If Man is from Mars, Computers are from Outer Space From: The Inquirer (UK) - 11/21/2007 By: Wendy M. Grossman Donald Norman's 1988 book, "The Design of Everyday Things," argued that technology needs to adapt and be easier for humans to use. After working as a "user experience architect" at Apple from 1993 to 1997, Norman has reversed his position. In his new book, "The Design of Future Things," Norman argues that since humans are more adaptable than machines, and going forward people will need to work with more complex cars, appliances, and other technologies, then people are the ones who will have to change. Norman particularly fights the idea that as computers become more advanced they will naturally be easier to use, arguing instead that humans need to be better able at using advanced computers. "I'm thinking that people are from Earth and machines are from outer space," Norman says. Norman also questions the proponents of singularity technology. "I don't go for the singularity arguments," says Norman, "but I do worry about the hybrid, where we're going to add more and more prostheses - electronic, then nano, eventually biological - into ourselves, and so we'll be a different species with perfect memory, better eyesight, better hearing, stronger." Norman wonders what will happen when the latest human technologies are incompatible with earlier versions. Read the entire article at: http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/21/norman-speakers-corner Link: The Design of Future Things http://www.jnd.org/books.html DJ comment: Will the capabilities of current humans be considered "disabled" by future species with nanoprostheses?