Scared of the Google Eye?
I have noticed a small amount of backlash and negativity over the announcement of Google’s Project Glass (or “Google Eye” as the device itself might be called). I’ve seen the usual technophobic over-reactions and a number of comments exclaiming that they’ll never wear such a device (and that others shouldn’t either). It all feels very familiar…
I’m wondering… of those claiming they’ll never wear this kinda thing – do they currently have a smartphone? Did they say the same about that technology or was that somehow different? Because I’m about 99% convinced that wearable tech is going to be the next big thing and that eventually… not having some kind of wearable tech on your person – be it a Google Eye or an iPod Nano watch – will be as rare as not having a smartphone is today.
I do share some privacy concerns over all of this and occasionally wonder if there’s a point where we (as in humanity) could go too far. That’s a healthy fear (which increases as I get older, possibly due to mortality reason)… contemplating the dark sides of it all. But then there’s the positives… the practical, the enrichment of life that technology brings. I like to think about it in utterly simplistically terms – as I take some comfort in this – for every damaging application of technology invented…. a compensating applications of technology can be invented to balance it out. So for example if a cheeky Google Eye developer releases an x-ray vision app, instead of fearing a world where everyone can see everyone naked, consider that someone somewhere will bring out out a new clothing material to block it!
I May Have Neurophobia
I’ve been noticing a pattern in the feeds lately. There seems to be an increasing occurrence of breakthrough advances in neuroscience. It seems scientists are better understanding the brain these days and are developing more and more sophisticated methods and tools for analysing its complexities. This troubles me. Actually, it goes further than that… when reading about such things, especially when really thinking about them, I experience an uncomfortable anxiety. Why? “Neurophobia”.
