6 Minute English - Are computers making us dumb

Oh, are you right, Neil? Are you playing your smartphone game, are you?

What was that? Yes, sorry Rob. Just listen to something on my smartphone. You know a kind of phone which allow you to go online.

Oh, I can see that. But are you waiting for a call?

No, I just carry it with me all times. Where I go the phone goes. No phone, no Neil.

OK but why do you mean your phone so much?

Why? What if I need to go somewhere how do I find my way? What about the weather? Is it rain today? I need to know this things.

Why don'y you just look up the sky and see if it is cloudy?

Look up to see if it is going to rain? I have an app.

Which you show off your application, which is a computer program for a specific purpose. My app tells me the weather, and this one does what's matter I need. And this one for translations, and this one here can tell me what ...

OK OK. I get the point. Today we are going to talk about computers and we'll bring you some words connected with digital age.

Connected, to connect. We use it for a lot, it means to link or join one thing to another thing. In this case, connected means linked to the internet.

OK, I can see you very excited about the computers. So that's what my question is all about. The first commercial produced desktop computer is designed and produced by Italian company XXXX and present it at an event in New York. When did that happen? In
(a) 1955
(b) 1965
(c) 1975

Well, I think it's (a) 1955.

Very interesting. You will get the right answer at the end of the programme. Now let's talk about computers. You couldn't live without them. But an American technology writer XXXX. the author of the book called, the glass cage, will alternation is taking us, think they might cause problems.

Problems?  They cause us problem when they crash. That is what we said computer suddenly stop working.

Well not just that. Let's listen to XXXX, he says if we relay too much on computers we lose something. But what is it?

The ability of computers to do things we used to do is growing astronomically. And we ware rushing the hand over to computers, texts, activities both are work life of our personal life. And what you begin to see is what often called descaling the affect. The person becoming relay on computers because they are not exercise in their own talent. Those talent began to fade and we began to lose as a result the unique things that human beings can do that, computer can't, feel anphnacy, take a brok, prospective, interpenetrate all the stuff that can be turned into data.

According to XXX, using computers means we are losing skills. He talking about descaling,  a scale is its ability to do something well because we practice it.

And he also talk about the lost of talent. Talent is a natural ability to do something. You don't have to learn it. You are just naturally good at it. It's something we all born with. XXX says relaying on computers means our talent is fading because we don't use it anymore.

And he goes even further. And says we are losing some other things that make us human, like anphathy, the ability to imagine and understand what other people might be feeling.

So do you agree with it right, Neil?

I think he has got the point actually.

It's like the friendship we make on social media. It's nice to get to know new people in different countries. But we have to remember it is important to talk face-to-face too.

So maybe we should use GPS to find out way around the all time. GPS, the global positioning system, which give us direction with the help of satellite orbiting the earth. Instead, have a conservation with someone, ask for direction.

Perhaps we can give the spell check a mis occasionally. A spell check is very useful software which help us avoid making spelling mistakes when we typing on the computer.  But is it good to actually learn how to spell word properly and not leave everything with machine.

Good idea, Rob. I'm try not relaying so much on digital technology. Computer hits this day and now become more and more sophisticated but we have to remember they are just tools.

Yes, computers are here to stay. And by the way, when was the first commercially produced desktop computer launched? As I told you, It was designed and crated by XXX and launched in New York. But when was it launched?  Was it 1955, 1965 or 1975?

And I said 1955.

Perhaps you should ask your smartphone because the correct answer is actually b 1965.

I don't believe it.
--
Are you alright, Neil? Are you playing on your smartphone game, again, are you?

what was that? Yes, sorry Rob. Just listen to Yeah, sorry, Rob… just doing something on my smartphone, you know, the kind of phone which allow allows you to go online.

Oh I can see that. But are you waiting for a call?

No, I just carry it with me at all times. Where I go, the phone goes. No phone, no Neil!

OK, but why do you mean need your phone so much?

Why?! What if I need to go somewhere how do somewhere? How will I find my way? What about the weather? Is Will it rain today? I need to know this these things.

Why don't you just look up in the sky and see if it is cloudy?

Look up to see if it is going to rain?! I have an app

Which you show off your which is short for an application, which is a computer program programme for a specific purpose. My app tells me the weather... weather… and this one does what's matter all the maths I need. Andthis need… and here's one for translations, and this one here… can tell me what ...

OK, OK, OK, I get the point. Today we're going to talk talking about computers - – and we'll bring you some words connected with the digital age.

Connected – to connect – we use it for this verb a lot. It means to link, or join, one thing to another thing. In this case, connected means linked to the internet.

OK, I can see you are very excited about computers. So that's what my question is all about. The first commercial commercially produced "desktop computer" is was designed and produced by the Italian company XXXXand present it Olivetti and presented at an event in New York. When did that it happen? In Was it in:

Well, I think it's (a) 1955.


Very interesting. You'ill You'll get the right answer at the end of the programme. Now, let's talk about computers. You couldn't can't live without them but an American technology writer XXXX. Nicholas Carr, the author ofthe a book called 'The Glass Cage - will alternation where automation is taking us', think thinks they might cause problems.

Problems?! They cause us problem problems when they crash – that's what we said say when our computer suddenly stop stops working

Well, not just that. Let's listen to XXXX, he Nicholas Carr. He says if we relay rely too much on computers we lose something. But what is it?

The ability of computers to do things we used to do is growing astronomically and we're rushing the to hand over to computers texts, tasks, activities – both are in our work life of lives and in our personal life. lives – andwhat you begin to see is what is often called descaling the affect. a de-skilling effect. The person becoming relay reliant on computers; because they are not exercise in exercising their own talent, talents, those talentbegan to fade and we began talents begin to fade. And we begin to lose, as a result, the unique things that human beings can do that computer computers can't: feel anphnacy, empathy, take a brok prospective,interpenetrate broad perspective, interpret all the stuff that can can't be turned into data.

According to XXX, Nicholas Carr, using computers means that we are losing skills – He talking he talks about descaling, a scale 'de-skilling'. A skill is its the ability to do something well because we practice we've practisedit.

And he also talk talks about the lost loss of talent – Talent talent is a natural ability to do something – you don't didn't have to learn it, you're just naturally good at it. It's something we we're all born with. XXX Carr saysrelaying that relying on computers means our talent is fading because we don't use it any more.

And he goes even further and says we're losing some other of the things that make us human, like anphathy, empathy, the ability to imagine and understand what other people might be feeling.

So, do you agree with it right, this writer, Neil?

I think he's got the a point actually.

It's like the friendship friendships we make on social media. It is nice to get to know new people in different countries, but we have to remember that it's important to talk face-to-face to people face-toface too.

So… maybe we should shouldn't use GPS to find out our way around the all the time. GPS, the global positioning system which give gives us directions with the help of satellites orbiting the Earth… instead, have a conversation with someone – ask for directions.

Yes, and perhaps we can give the spell check a mis spellchecker a miss occasionally. A spell check is spellchecker is a very useful piece of software which help helps us avoid making spelling mistakes when we we're typing on the a computer but... is but… it is good to actually learn how to spell word the words properly and not leave everything with to the machine.

Good idea, Rob. I'm I'll try not relaying to rely so much on digital technology. Computer hits this day and now Computers are here to stay and they'll become more and more sophisticated, but we have to remember they are just tools.

Yes, computers are here to stay. And by the way, when was the first commercially produced "desktop computer" launched? As I told you, it was designed and crated by XXX created by Olivetti and launched in New York. But when was it launched? Was it: 1955, 1965 or 1975?

And I said 1955.

Perhaps you should ask your smartphone because the correct answer is actually (b) 1965.

I don't believe it!