【AnExtensionoftheHumanBrainOtherpeoplecanhelpuscompensateforourmentalandemotionaldeficiencies(欠缺)，muchasawoodenlegcancompensateforaphysicaldeficiency.Tobeexactotherpeoplecanextendourintelligenceand】

　　AnExtensionoftheHumanBrain

　　Otherpeoplecanhelpuscompensateforourmentalandemotionaldeficiencies(欠缺)，muchasawoodenlegcancompensateforaphysicaldeficiency.Tobeexactotherpeoplecanextendourintelligenceandhelpusunderstandandadjustouremotions.WhenanotherpersonhelpsusinsuchwaysheorsheisparticipatinginwhatI’vecalleda＂socialprosthetic(义肢的）system.＂Suchsystemsdonotneedtooperateface-to-faceandit’scleartomethattheInternetisexpandingtherangeofmyownsocialprostheticsystems.It’salreadyabigbankofmanyminds.EveninitscurrentstatetheInternethasextendedmymemoryandjudgment.

　　Regardingmemory:OnceIlookupsomethingontheInternetIdon’tneedtokeepallthedetailsforfutureuse—Iknowwheretofindthatinformationagainandcanquicklyandeasilydoso.MoregenerallytheInternetfunctionsasifitweremymemory.ThisfunctionoftheInternetisparticularlystrikingwhenI’mwriting;I’mnolongercomfortablewritingifI’mnotconnectedtotheInternet.It’sbecomenaturaltocheckfactsasIwritetakingaminuteortwotodipintoPubMedWikipediaorotherwebsites.

　　Regardingjudgment:TheInternethasmademesmarterinmatterssmallandlarge.ForexamplewhenI’mwritingatextbookithasbecomesecondnaturetocheckadozendefinitionsofakeytermwhichhelpsmedigintothecoreandunderstanditsmeaning.ButmorethanthatInowregularlycomparemyviewswiththoseofmanyothers.IfIhavea＂newidea＂Inowquicklylooktoseewhethersomebodyelsehasalreadythoughtofitorsomethingsimilar—andIthencomparewhatIthinkwithwhatothershavethought.Thiscertainlymakesmyownviewsclearer.MoreoverIcanfindoutwhethermyreactionstoaneventarereasonableenoughbyreadingaboutthoseofothersontheInternet.

　　TheseeffectsoftheInternethavebecomeevenmorestrikingsinceI’vebegunusingasmartphone.Inowregularlypulloutmyphonetocheckafactwatchavideoreadweibo.Suchactivitiesfillthespacesthatusedtobedeadtime(suchaswaitingforsomebodytoarriveforalunchmeeting).

　　Butthat’stheupside(好处).ThedownsideisthatinthosedeadperiodsIoftenwouldletmythoughtsflowandsometimeswouldhaveanunexpectedinsightoridea.Thoseopportunitiesarenow