Welcome back everybody for another deep dive with us.
Today we're gonna be looking at natural technology.
Ooh, that's interesting.
Yeah, it's this article from hackscience.education
called Natural Technology.
Okay.
And it was posted on December 27th, 2017.
Right.
But it was also updated on January 4th, 2021.
So fairly recently.
Yeah, so it's pretty recent.
And you know, when you hear natural technology,
you might think.
Like some new gadgets.
Exactly.
Yeah, like this is about a new phone or something.
Right.
But it's actually not about like a specific piece
of technology.
Okay.
It's more about how all the technology
that we're surrounded by in our early years
shapes like our whole understanding
of what technology is.
Interesting.
And what it should be.
Oh, I see.
So like it sets up our expectations for technology almost.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So the tech we grow up with doesn't just teach us
how to use like, you know, that device.
Yeah.
It creates a whole framework for how we think about technology
in general.
That makes sense.
Like almost like a set of assumptions.
Yeah.
Like what's possible.
What's normal or even what's valuable
when it comes to technology.
Exactly.
And you know, I was thinking about this
while reading this article.
Okay.
You know, imagine someone who's spent their teenage years.
Okay.
Like on dial up internet.
Oh, yeah.
Like waiting for pages to load.
That's screeching sound.
Yes.
I can hear it now.
And that is a completely different experience
from someone who's always had like.
Super fast internet.
Yes.
Like lightning fast internet on their phone.
Yeah.
You're right.
That's a huge difference in experience.
And that difference in experience
can lead to some pretty different expectations.
Ugly.
About how technology should work.
Yeah.
Like someone who's used to that instant connectivity.
You know.
They might just find it so frustrating
to wait even a few seconds for something to load.
Yeah.
And then someone who grew up with the dial up,
they might be like, oh, this is fine.
You know.
Right.
They're used to waiting.
Exactly.
They've got more patience.
They have much higher tolerance for those delays.
But here's the thing.
The article is saying that all technology,
even the stuff that seems like totally revolutionary.
Okay.
It's actually built on what came before.
Okay.
So help me understand that a little bit better.
Sure.
They use the example of information technology.
Yeah.
Which is pretty broad.
It is a broad category for sure.
Is there like a historical example of this evolution
that might surprise people listening?
Hmm.
Let's take the telephone.
Okay.
Like it's so commonplace now, right?
Yeah.
We all have them.
But even something as simple as like the rotary phone.
Right.
That was the result of decades of innovation.
Wow.
Like think about it.
You had the telegraph first,
and then people were experimenting
with transmitting voices.
Oh wow.
And then they had to develop switching systems
to connect calls.
It's amazing how much had to happen.
All these things had to happen
before you could just pick up a phone and dial a number.
Wow.
And then from there it evolved into.
Well, you had touch tone phones.
Right.
Cordless phones.
Mobile phones.
And then bam, smart phones.
So even something is like groundbreaking as a smartphone
is really just the latest step.
Yeah.
It's the latest iteration in a long line
of technological development.
Wow.
It's like we take it for granted,
but all of these inventions.
They're all standing on the shoulders of what came before.
That's really interesting.
And that brings us to another point
that the article makes about natural technology.
Okay.
And how it impacts education.
All right.
They use the example of calculators.
Okay.
Now for someone who learned math before,
calculators were really common.
You know, certain skills,
like being able to do complex calculations by hand.
Right.
Those were just considered essential.
You had to know how to do that.
Right, exactly.
But someone who grew up with a calculator,
they might have a totally different perspective on that.
Oh yeah, that makes sense.
You know.
I mean, they're like my parents freaking out
about calculators in school.
Really?
Oh yeah.
They were like,
this is gonna make kids' brains turn to mush.
Wow.
But I mean, honestly,
calculators can do those calculations so fast.
They're instant.
Yeah.
So maybe it like frees up brain space
to focus on other things.
That's exactly the tension that the article highlights.
Does having calculators mean
that we don't need to learn
those traditional math skills anymore?
Right.
Or like you were saying,
does it let us focus on higher level thinking?
Yeah.
The skills we consider essential,
even how we define intelligence.
Oh wow.
That might be influenced by the technology
that's natural to us.
So it's not just about learning to use
like the gadget itself.
Right.
It's about understanding how that gadget.
Uh huh.
And the whole world that it's a part of.
The whole technological ecosystem, yeah.
Yeah, it changes the skills we need
in the way we learn.
Exactly.
And that's a pretty big deal,
especially when you think about
how fast technology changes these days.
Oh, it's huge.
Yeah.
It really is a big deal.
And it's not even just education, you know.
Right.
Ackerman, he argues that
if we're only teaching the technology
that we're familiar with,
we're basically setting students up
for a world that doesn't exist anymore.
Oh wow.
So it's like giving them a map to a city
that's been totally redesigned.
Yes, exactly.
They might be able to find their way around.
Yeah.
But they're gonna miss out on like
all the new landmarks.
All the shortcuts and yeah,
all the cool new stuff.
Exactly.
And this goes even further than the classroom.
Okay.
Like think about how natural technology
could shape our choices as consumers.
Okay, interesting.
Like somebody who grew up
with all the latest gadgets, you know.
They might be more likely to pre-order
the newest phone.
Right.
Or try out like a new VR headset or something.
Yeah, I guess that's not me.
What do you mean?
I'm more likely to wait for the reviews.
You know.
Oh, that's interesting.
Make sure it's actually worth the money
before I buy it.
I guess that's your natural technology talking then.
I guess so.
And hey, there's nothing wrong with that.
Right?
It's about understanding, you know.
Yeah.
How your past is shaping the decisions
you're making today.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Ackerman even suggests that natural technology
could even shape like our political views.
Whoa.
On things like AI regulation or data privacy.
Okay, that's really interesting.
Yeah.
So like someone's stance on facial recognition technology
could be influenced by the tech that they grew up around.
Yeah, possibly.
How does that work?
Well, think about it this way.
Okay.
Imagine someone who grew up when computers were mainly used
for like personal productivity.
You know.
Word processing.
Yeah.
Or spreadsheets or stuff like that.
They might see all this new AI stuff.
Yeah.
With a lot more caution.
Right.
Maybe even skepticism.
Okay.
Especially when you start talking about things
like facial recognition.
Yeah.
Because that could affect people's privacy.
Right.
And civil liberties.
Okay, that makes sense.
But then what about someone who like grew up playing
video games.
Okay.
Crazy graphics.
Yeah.
And you know, like really smart AI opponents.
Yeah.
Would they be more likely to see the benefits of AI?
It's possible.
Even in something like surveillance.
Yeah.
I mean, they might be more used to interacting with.
Right.
Those really complex AI systems.
Right.
And more comfortable with machines making decisions.
Or analyzing data.
So it's almost like our early experiences with technology
create like a lens.
Yeah.
That we view all these new advancements through.
That's a great way to put it.
And that lens colors how we see things.
Absolutely.
Like what's beneficial, what's risky.
Even what's like ethically okay.
It's true.
Wow.
And this is exactly why it's so important to understand
this whole concept of natural technology.
Yeah.
It's not about judging people.
Right.
Based on their background with technology.
Yeah.
It's about recognizing that we all have these lenses.
Uh huh.
And those lenses have a big impact.
Wow.
On how we see the world.
Especially with how fast tech is changing.
Especially, yeah.
So what can we even do with this knowledge?
That's a good question.
It's one thing to understand that our views are shaped
by this, but how do we actually like use this in our lives?
I think the first step is just being aware.
Recognizing that your own natural technology exists.
And it might be totally different from somebody else's.
Right.
And that's really important when you think about areas like.
Okay.
Education.
And that's not just about developing new technology
or even making policies.
Right.
Because decisions in those areas affect tons of people.
Yeah.
With totally different backgrounds with technology.
You know, it's funny because when you were talking
about education before.
Yeah.
I immediately thought back to that calculator example.
Oh yeah.
My parents were sure that calculators were going
to ruin my math skills.
But honestly, I use a calculator for everything now.
Really?
Oh yeah.
Even like budgeting and tipping at restaurants.
It's fine.
It's not a bad thing.
The point is.
Yeah.
We often judge technology based on what we've experienced
without even thinking about like.
Other people.
Yeah.
Or the bigger picture.
Yeah.
Ackerman actually gives another good example.
Okay.
He talks about teaching math and all the debates
about calculators back then.
A lot of adults were really insistent that students needed
to learn math the old fashioned way.
Right.
Even though calculators were everywhere.
Yeah.
Exactly.
And it's kind of like saying you need to learn
to ride a horse before you can drive a car.
Exactly.
And what Ackerman points out is.
Yeah.
A lot of those adults were probably using calculators
in their own lives.
Right.
Of course.
Maybe even for their jobs.
Yeah.
So it wasn't really about what was best for teaching.
It was their own natural technology.
Oh wow.
Making them think that certain math skills
were just essential.
It's like we need to develop a tech empathy.
Or something.
Technological empathy.
I love that.
Yeah.
That's a great phrase.
Like being able to see things
from other people's point of view.
Yeah.
Based on their experiences with technology.
And not just understanding those different viewpoints
but actually challenging what we think.
Yeah.
And realizing that how we learn something
might not be the only way
or even the best way to do it.
So how do we get better at this tech empathy?
It's tough.
Especially because technology keeps changing so fast.
Yeah.
What's normal today might be totally outdated tomorrow.
Exactly.
And that leads to an even bigger question.
Right.
How do we get ready for a future
where technology is so advanced
that we can't even imagine it right now?
I think it's scary to think about.
It is.
I mean think about kids growing up today
surrounded by AI and VR.
It's mind blowing.
It really is.
What skills are they even gonna need
to do well in a world that we can barely even picture?
Yeah.
It really is mind blowing.
And that kind of leads us to the big question
we wanna leave you with today.
Okay.
What are the skills and the knowledge
that are gonna be like the most important
for those kids growing up today?
Yeah.
To really thrive in that world
shaped by all this crazy new tech.
I gotta admit that's a little intimidating
to even think about.
It is a lot.
I can barely keep up with the technology
that's coming out now.
Yeah.
How am I supposed to predict
what skills are gonna be essential
in like 10 or 20 years?
Well, it is a challenge for sure.
Right.
But remember the whole point of natural technology
isn't about like specific gadgets or platforms.
Okay.
It's about getting those like underlying principles.
How technology changes how we think
and interact with the world.
So maybe instead of like getting all caught up
and predicting the exact tech they'll need.
Right.
We should focus on just like
fostering those bigger skills.
Yeah.
And mindsets.
Exactly.
That'll help them no matter what the specific tools are.
Yeah.
Think about things like.
Okay.
Uh-huh.
Critical thinking, problem solving, creativity.
Those are always important.
They are, but they're even more important now
with all this new tech.
Because it's always changing.
Right.
So it's like we gotta give them a mental toolkit.
Yeah.
Not just the instructions for one device.
That's a great way to think about it.
And that toolkit needs to be like flexible enough.
Yeah.
To adapt to whatever comes next.
Exactly.
We also can't forget about digital literacy.
Oh, right.
Yeah, that's huge.
Understanding how these technologies actually work.
Uh-huh.
Being able to look at information online
and figure out if it's reliable.
Yeah.
Recognizing biases.
All super important.
Essential for navigating the digital world.
And probably most importantly, a love of learning.
Oh, absolutely.
Because if technology is always changing.
Yeah.
You gotta be willing to keep learning
and keep up with it.
Lifelong learning, that's the key.
Right.
It's really the best thing we can give
the next generation.
It's what lets them actually shape the technology,
not just use it.
Exactly.
They can be the innovators and creators.
That's really cool.
You know, thinking about all of this.
It's not just about getting the next generation ready.
It's about all of us.
Oh, yeah.
We all have our own natural technology.
Our own ideas and biases from what we've experienced.
And as technology keeps advancing like it is.
Yeah.
It's gonna be even more important
to like pay attention to that.
To be open to new ideas.
Right.
And realize that how we do things
might not be the only way or even the best way.
You got it.
And then that's why that technological empathy
is so important.
Yeah.
No matter how old you are
or what your experience with tech is.
Right.
We gotta be willing to step outside our comfort zones.
Yeah.
To question what we think we know.
Yeah.
And be open to learning new things.
Maybe we'll even realize that some of the things
we thought were just the way to do things.
Yeah.
Weren't actually the best way.
It's possible.
And by letting go of those old ideas.
Yeah.
Maybe we can open up all these new possibilities.
Exactly.
And create a future where tech actually helps us.
That's the goal.
Not the other way around.
That's what we want.
That's awesome.
It is.
Well that's a great thought to end on.
I think so.
So remember everybody.
Natural technology, it's not just about the devices.
Nope.
It's about how those devices change how we see the world.
And understanding that is the first step
to using technology to do good.
Absolutely.
For ourselves and for future generations.
That's the key.
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive everybody.
Thanks for listening.
We hope it's given you some things to think about.
Yeah.
As you navigate this increasingly tech driven world.
We'll see you next time.