“cognitive prosthesis”

[jason]

There are 1760 links for “cognitive prosthesis” on Google. And they’re probably all ‘wrong’ [sic]. I’ve been talking with Ricky Buchanan of Atmac fame about writing an article or series on the computer, specifically my mac, as a “cognitive prosthesis”. I’m not interested in the futuristificially quaint notions of human/technology interfaces that Stelarc or Steve Mann are interested in. I’ve got a much more mundane foundation. Stonehenge or a Candle Clock or even a Summerian Clay Tablet stands as a “cognitive prosthesis”. You don’t have to look forward at all. Tools we use to think with, tools for conviviality… anything that helps the old cortex get the job done, can be seen as a “cognitive prosthesis”. The question is for me… what are the affordances, and the limitations. What are the explicit, hidden and null curricula (see Eisner and/or Jackson for more on this) of the prosthetic devices. And most importantly, what are the critical lenses that we are bringing to focus on these tools that both help us thing, and control/limit what can be thought, and how.

Hmmmm…. time for tea.