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Plato and the Nerd: The Creative Partnership of Humans and Technology (Mit Press)

Name: Plato and the Nerd: The Creative Partnership of Humans and Technology (Mit Press)
Price: 17.95 USD
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Rating: 4.3 (21 reviews)

4.3 of 5 Stars: History & Culture - Plato and the Nerd: The Creative Partnership of Humans and Technology (Mit Press)

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Book Synopsis: How humans and technology evolve together in a creative partnership. In this book, Edward Ashford Lee makes a bold claim: that the creators of digital technology have an unsurpassed medium for creativity. Technology has advanced to the point where progress seems limited not by physical constraints but by the human imagination. Writing for both literate technologists and numerate humanists, Lee makes a case for engineering—creating technology—as a deeply intellectual and fundamentally creative process. Explaining why digital technology has been so transformative and so liberating, Lee argues that the real power of technology stems from its partnership with humans.

Lee explores the ways that engineers use models and abstraction to build inventive artificial worlds and to give us things that we never dreamed of—for example, the ability to carry in our pockets everything humans have ever published. But he also attempts to counter the runaway enthusiasm of some technology boosters who claim everything in the physical world is a computation—that even such complex phenomena as human cognition are software operating on digital data. Lee argues that the evidence for this is weak, and the likelihood that nature has limited itself to processes that conform to today's notion of digital computation is remote.

Lee goes on to argue that artificial intelligence's goal of reproducing human cognitive functions in computers vastly underestimates the potential of computers. In his view, technology is coevolving with humans. It augments our cognitive and physical capabilities while we nurture, develop, and propagate the technology itself. Complementarity is more likely than competition.

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Looking for a book that explores the extraordinary partnership between humans and technology? Look no further than Plato and the Nerd: The Creative Partnership of Humans and Technology. Written by Edward Ashford Lee, this book delves into the fascinating relationship between creators and digital technology, arguing that it is the ultimate medium for creativity. Whether you're a literate technologist or a numerate humanist, Lee's captivating insights will leave you inspired.

So, what makes digital technology so transformative and liberating? Lee contends that its true power lies in its collaboration with humans. Engineers use models and abstraction to build groundbreaking artificial worlds, allowing us to access information at our fingertips and experience things we could never have imagined. However, Lee also challenges the notion that everything in the physical world can be reduced to computation. He believes that nature's processes far surpass what traditional digital computation can accomplish.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Plato and the Nerd is Lee's perspective on artificial intelligence. While many believe that the goal of AI is to replicate human cognitive functions in computers, Lee takes a different approach. He argues that technology coevolves with humans, enhancing our cognitive and physical abilities. Rather than viewing it as a competition, Lee emphasizes the complementarity between humans and technology.

Are you ready to delve into the captivating world of human-technology partnership? Discover the endless possibilities and immerse yourself in Edward Ashford Lee's thought-provoking book, Plato and the Nerd: The Creative Partnership of Humans and Technology. Join the conversation and order your copy today by clicking here.

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