The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

This book is also sub-titled "How the Internet is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember".

This was one of a couple of books I read on holiday this year and it has really opened my mind to how our technology is literally changing the way we think.

Carr's book shows how our brains have changed as each new technology has come along, not just the internet. All the way through this book he backs up his arguments by referencing appropriate scientific evidence. He works through the different technologies from the printed word to the latest digital media affirming Marshall McLuhan's theories along the way. He debunks each contrary theory including that our brains become rigid in adulthood and then start loosing brain cells at an alarming rate.

He shows that if we come to depend on the internet for our information we will loose our abilities to reason etc. Indeed he almost goes as far as to say we will loose our humanity. However he doesn't suggest we should stop using technology, just not depend on it, so all in moderation is the name of the game.

He also outlines that one of the core principles of the internet - that 'free & open access to information encourages innovation' is not working, that the use of search engines is actually reducing the number of citations in academic documents as the search engines will present the most popular answers at the top and people tend not to read as broadly and deeply as they once did and so the most popular wins and it produces an ever decreasing circle as only the most popular are referenced, so the link pool gets smaller & smaller. So rather than opening out and making access to a brad range of ideas and information the search engines and the internet are doing the exact reverse.

He presented evidence as to how we now read, especially on line, that we only read around 18% of the text on a web site and that we read like a letter F. So we read the top line for a bit, then jump down read in a little before jumping down to the bottom.  Scary or useful information for web designers.

He also makes a compelling case for the internet and our use of search engines reducing our time to think, review, and come to our own conclusions.

This has a real effect on creativity, where is the space for creativity in this ever faster "want it now" and "what's happening now" world?  Surely creativity often comes from those seemingly unproductive moments of peace and space. If we remove those deeper reading moments and time for contemplation and review, because they aren't immediately productive, then the world will become populated by machines irrespective as to whether they are carbon or silicon based and the world will be much the poorer for it.

So I do recommend this book, and if you use the links to buy it then I will get a small commission from Amazon.

Also please do comment and discuss these issues, I would be very interested in your thoughts on these issues.

Education

The news this morning has covered the potential revision of university education as the costs have apperntly increased and are placng too higher burden on the state finances.

I am getting increasing frustrated about the pressure for more and more people to have to go to university to get a degree to stand any chance of getting a job.

Why do we have to do this. There has always been a proportion of our young people for whom an acedemic univeristy education is not the right solution and yet they feel presurised in going so as to get a good job.

I didn't go to university, instead I served an apprenticeship at Marconi Communications Systems Ltd in Chelmsford, Essex because my dad (who was in a position to know) said it was the best scheme in the country.

I am involved with the Advanced Media Apprenticeship, which is in its 3rd year up here in Manchester, and enabling young people who wouldn't have had the opportunity to undertake a proper 18 month block release apprenticeship and are getting real jobs in this sector. However, although there is a push by government to resurrect the apprenticeship scheme following its decimation in the last recession  it doesn't yet seem to be having a positve affect on young people's expectations.

I would also add this to the UK's lack of respect for engineering and science. It was reported on BBC Breakfast this morning that we are only filling 50% of the science posts from home grown talent. The guy from Dyson was at pains to point out that if we want to get out of the current mess then we will need to start to innovate again and return to the place where we punched above our weight.

So we need to make engineering and science a respectable career as we do with other professions like law, teaching etc. In Germany they respect their engineers and in my business they have a phrase for someone who works in sound as a Tonmeister.

So come on folk respect and value your engineers and scientists and lets not force everyone to have to get a degree to get a job. Let us train people for the jobs they are going to do. Surely it is a "no brainer" as industry will get people you can do the job rather than people who can talk about it.