Turning Me On, Turning Me Off

I came across this interesting YouTube video that showed a different way of doing arithmetic:



Apparently, the Egyptians used the binary system to perform mathematical calculations similar to the binary system of on and off switches underlying modern-day computer processing. It's an interesting video worth checking out.

I thought it was impressive to see such a nifty way of computing numbers, but I couldn't help but notice that the method seemed less efficient than modern-day mathematics. For one thing, a lot of board space was used to calculate each operation. There also seemed to be a need for using several mathematical operations in order to perform one calculation. To multiply 17 times 25, for instance, you'd need to know how to double each preceding number, which is fine if the starting point is 25. But what if you had to multiply 17 x 486? Or 285.34 x 8,139.8? Imagine how much board space would be required, not to mention the difficult task of doubling 486 or 8,139.8 (and then doubling their doubles, and then those doubles, and so on). In the end, it's much simpler to just memorize a few times tables, add your partial products, and borrow and carry when needed.

It's ironic that the Egyptian system is similar to the binary system that operates our computers today because with the advent of increased computer and internet use, the binary way of doing things seems to govern our communication and information gathering activities. With vast swaths of information just a few clicks away, memorization becomes increasingly irrelevant in today's society. However, even if we have a world of information right at our fingertips, it's sometimes quicker to just know the answer upfront rather than travel the world (wide web) to find it. Not to mention, the electronic device in question (computer, iPhone, etc.) has to be turned ON in order to retrieve the information. Still, in spite of all these inefficiencies, we seem to be increasing our dependence on technology to store, retrieve, and share our knowledge.

Taking the time to understand, memorize, and predict how things work in order to act effectively is time-consuming at first, but can save a person a wealth of time in the long run. It may not matter for a person's high school term paper whether they've learned an important historical date or not, as long as the answer can be found on Wikipedia. But when it comes to making decisions that affect one's life, sometimes having a readily accessible understanding of concepts and processes will better ensure sound decision-making.

With all the ways of gathering and sharing information at our fingertips, we seem to be getting more inefficient. I can't for the life of me understand how people can forgo the more efficient real-time conversation via the phone or in person for the more time-consuming text message or IM chat. Has the elaborate, time-consuming processing of binary computer calculations seeped into our modus operandi?

When the data that informs us is increasingly governed by the binary system of on- and off-switches, will the collective of society have detrimental gaps in knowledge and wisdom? Will we turn on only those people and ideas we're interested in or agree with and turn off those we're not? What does it mean exactly when someone turns you on or off? When did an action performed on a machine suddenly get attached to human emotion? Why has the concept of turning someone on been branded in popular culture as sexually desirable? (Do you think she might have the answer?) Are we being programmed like robots whose behavior may one day be monitored, governed, or even controlled by the power of an on/off switch? Rhi Rhi and Miss Keri Baby may not mind, but I do!