For the most part, technological improvements have made our lives safer: Life expectancy has nearly doubled since 1850, and it’s increased worldwide by six years since 1990 alone. The development of vaccines and antibacterial drugs have also cut infant and childhood mortality dramatically. But too much reliance on technology makes us vulnerable. A brighter technological future lies less in the latest gadgets, and rather in learning to understand ourselves better, particularly our capacity to forget what we’ve already learned. A thoughtful essay on the impact of technology on society.
