The end of the year provides a good excuse to reflect on the way forward. In my search for knowing the reasons behind a change of heart on the place to retire in after work, I stumbled upon my own narrative shift. That led me to thinking about signalling at large, and the impact it has on the lives we lead.
As the world and its system progress, many things which were formerly life skills are increasingly outsourced or automated. What would happen if we had to go back to them? Can we handle the scenario without a playbook?
Our capacity to feel, imagine and visualise led us to abstractions which allowed us to communicate with each other. Even the idea of consciousness is an abstraction of complex neural interactions. Over time, abstractions have made their way into many spheres of our lives. What lies next?
You’re familiar with that – it’s one of Facebook’s birthday reminders. Until some time back, I used to religiously wish folks on their birthday. But I have stopped that, it felt like cheating. To me, this sort of wishing reduced the significance of the event and the wish, and almost brought it to the level […]