Smartphones trying to outsmart humans

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The study of Zoology, rarely emphasised in all-too many academic spheres these days, is undoubtedly one of the most complex of academic disciplines. To those with even mild curiosity it might seem God doesn’t make his data locker so easy to hack. Oh, let’s be clear, the study of animals and their behaviours is of major importance to all of us because, here’s a clue: it seems we’re actually, all of us, “animals;” really? Look at the use of the ‘smart’ phone today.

An old wise man once told me if someone had to tell you what something was when they told you about it, they were likely lying to you and in some cases what turned out to be true would be exactly the opposite of what they were telling you. He was right ‘smart’. Indeed, I wouldn’t ever trust the news that comes on a smartphone; it’s proven disastrously wrong time and again and what would you expect, full access to God’s database without a recurring charge or a premium version?

Indeed, using their ‘smartphones’ today, social media followers go around, sometimes walking (and driving) into things, all the time with their eyes (and mind’s focuses) on the little screens in their hands – not on the real world around them. How can we expect them to know what is really going on? A sadly plausible analogy presents itself with the story of the lemming, the poor creature; it has an internal smartphone that only has one “app” (application programme).

All powerful and controlling, the Lemming app tells the animal and a million others instantaneously everything it wants them to know about following the herd’s direction. It’s said the lemmings, in their social media stampedes, devour everything possible in their rampage, and in the end, often mindlessly throw themselves off precipices (cliffs) by the hundreds of thousands – to their deaths.

Now, there’s an analogy that fits what’s going on today and I’ll send you a text, blah, blah, blah.

ED MCCOY

Bokeelia, Florida