Overload

I have a theory that explains my tendency to use the computer. We humans are very complicated organisms capable of sensing and processing so many data. View transformation and sphere vision correction, real-time cocktail party effect solution, instant recall of memory coupled with smell, extremely efficient pattern matching and planning, telepathy with other organisms, etc. are only a small part of what we do daily.

All of these are overwhelming. Comparing to what we sense from real world, the computer only gives me a 1920×1080 matrix of 24-bit color information and a 16-bit quantized audio stream sampled at 48kHz. While this is nowhere near what the real life has to offer, the Internet gives a false feeling that with the limited and quarantined information, we can get to know everything happening in the physical world, without leaving the comfort zone or being intimidated by external factors.

Try unplugging from the Internet. I did it sometime before I really dug into computer science, and the computer instantly turned into a dumb machine, like a microwave or a broken VHS tape rewinder.

Get out the door and feel the world. Then come back and compare.