Grasp the brain

How to become the elite of the information society

The column I write based on a conversation at the bar. Several people who are trying to understand the impact of technology on everyday life, decided to discuss what I could do with your brain. The need to tackle the brain no doubt - the time is now, it has to run just to stay in place. Here are just ready for this if the brain has got to us from anywhere especially not hurrying ancestors?

Culture, education - all prepare us for life in the "slow" a world where enough time for idle curiosity and thoughtful reading thick books. However, the information explosion has made the usual behavior of the program is hopelessly outdated. Unable to process the daily flood of information the old methods. And where to get the resources to work simultaneously on several projects, and even in several places, as required by the times? And how to communicate, if friends, colleagues and acquaintances are always available and are on a click away?

In general, the brain is urgently needed an upgrade. Those who make it will be the elite of the information age: how to fish, they will swim in the sea of data, fishing out valuable knowledge and solutions, while others flounder and sink. So what is taken to be elected?

Gathered at the bar began to share their experiences. It is possible to briefly accelerate the brain with the help of nootropics - chemicals like Phenotropil and Modafinil. But little benefit from them: in the best case, do a little more cheerful, and that if taken occasionally. Someone tries to transcranial magnetic or electric stimulation of the brain - the devices for it is easy to buy, but my sense from them is not greater than that of homeopathy and other placebo.

Someone suggested to expand the capabilities of the brain by inserting implants into it. The point, perhaps, is good, but where to take them? While implants made only from hearing. Well, some enthusiasts-biohacking strive to sew their new senses and gain the ability to echolocation, or the feeling of electric fields. And it is even more overload of information we have, which we do not have time to process.

It is believed that a man have steeper intelligent implants, and he enters the elite. It seems to be convincing. But is the future different from the present implants with gadgets? We are already cyborgs with all your "smart" devices - just wear ekzokorteks, he's external brain, in your pocket, rather than trying to insert it into your skull. And what, one steeper than iPhone, the smarter or manages more?

In my opinion, our creativity is not determined by the coolness of gadgets today, and independent of them. Smartphones and other computers - not just tools that serve our purposes. Not to a lesser extent, they control us, to play games offered by them according to the rules proposed by them.

In the virtual world it is very easy to get the reward - a virtual, of course, like Laika, points earned, illusory victories. A behavior that is reinforced by reward repeated. This is the simplest a great law of human behavior, as well as other living beings. Behind him are the complex mechanisms associated with the reinforcement centers in the brain and neurotransmitter dopamine. By the way, the legendary guinea pig presses the pedal, to provoke a "pleasure center" to the point of exhaustion, not because it is good, but because it all the time it seems that is about to become a well - so dopamine leads us to repeat the behavior. In general, we are addicted to electronic drugs - this is the reason the current epidemic of procrastination when we get bogged down in social networking or gaming, instead of to get started.

This brings me to the answer to the question how to become the elite of the information age. I fear only one option: through self-discipline. For those who would be incapable of it, there are external carrots and sticks to force something to do in between pressing the "pedal".

It seems to be easy. Do not hang out in chat rooms and social networks when you need something to do. Do not catch the Pokémon. Stop just that trifle smartphone. Easy to say! Nothing more complicated than that, maybe not! So in fact because the elite and that it be very difficult.