BELIEVE THEN VERIFY

With technology advancing so quickly, is it not surprising that we really can believe almost anything these days? Case in point: I was perusing YouTube videos and came upon a video about a new concept car that was hovering around the streets in China to the amazement of everyone, including this writer. I soon began to figure out how the normal driver would maneuver through sidewalks and streets, then I thought about something that would make everything okay…separate lanes for the Hover mobile, yes it can work! A couple of days passed, and as I thought about the neat little car that I would willingly sign up for, I decided to see how long it would be before the average consumer could possess the new-age product; sadly, I discovered that the Hover mobile was a lie! Thank you Snopes.com for bursting my bubble! At that moment, I realized that so many amazing inventions had occurred so quickly, many of us believe that anything is possible. To be honest, I still can’t truly comprehend the Worldwide Web, or for that matter, how a small chip could create artificial intelligence – not to shortchange myself completely, I can explain the fundamentals of computing, but it doesn’t mean I understand it. Looking back in history, it is safe to say that generations before my generation, the Boomers, were more skeptical; probably because most of their information was derived via word of mouth or the radio; and after Orson Welles, “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938, I guess it is understandable. For instance, my eighth-grade science teacher, only a few years from retiring, devoted an entire class on explaining to us why the landing on the moon was a hoax. Poor Mr. Brokowski could not image nor understand the possibilities of man landing on the moon, and as a science teacher, he did not want to perpetuate the ruse. Seeing is believing may have been commonplace a century ago, but with technology streaming information nonstop, amazing possibilities are broadcasted via unlimited avenues. Today we have to make choices to receive, believe, and store the information or receive, question, data dump and forget the information. I chose to store my information about the hovering mobile as a truth – even though I could not explain the rationale for its existence or really understand the concept. Naivety in adulthood is unpleasant to say the least … as a child, sure, but a certified, card-carrying adult? As an example of believing in possibilities; my bright eight-year-old granddaughter was sitting in the front seat of my high-tech car, and I was playing her favorite CD, the sound track to Frozen. As she was singing along, she asked to hear a particular song on the CD. With one hand on the steering wheel; I placed my other hand on the small wheel that controlled the tracks, and as I was turning the wheel, I was looking at the CD player glide through the tracks until it came to her song. Once it started to play, she asked, “How did you change the music?” Obviously, she didn’t notice my right hand moving, so I quickly said, “I can change it with my eyes.” She then said, “Can I do it?” I was surprised that this inquisitive little girl fell for the trick, but I eagerly noted that only the person driving could use her eyes. What an astonishment to fathom that 21^st century children see nothing as an impossibility. So, with that, this naïve adult will continue to believe that anything is possible…but, unlike the 21^st century children, I will believe then validate with Snopes.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BJ9U4iZcxk