In his book, Smarter Than You Think, Clive Thompson examines the ways that modern technology is actually improving the way that people learn, process, store, and retrieve information.  His point of view does not focus on the dehumanizing effects of machines, but rather on the overarching belief that “Our tools are everywhere, linked with our minds, working in tandem”(Thompson 6).  He views the relationship between man and machine as more of a mutual partnership than anything else, and modern technology is a time-saving tool for all people who use it.

An explanation of the ever-advancing world of chess provides a prime example of Thompson’s ideas.  Chess amateurs and professionals alike have long dreamed about a machine that would be able to play against and potentially beat chess masters.  With the invention of the modern computer with seemingly endless amounts of data storage, their idea has almost become a reality.  A person has a limited memory capacity, and it takes years for anyone to learn all the necessary plays to become a chess master, whereas a computer offers quick and easy access to a huge database of games.  When a person can access a catalog of game-winning moves at the touch of a button, it saves countless hours of learning and rote memorization. Computers can store and access thousands of different moves and strategies for winning a chess game, but they can only process the information they are given.  It takes a person who is familiar with chess to read their opponent and then access the computer’s database to figure out which move would be the best; thus, a team of human and computer leads to the best results. 

But computers can store much more than a directory of plays for a game of chess.  They have an endless amount of storage space that can be used for practically anything, including a physical record of time.  A recent expansion on this idea has taken the form of lifelogging, in which people record as many details about their day-to-day activities as they can, forming a sort of mechanical extension for their own memories.  The idea of a computer-based mind may seem dehumanizing at first, but in fact, it is quite practical.  Gordon Bell, a dedicated lifelogger, “argues [that lifelogging] given him greater mental peace.  Knowing there’s a permanent backup of almost everything he reads, sees, or hears allows him to live more in the moment, paying closer attention to what he’s doing.  The anxiety of committing something to memory is gone”(Thompson 32).  After the initial set-up, recording his daily activities became so commonplace that it does not interfere with his life at all and takes no additional time.  Bell also appreciates the fact that he does not have to rely on his own (possibly faulty) memory.  He has a digital copy of every meeting he attends, every email he opens, and everything he sees and hears.  He has a record of all the time in his life, and it takes little extra time to do the cataloging.  All of his memories turn into instantly searchable records of his life—if he knows what to search for. Digital memories are worthless unless someone knows how to retrieve them: “lifeloggers have superb records, but they don’t search them unless, while using their own brains, they realize there’s something to look for”(Thompson 35).  It still takes a human mind to make sense of the vast amounts of data stored on the computer.  A partnership between the two allows computers to provide clear pictures of decades’ worth of memories.

Most types of external memory are not as extreme as lifelogging.  Many people today use some sort of electronic device to aid their memory in some way, be it to organize a calendar of important events or remember the name of the actor they saw on television last week.  When people start to rely on computers to store that type of information, it decreases the amount of things they have to remember on their own.  Search engines like Google,  Yahoo, and Bing also let people look up information instantaneously.  According to Thompson, “…if we know a digital tool is going to remember a fact, we’re slightly less likely to remember it ourselves.  We are, however, confident of where we can refind it”(Thompson 127).  Again, it takes a partnership between man and machine to create this type of artificial memory.  Instead of having to remember dozens of phone numbers and email addresses, we have phones that keep track of them for us.  Instead of having to recall all of our friends’ birthdays, Facebook sends us a notification to remind us of the important day.  If people were to go around constantly reminding each other of important dates or reminding us of the time of our next appointment, we would soon become annoyed with the constant barrage of information, but computers give people control over what they see.  Besides allowing us to recall old information, computers also provide a fast way for us to learn about new things.  With the Internet at our fingertips, we have a digital copy of the world to explore. 

A more concrete example of the relationship between humans and computers is seen in the use of digital school.  In flipped classrooms, students learn new materials by watching videos and reading lessons online at home.  Then, they go to school the next day to work on their homework under the supervision of their teacher.  That way, they have an expert on hand to re-explain any concepts they may not have understood or help them when they get stuck.  In no way are computers replacing human interaction: “Teachers are still crucial”(Thompson 187), but the aid that computers offer to both students and teachers is limitless.  Both parts play key roles in a student’s education, but each of these roles is sufficiently different from the other.  Students reap the benefits of having lessons taught in ways to fit their individual learning styles on the computer and then receiving one-on-one instruction from an educator the next day. Digital school takes time outside of the normal school day hours, but it allows the teacher to make more efficient use of the limited amount of time they have with the students during class.  It maximizes opportunities for one-on-one attention and helps students grow.  This partnership between man and machine is what helps the students cover more material at faster rates than they could from either one alone.  

Thompson, then, is not arguing that advances in technology have had a negative effect on humankind.  In his view, we should embrace the opportunities that machines and computers present us with: “…the solution is to let the computers do what they do best while letting the humans do what they do best”(Thompson 35-36).   In an ever-hurried world, people need to make the most of all the time they have.  Computers and other advances in technology save time for the people that know how to use them well.  Instead of having a dehumanizing effect on us, computers have provided us with endless resources that allow us to better ourselves and the world we live in.