Skip to main content

The Dawn of the E-Age and the End of Paper

It has been variously predicted that paper will go extinct within the next few decades. Enter the age of electronic money, electronic books, and of course, electronic communication. It is the age of Google, Facebook, Skype, Scribd, Wikipedia, and YouTube. Emailing has superceded the courier and ipads are replacing the school bag and the library.

One should be aware by now that anyone having an internet connection has access to the largest library in the world. It is a library larger than men have ever dreamed of. The search engines provide the most up to date indexes ever. Much information is available free of cost. Also, books can be viewed, borrowed, bought, and downloaded. They are now available in different formats, kindle, epub, pdf, djvu, and simple txt to name a few. Most of these can be viewed on smartphones even. Many are turning to ipads as the essential book reader and research tool. And, interestingly, the Government of India has announced its intention to make available tablet PCs to students at a cost as low as Rs.1750 ($35) only. The new device is called "Aakash" [See Aakash, IBN News]. The Government seems a bit unhappy with paper. It encourages uploading of documents through internet and requests customers to not print railway tickets on paper, rather carry them on mobile phones or laptops. Check this GIF from the IRCTC.CO.IN page for instance.

There are some disadvantages of the internet for sure. But, then the adage of Sir Francis Bacon applies to this age as well: "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention," with this caveat, "some must be avoided as one would avoid poison". The fruit of the tree of knowledge in itself is fatal anyway.
Related articles

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Placebo and the Philosophy of Mind and Matter in Drug Research

A placebo is a non-therapeutic substance administered under the camouflage of medication to deceive patients into believing that they are receiving medications; this done solely for psychological and not for physiological effects. Placebo may usually be used to compare its effects with the effects of other drugs in drug research. Let's take the case of an experiment that tries to establish whether a particular drug, say to treat weariness, is genuine or merely has the effects of a placebo. Suppose 20 candidates are chosen for this experiment. 10 are given the drug and the rest are put on a placebo while they are told that the placebo is a genuine medication. They need to make sure that the deception is well carried on for the success of the experiment. If both the groups make similar improvements after taking the treatments, the new drug seems to only function as a placebo in effect. The basic hypothesis of the placebo raises the question of mind over matter. Of course, this pushes...
Post a Comment
Read more

This is My Father's World - Hymn (w/ Hindi Translation)

ENGLISH This is my father's world And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres This is my father's world The birds their carols raise The morning light, the lily white Declare their maker's praise This is my father's world I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas His hand the wonders wrought This is my father's world Oh, let me never forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet This is my father's world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens ring God reigns, let the earth be glad This is my father's world He shines in all that's fair In the rustling grass, I hear him pass He speaks to me everywhere In the rustling grass, I hear him pass He speaks to me everywhere HINDI ये मेरा पिता का जहां और मेरे सुनते कानों में सारी कुदरत गाती झूमती है सरगम वो रचना की ये मेरा पिता का जहां पक्षियां भी गाती है सुबह का तेज, और सोसन श्‍वेत उसकी महिमा सुनाते है ये...
Post a Comment
Read more

3 Facts About Temptation

M...L...S 1. Temptation is MOMENTARY. It won't last forever. The devil tries to make it look as the final reality. But, it is not. It is just a test, and it'll be over; but, the question is whether you'll pass it. 2. Temptation is a Test of LOVE; and LOVE is an action. Love fulfills all the commandments. The two greatest are LOVE GOD with all your being and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself. But, love is not a feeling or emotion; it is an action. We need to LOVE Him more in the moment of temptation; it can only be possible when we focus on Him. 3. Temptation will make you STRONGER and PURER. It may stretch your muscle; but, not beyond your capacity; and then the HELPER, our TRAINER is there with us and knows what will make us stronger... Despite all this, let us never forget to pray: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!"
Post a Comment
Read more