of Entry
04/08/2015
