The Software Mind

It is one of my firmly-held beliefs, that Technology changes people - sometimes very rapidly. People are adaptable, and can adapt themselves to any successful technology.

From the very first, we learned how to live almost anywhere! Using Language, no doubt - perhaps our first Technology. And our large brains. And our bipedal locomotion, and our lack of body hair. And frontal sexual intercourse. And our ability to tolerate rapid change. of every kind.

How we ended up with such a strange combination - a large brain, bipedal locomotion, lack of body hair, and frontal sex - we do not know, but that is what we ended up with - and this is what makes us human.

Our mind is somehow connected with our brain - how we do not know how, but we know it is, for sure.

But a large part of our mind is not connected with our brain - but with our technologies. Here again, we do not know how - but we know it is, for sure.

Once we have a successful technology - we have the mind that goes with it - and helps us use it. All three go together - the technology, the people that use it, and the mind that connects them.

For example: the Railroads, that were one of the dominant technologies of the 19th Century. Back then, the Railroad Mind preoccupied most people's minds. And they could think of little else - but how to be part of it. As a result, the Railroads grew and grew - until and the cars, trucks, and highway networks - a competing technology, took over.

But time rushed on, and the Computer preoccupied us - in much the same way. The computer had its own mind - the Software that operated it. And some Human Minds were able understand the Computer Minds - and merge with it. Somewhat to the horror of the other Humans, who were left behind.

Software is now changing at a rapid pace - that Software Developers can barely keep up with.