Memory is alive

In chapter 9 of “The Shallows,” Nicholas Carr brings up a very interesting point. He mentions, "Biological memory is alive.  Computer memory is not.” He is absolutely correct. When we think about it, computer memory is what we make of it. In other words, we physically make these hard drives, memory ram, etc. Biological memory is a different story. We do not create this. Its how our brain works and functions together when we experience different things that help create our memory and recollection. So while we experience things and build our memory more and more, we are using these skills to physically produce computer memory. Our memory can expand in comparison to the computer that has its max capacity. It can never grow and get bigger than it started. Take a childhood memory for example. Someone could have showed you how to build a computer. You may not have ever thought anything of it, nor thought that it would come in handy. But lets just say that now you need to do that. Using your memory, you can recall back to when you were younger, and possibly remember how you were taught to build a computer. But here is where Nicholas Carr’s point comes into play. Building the computer, we chose the amount of memory storage it has. It doesn’t chose it itself. The amount that we chose is the maximum amount it will have. There are no nerves or functions that act together to help its memory. It’s simply computer boards and chips that we put together on our own.

So maybe when we say that the Internet and technology is changing the way we do things, we are being misled. How can something we create take over our daily functioning? It’s a sad thing to realize, but its something we need to think about. Because if it is the case, if the Internet really is affecting how we act and how we process information, then we created something that is greater then ourselves. This seems rather impossible, but maybe we have done it? Regardless whether or not we have more memory than a computer does, doesn’t matter. Whether or not our memory and recognition is alive and a computer isn’t, also doesn’t matter. Because it’s the fact that we have created something that now runs our life, and how we research, how we communicate, and much, much more.

                 

-Michelle Krupnik