If Man is from Mars, Computers are from Outer Space
From: The Inquirer (UK) - 11/21/2007
By: Wendy M. Grossman

Donald Norman's 1988 book, "The Design of Everyday Things," argued that
technology needs to adapt and be easier for humans to use. After working as a
"user experience architect" at Apple from 1993 to 1997, Norman has reversed
his position. In his new book, "The Design of Future Things," Norman argues
that since humans are more adaptable than machines, and going forward people
will need to work with more complex cars, appliances, and other technologies,
then people are the ones who will have to change. Norman particularly fights
the idea that as computers become more advanced they will naturally be easier
to use, arguing instead that humans need to be better able at using advanced
computers. "I'm thinking that people are from Earth and machines are from
outer space," Norman says. Norman also questions the proponents of
singularity technology. "I don't go for the singularity arguments," says
Norman, "but I do worry about the hybrid, where we're going to add more and
more prostheses - electronic, then nano, eventually biological - into
ourselves, and so we'll be a different species with perfect memory, better
eyesight, better hearing, stronger." Norman wonders what will happen when the
latest human technologies are incompatible with earlier versions.  

Read the entire article at:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/21/norman-speakers-corner

Link:
The Design of Future Things
http://www.jnd.org/books.html

DJ comment:
Will the capabilities of current humans be considered "disabled" by future
species with nanoprostheses?