Here are two quotes from The Shallows that intrigued me:

“The potential for unwelcome neuroplastic adaptations…the more difficult it becomes to turn back” (35)

“Looking ahead to future applications…such things are only for posterity, not for us.” (80)

One line that struck me was about how the mental skills we sacrifice may be more valuable than the ones we gain. That’s a scary thought, but it does make sense. It is good that our brain adapts to the environment, but with bad habits, it can be for the worse. I wonder how much can be forgotten. When taking certain subjects back in high school, I would always forget the material soon after taking the exam the material was on. It’s as if I didn’t learn at all. Some things are engrained in our brains, while others are not though. Once you learn a new language and speak it fluently, can you ever forget all of it? I would think not, but I don’t know. I have heard about intellectual decay, which is why I’ve heard recommendations to exercise your brain when you get older. Will we be able to know at what rate the circuits weaken?

De Forest’s prediction of monitoring brain waves and quantifying emotion is a scary thought. If it happens, people may get obsessed with the numbers. I would be fascinated by it, but it seems complicated and it might be misleading. It would be cool if a professor could directly insert knowledge to the brain, but it sounds dangerous. It wouldn’t be that simple. He made a lot of future predictions, but I am skeptical of them. I don’t think we should mess with our brains that much. While useful, it may be dangerous or be harmful in the long run.