ALL IN THE MIND: SCIENTIFIC METAPHORS
It is certainly true that computers, cellphones and digital cameras have become part of our everyday life. Anywhere we go, we can hear the ringing of a cellphone, the tapping of a keyboard or the clicking of a mouse. We are said to be living in the “Information Age”, a time of new discoveries and great changes. But is it really true that we are living in the “Information Age”? Has our life changed that much? Many of the things we do with computers，such as typing and sending mail，are things that we also did before．Has anything really changed except the tools we use?
When we describe or talk about new inventions，we use words and ideas that we already know．For example，when we want to explain how a computer works，we use words like “memory”, “store” and “cut and paste”. The words are useful，but they are not quite true．A computer’s “memory” is similar to human memory in some ways，but it is also very different．A computer does keep information in its memory, but that is clearly different from other kinds of storage．We do cut and paste，but we don’t use scissors or glue．Using familiar words makes it easier for us to understand and use a new tool，but it may also make it more difficult for us to use the new invention in the best way．After all，what makes a new invention such a wonderful thing is that it allows us to do something we could not do before．
Science is not just about electronics and plastic；it is also about how we think about the world．Now that we are developing new technology at such a high pace，the true challenge is to find new ways of using it．How will we use computers in the future? How will we use the Internet? The real function will only be known once we discover new ways of thinking about the technology |