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Computers Quote by Lewis Thomas

“It is in our collective behavior that we are the most mysterious. We won't be able to construct machines like ourselves until we've understood this, and we're not even close. All we know is the phenomenon: we spend our time sending messages to each other, talking and trying to listen at the same…” quote by Lewis Thomas
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““It is in our collective behavior that we are the most mysterious. We won't be able to construct machines like ourselves until we've understood this, and we're not even close. All we know is the phenomenon: we spend our time sending messages to each other, talking and trying to listen at the same time, exchanging information. This seems to be our most urgent biological function; it is what we do with our lives. By the time we reach the end, each of us has taken in a staggering store, enough to exhaust any computer, much of it incomprehensible, and we generally manage to put out even more than we take in. Information is our source of energy; we are driven by it. It has become a tremendous enterprise, a kind of energy system on its own. All 3 billion of us are being connected by telephones, radios, television sets, airplanes, satellites, harangues on public-address systems, newspapers, magazines, leaflets dropped from great heights, words got in edgewise. We are becoming a grid, a circuitry around the earth.””

Lewis Thomas

About This Quote

Source Essay: “The Lives of a Cell”, 1970

Human communication forms a massive, self‑reinforcing information network that drives civilization, yet its complexity exceeds our current understanding.

In simple terms: We are a global information grid.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and manage the flow of information.

Themes

communication technology complexity

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

  • social media use
  • news consumption
  • collaborative work
  • public speaking

Key Concepts

information theory network effects cognitive overload

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you filter essential information?
  • What role does silence play in a noisy world?
A Different Perspective

Information overload can impair decision‑making and mental health.

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