How Is The Internet Changing The Way We Think Read And Remember

What is the number one way that the Internet changed how you view the world?

For me personally the one thing that really changed how I view the world was the way that we can now access information. When I was a kid and I had a question about something if it wasn't in my encyclopedia and if my parents or neighbors didn't know it then I was basically screwed and there's no way to ever find out this answer to this question because maybe my teachers would know but most likely didn't because I had very Advanced questions to ask so I viewed the world as a big secret. This was 40 years ago. The way I view the world now it is a simple matter of me generating the question and the answer is simply moments away an amazing luxury that no one on this planet ever got to have until this last generation. I wonder what the effect has been on this generation that they've never had to wait for information to be available what has it done to us? I'm very thankful for the internet because I use it to learn.

Does our reliance upon the internet change the way we remember things?

The anecdotal evidence is strong for this one: nearly everyone I know says “I can’t remember phone numbers anymore” and that sort of thing.However, does that really change the way we remember things? Or is it, instead, that we just stopped practicing these phone numbers by constantly using them?I do know that studies have been done of people who memorize large amounts of information and there are demonstrable changes in their brains (one study regarding London taxi drivers comes to mind). With GPS and navigation apps, it seems unlikely that these taxi drivers will continue to flex their mental muscles to the same extent.But, again, are we altering the way we remember or just what we choose to remember?I think it may be the latter. There was a time when remembering long speeches or passages from the Bible was considered a sign of an exemplary mind. These days, a quick Google and you have whatever you need.So, my answer is “no”. We still remember things the same way - through repetition. We just remember different things because so much of what we used to need to remember we no longer do.That said, we may eventually change the way we remember things. There was a time when our ancestors with poor memories paid for their weakness with their lives. These days, that’s unlikely to be true. So, the genes for poor memories are more likely to be passed down. One day in the not-too-distant future, our progeny may not have much of a memory ability and, furthermore, they may not need it. For all we know, they may have electronic memory implanted in their brains!

What is the most memorable book you have read that you remember and why?

Flowers for AlgernonI read this book in my early teens and it has stuck with me. For a lot of reasons I identify with the main character. It is a wonderful book that I think everyone should read.

How do I change my way of learning mathematics?

Well, I hope you have heard people saying “Try to get a physical understanding of this Physics problem!!”. I still remember those days of my IIT-JEE preparation when I used to think that Mathematics was just a tool that we have to learn and be good at it. Physics was my favourite- I used to really have ‘physical feeling’ of the problems!! But after 4 years of studying ECE I have realized how I wasted my years of JEE preparation by only practising problems and cracking hard JEE sums. Mathematics is something way way beyond.Always remember that you must have a bigger picture of the topic you study, not just the handful of formulas, proofs and sums related to them. Every formula or proof you study in Physics or Chemistry has got a hell lot of Mathematics involved- imagine the guy who first penned down the equation for SHM, the wave equation, the current and voltage equations in RLC circuits and many more.So try to have an attitude that people generally have for physics. Sit down with a proof in Mathematics,try to think, try to get some other way of proving the thing and most importantly try to RELATE that thing to some other topic, try to find SIMILARITY with some other topic.Two years is very short period of time. But you have to work hard all the day. You have to give every moment to you studies. Always remember that if you want to be good in Physics, if you want to be a good engineer in future and if you want to be a good finance student in future, you have to be very good in Mathematics.So change your mentality of how to remember proofs, how to retain them- if you know the bigger picture, if you have known the topic so much that it is really in you, then not only can you remember them but also you can have to ability to create wonders!!

Has smoking weed changed the way you think?

YesSmoking weed has changed not only the way I think about life, but also the way I view people that smoke.When you first start smoking one hit makes you incapable of walking downstairs for pizza rolls and grape soda. You feel paralyzed but in a way that you can move, you are just too lazy.If you smoke throughout the day for a week or two this goes away. You begin to live in a better mood. You have a clearer mind. You become productive. You notice aches and pains going away. I can go on, but I think you get it.I used to think people that smoked pot more than once a year were total fuck ups. Worthless scum of the earth.Now, mentally marijuana has changed my entire outlook on life. I no longer fear death. I no longer have restless nights trying to figure out all 4,000 things going on at one time.I have also gotten over some pretty bad habits. I used to be pretty damn racist, now I've realized that just because other people tell me I need to think one way doesn't mean I have to. I never bullied people for being black, but I enjoyed the jokes and the blaming all my problems on them. It made me feel better and didn't actually harm anyone, so I figured it was no big deal. I think racism in America is blown way out of proportion. At least where I live it isn't that bad, but I can't speak for the entire USA. I feel so much better every day now that I have overcome racism. I have met awesome people now that I'm open to meeting them. Habib Fanny is fucking awesome. 5 years ago I would have probably made a joke about his name and completely disregarded him because he is black. There are a few other quorans, but the internet doesn't speak much. I won't go into detail, but I do so much for the local black community.I recently moved out of my parents’ house and bought all my appliances. I ended up giving it all away plus money to black flood victims. I wanted to help communities that would otherwise be forgotten and left with nothing. I still do not have a washer and dryer. I simply can't afford it now. I also don't have a dishwasher anymore and my refrigerator feels about the size of a zip-loc bag.Yeah, pot has changed me. Hopefully for the better.

How have your reading habits changed over the past couple decades? How much of those changes are a direct result of the internet and technology?

My reading habits haven't changed much. I've always been a reader and, except for when my son was young and I didn't have any free time, I've always read widely and frequently.I listen to books on Audible and on my local library app when driving; before that was an option, I borrowed or bought audio books on CD and, before that, on cassette.I've had a library card since I was five years old and every time I've moved to a new location, I got a new library card right away. I don't physically visit the library as frequently as I used to, but that's mostly because I've moved across town and it's inconvenient. I still use the library.I still shop at bookstores, and especially love used bookstores. There aren't nearly as many bookstores as there used to be, though.The biggest change due to technology is that it's much easier to find specific books thanks to the internet, and quicker to get them thanks to ebooks, Audible, and Amazon Prime shipping. If I heard a book mentioned on the radio, I used to have to remember the name and author and make a trip to the library or bookstore to see if they had it or wait for it to be ordered. Now I can immediately search on the internet even if I don't remember the author's name or the complete title, and read a description, synopsis, large number of reviews and, often, sample pages from the book. Then I have multiple choices for buying it from multiple retailers and the choice to order a hard copy (delivered within two days), audio book, or ebook.Because I have all these options, I am able to be more particular about the books I buy, but I'm also able to browse an unlimited amount of titles. Depending on which way I shop, I might be either more or less likely to chance upon and read a serendipitously unexpected title than if I had gone to a physical shop. In that way, I think reading habits haven't really changed a lot for me.It is really nice to be able to just buy something and have it and begin reading it immediately.