The boon of the information age

I went on a bit of a tear yesterday about how quickly the available technology has outstripped our need. All of that being true, maybe now would be a good time to note one of the most positive changes that all of this has made. The world has gotten to be a smaller place.
I started writing this blog for fun, just to get out those little ideas that rattle around in my skull. (Like I said in a previous post, I like attention.) The Internet is possibly the largest open forum the planet has ever seen. Still, I've been looking to see where my audience is. So far, it isn't huge, but I've had people read from such places as New Zealand and Spain.
Computer technology has made it easier for people to share ideas regardless of where they come from. A brilliant discovery in the most remote parts of Brazil's rain forests can be part of the intellectual community in minutes. Just think about the ramifications for pharmacological and environmental research. If a new cancer cure or change in climate were found today, we would be reading about it tomorrow.
The possibility of telemedicine is just amazing. It is theoretically possible for a surgeon in New York City to remove an appendix at the south pole. With an aging population, it is now possible for geriatric specialist to care for people in their own homes. Getting help when you need it is a lot easier too.
Education could really benefit from the computer age. Just imagine a future class room. No more chalk boards. A teacher would just write with a stylus on a computer screen, and it would display on a large monitor at the head of the class. Text books could go the way of the dodo bird. Have you lifted a kids backpack lately? Those books are murder! Not to mention expensive. It would be great if books could be produced on discs, with hard copy backups.
While we are working on a faster, more reliable Internet, why can't we make inexpensive tablet computers that students can use, no matter what their economic situation? There is one company that is attempting it. I think we should support that effort.
We have the ideas, now it's time to start sharing them. If we start talking, especially the younger generations, maybe we won't spend as much time fighting over what we THINK the other believes.