Nicholas Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

1.  Even if humans become "pancake people" with wide but shallow information networks, what makes that kind of intelligence "artificial?"
2. Because the internet only networks us to other human beings and directs us to their thoughts and ideas (as opposed to forming ideas of its own), how are ideas and perspectives gained over the web different than those gained in a lecture or from a book?
3. The same way that the invention of the gun has not stopped people from training their bodies for strength in self-defense, isn't it likely that those who value their ability to read slowly and thoughtfully will exercise that ability to maintain it?

In his article Is Google Making Us Stupid? Carr questions the effect of internet technology on the human brain, fearing that it may result in our brains becoming mere data processors instead of deep thinkers. While I think human history reflects the fact that, generally speaking, people use more efficient technology to substitute their own abilities (e.g. the printing press vs. transcribing things by hand), and it's not unreasonable to assume that, with the internet doing so much of the thinking for us, people will rely increasingly on the internet to gather data and make connections, I think a very fundamental part of being human is continuing to strive for increased abilities within oneself, and being self-reliant to a certain degree, if no other reason than just for the personal satisfaction.

For example, a gun is an extremely efficient and effective killing and/or self-defense machine. One could argue that by owning a gun, all forms of hand-to-hand combat become obsolete. However there will always be those, even with guns and other weapons available, who choose to train their own bodies so that they are capable of defending themselves without any external aid. I think that likewise, many deep-thinkers will continue to exercise their brains and maintain their ability to form those rich, deep connections that Carr fears people will lose in this Age of the Internet. I personally spend ridiculous amounts of time on the internet, and have for most of my life since middle school, and yet my ability to read slowly, savor words on paper, and think deeply about the things I've read seems to be unaffected. While I don't consider my personal experience to be representative of internet-users as a whole, I think it speaks to the innate diversity of different people's minds to a certain stimuli.