How did gadgets shape technology?

Sources:

Gadgets have significantly influenced the trajectory of technology and human perception. discusses this impact by suggesting that gadgets like telescopes and microscopes have been immensely powerful in helping us understand the universe. However, he also posits that reliance on these designed objects may have delayed our species’ comprehension of natural processes like evolution by fostering a tendency to perceive purpose in complexity, a notion critical to Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection 1.

Furthermore, highlights the evolutionary implications of modern gadgets. He explains that our current technology, including social media and electronic devices, deviates from the natural environments in which human evolution took place. This shift affects social connections and self-presentation. For example, the rise of online dating platforms allows individuals to highly curate their self-presentation, a practice unprecedented in human mating history, which could have significant social impacts 2.

Evolution and Purpose

Richard delves into the impact of technology on human perception, suggesting that our tendency to see purpose in all things may have hindered our understanding of evolution. He highlights the simplicity of Darwin's theory and how the concept of purpose has evolved in the human brain, potentially leading to a self-feeding spiral of progress.
The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins
Christmas Lecture 05: Virtual Reality: Can You Believe What You See?
1
2
RELATED QUESTIONS