Occam’s RazR

Cutting Loose

by Ike

My wife sent me the following in an email:

Superman’s cape has bit the dust! Ryan was spotted with a pair of scissors earlier today and when asked what he was doing replied, “Cutting off superman’s cape” When asked why he was doing this the small human responded, “Because I don’t want him to fly.”

It’s easy to gravitate to the cape as the source of flight, when really it was meant as an artistic convention to demonstrate movement in a two-dimensional, still-frame comic medium. But at some point, we cut the strings when we realize the cape isn’t necessary anymore. (Besides, Batman doesn’t fly and he has a cape…)

Which leads me back to a question posed the other day. When do we finally reach the point where we ditch the old technology? I know of two accomplished and very intelligent classmates of mine who graduated high school without being able to tell the time on an analog clock. (I can vouch that one has since learned, and probably the other…)

The fact remains that one could indeed be fully functional in 1986 without needing that particular skill, and moreso today. So when do we realize that the magic isn’t in the hands and the gears? When can we cut the ties?

I think there are several factors that play a role in allowing us to assign certain standards to the fate of the buggy whip. What I haven’t figured out is the relative importance and ranking of those factors:

Percentage adoption
Generational immersion of replacement
Fear of translation

And for that matter - what besides the analog clock and the shoelace is destined for the dustbin of history? (Considering that for many us, the dustbin is history too.)

Technorati Tags: Ike Pigott, Occam’s RazR, technology

"Cutting Loose" was published on August 20th, 2008 and is listed in Quick thoughts.

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Cutting Loose: 9 Comments

Jacob wrote,

The watch. They still pop up as jewelry and habit, but when was the last time you didn’t have a clock on your cellphone?

That’s a good example of what is going to cause the next round- product convergence. TV sets become computer monitors and vice versa, cellphones are PDAs and music players, the list goes on.

But skills that are going? AH. I was going to sarcastically mention map folding, since GPS has digitized us (also, map reading, since the voice software is so keen), but I have a better example than that: Penmanship.

It needs practice and patience and who has time for that when you can type or text?

Link | August 20th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Adam Daniel Mezei wrote,

Here in Prague, I can supply some pertinent examples:

1) Paper tickets for the tramway and metro/subway. Now we order them by SMS/text message, and they’re valid for 90 minutes apiece.

2) The need to carry coins in your pocket to pay for your parking chits. (That same SMS technology applies here, folks).

3) Birth control pills. With the super-resistant bacilli circulating about the planet, even your committed partner will get you to wear a prophylactic, if you’re a male.

I’ll give it a bit more of a think and see what I can come up with…

Link | August 21st, 2008 at 1:19 pm
The Ole Grey One wrote,

Ok.. How about writing and speaking.. It was not that many years ago that children were taught penmanship and the art of Elocution. For you youngsters–Elocution is the Art of speaking with correct pronunciation, using proper grammar and with flair (style, grace and beauty).

Writing is more than penmanship. Today we settle for gibberish and sloven tongues. Little thought in the intellectual process.

Thinking … Have you thought about how few people have and original thought? We want everything spoon fed. Children today need more empty boxes as gifts to let THEM dream and play.. Rather than some electronic marvel that does not stimulate the mind.

More blank sheets of paper to create. To reveal their thoughts. Let THEM work though the processes and develop. And not sit dumbfounded before a TV or video..

We need to encourage more to read. Reading permits time to digest thoughts. Time to underline and make notes in the margins. Canned media goes by swiftly and leaves little time for thought and contemplation.

This is just a short list……..I am sure that you can think of many more.

Link | August 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
The Ole Grey One wrote,

Ah, I see the old eyes, small screen and a new keyboard permit some mis typed words.

Oh, well. Ain’t life grand. Smiling.

Link | August 21st, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Rachel wrote,

@ adam - I doubt the birth control pills will go away completely. Some women just medically need them. But you are right, technology has reduced them to once a month, or once a quarter pills.

@ grey one - Dad- you are right. Just remember this when you get the girls coloring books. I have always prefered a stack of clean paper.

Speaking of paper - PAPER BOOKS are going away. Look at amazon. You can buy a gizmo that lets you download books. I don’t know how I would be a student these days without the ability to take notes inside the book that I was studying.

@jacob - do you realize that we probably have the first generation of people who when you ask them what time it is they don’t look at their wrist first. I know that when I stopped wearing a watch, it took me a year to quit looking on my left wrist first.

Link | August 21st, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Rachel wrote,

And looking at my above post, I am reminded that one of the greatest inventions of modern times was the printing press.

Link | August 21st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Jacob Pigott wrote,

Rach- I don’t think you have to worry about Pops and coloring books. Laura’s paper harvest this past birthday proves that…

So does Ryan’s excitement over the new computer. Not that he gets to use it, but because he gets the box when it’s empty…

Also, this is now the Pigott Family blog. All you non-members can just deal

Link | August 22nd, 2008 at 1:52 am
Ike wrote,

Pigott Family Blog?

Funny… it looks like Adam and I are the only ones who own our hosting…

Link | August 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 am
Susan wrote,

movie theaters

Link | August 22nd, 2008 at 12:08 pm