Extended mind, memory

For this week, I am exceptionally fascinated by the concept of 'extended mind', which is closely related to the process of 'memory'. In most cases, unlike films, videos, memories of events are not constructed in refined details, we may not precisely remember what date the events have happened, who you have seen on that day, whose number you have there on your notebook, lots and lots of details that may forgotten as time goes. Here comes with the most amazing part where the arrival of 'extended mind', profoundly changes our interpretation of the event holds, as well as to store much more memories than how much our brains can do. 

Simply saying, extended mind is described as parts of environment or objects that are utilised to the extention of our brain. That being said, it suggests that 'extended mind' is now tied to our perceptions and memories in a way that acting as our external resource assisting us in more and more cognitive functions. In other words, it has generally empowered what is originally there with our natural sense to correlate the surroundings. Now this enhancement has helped us to expand our capabilities to get access with more information that we needed, or goes beyond the restriction of what we can't do with our brains. 

To make it clear, an example is given here. We no longer use our brain to overload with phone numbers as phones can do all that for us. Phones in most cases, are our extended minds. So do vehicles and other tools that we use to collaborate in our daily basis. As being said, the prevalent use of portable phones, or even other forms of media have largely allowed us to exchange and interact with more messages coming from all directions. Like Facebook birthday reminders, and event pages are highly organised there for viewing, and aiding us to remember the upcoming ones when they are getting closer. Even though at some extents, this could be seen as an induction of the obsolescense of the human (Stiegler) up to the point when we are starting to dependent on what media provide us there. We might even have lost parts of our abilities to learn how to memorize things. But here is just an assumption of a possibility, because for me, extended mind, the term, in relation to what we use to restore or recall our memories have made my life easier to an extent of well-organised with my better time management. In all aspects that I can think of, I don't fully rely on every bit of information or being manipulated by it. At least, I still have all those memories in my head that I value the most, these things don't need to be marked down by any forms of media...

Reference:

Stiegler, B, 'Anamnesis and Hypomnesis: Plato as the first thinker of the proletarianisation', http://arsindustrialis.org/anamnesis-and-hypomnesis, date accessed 25/03/2014