The end of wondering

Among all the many great things the internet allows and provides, from distant and disparate communications to entertainment to insight, it has completely obviated the need to wonder about simple facts. I have learned that writing 'I wonder what ever happened to Sade (she of the smooth operator), for instance, in an e-mail is an act of pure laziness and obtusity (if that's a word - yes it is). The very act of writing that e-mail means you are connected to the answer to your question, and with just a few seconds of searching, you will have your answer. That is utterly remarkable.

At no point in human history has anyone outside of the world's best libraries had such complete access to knowledge. We are all privy to a Library of Alexandria that can never burn down. (it could be destroyed by other means). If one could stand it, I suspect most of the great works of fiction are out there as well, free for the taking. That is mind blowing.

And so we are left to truly ponder our navels, able to ask the big questions, knowing that their answers lie somewhere we have not yet reached. We have, for the most part, climbed to the very top of Maslow's Pyramid and can look down at all the universe has to offer. Lots of people in this world are not so lucky, but if you're reading this, you're probably awfully close. It is a privileged position to be in, one that only the most meager number of people in the long history of our species have managed.

How are those navels doing?