The voluminous literature dealing with the idea of human progress is decidedly a mixed bag. While some of these writings are impressive and even inspiring, many of them are superficial, perhaps even ridiculous, in their reiteration (especially during the nineteenth century) of the comforting prospect that every day in every way we are growing better and better.

This kind of foolishness is manifested especially in discussions of such matters as economic, political, and moral progress, and of progress in art.[ ... ]

From time to time, there seems to be real and measurable improvement in these areas. At other times the opposite seems equally to be the case. Thus the fervent belief of writers like the French sociophilosopher Auguste Comte in the inevitability of progress in all fields of human endeavor must be viewed as insupportable. We cannot accept it any longer, even if we once thought it was true.

Progress in human knowledge is another matter. Here it is possible to argue cogently that progress is in the nature of things. "Not only does each individual progress from day to day", wrote French philosopher, mathematician, and mystic Blaise Pascal, "but mankind as a whole constantly progresses ... in proportion as the universe grows older." The essence of man as a rational being, as a later historian would put it, is that he develops his potential capacities by accumulating the experience of past generations.

Just as in our individual lives we learn more and more from day to day and from year to year because we remember some at least of what we have learned and add our new knowledge to it, so in the history of the race the collective memory retains at least some knowledge from the past to which is added every new discovery.

The memories of individuais fail and the persons die, but the memory of the race is eternal, or at least it can be expected to endure as longas human beings continue to write books and read them, or - which becomes more and more common - store up their knowledge in other mediums for the use of future generations.

Fonte: VAN DOREN, Charles. A History of Knowledge. Past, Present and Futura. New York. The Random House Publishing Group. 1991, p. XV-XVI.

The voluminous literature dealing with the idea of human progress is decidedly a mixed bag. While some of these writings are impressive and even inspiring, many of them are superficial, perhaps even ridiculous, in their reiteration (especially during the nineteenth century) of the comforting prospect that every day in every way we are growing better and better.

This kind of foolishness is manifested especially in discussions of such matters as economic, political, and moral progress, and of progress in art.[ ... ]

From time to time, there seems to be real and measurable improvement in these areas. At other times the opposite seems equally to be the case. Thus the fervent belief of writers like the French sociophilosopher Auguste Comte in the inevitability of progress in all fields of human endeavor must be viewed as insupportable. We cannot accept it any longer, even if we once thought it was true.

Progress in human knowledge is another matter. Here it is possible to argue cogently that progress is in the nature of things. "Not only does each individual progress from day to day", wrote French philosopher, mathematician, and mystic Blaise Pascal, "but mankind as a whole constantly progresses ... in proportion as the universe grows older." The essence of man as a rational being, as a later historian would put it, is that he develops his potential capacities by accumulating the experience of past generations.

Just as in our individual lives we learn more and more from day to day and from year to year because we remember some at least of what we have learned and add our new knowledge to it, so in the history of the race the collective memory retains at least some knowledge from the past to which is added every new discovery.

The memories of individuais fail and the persons die, but the memory of the race is eternal, or at least it can be expected to endure as longas human beings continue to write books and read them, or - which becomes more and more common - store up their knowledge in other mediums for the use of future generations.

Fonte: VAN DOREN, Charles. A History of Knowledge. Past, Present and Futura. New York. The Random House Publishing Group. 1991, p. XV-XVI.

The voluminous literature dealing with the idea of human progress is decidedly a mixed bag. While some of these writings are impressive and even inspiring, many of them are superficial, perhaps even ridiculous, in their reiteration (especially during the nineteenth century) of the comforting prospect that every day in every way we are growing better and better.

This kind of foolishness is manifested especially in discussions of such matters as economic, political, and moral progress, and of progress in art.[ ... ]

From time to time, there seems to be real and measurable improvement in these areas. At other times the opposite seems equally to be the case. Thus the fervent belief of writers like the French sociophilosopher Auguste Comte in the inevitability of progress in all fields of human endeavor must be viewed as insupportable. We cannot accept it any longer, even if we once thought it was true.

Progress in human knowledge is another matter. Here it is possible to argue cogently that progress is in the nature of things. "Not only does each individual progress from day to day", wrote French philosopher, mathematician, and mystic Blaise Pascal, "but mankind as a whole constantly progresses ... in proportion as the universe grows older." The essence of man as a rational being, as a later historian would put it, is that he develops his potential capacities by accumulating the experience of past generations.

Just as in our individual lives we learn more and more from day to day and from year to year because we remember some at least of what we have learned and add our new knowledge to it, so in the history of the race the collective memory retains at least some knowledge from the past to which is added every new discovery.

The memories of individuais fail and the persons die, but the memory of the race is eternal, or at least it can be expected to endure as longas human beings continue to write books and read them, or - which becomes more and more common - store up their knowledge in other mediums for the use of future generations.

Fonte: VAN DOREN, Charles. A History of Knowledge. Past, Present and Futura. New York. The Random House Publishing Group. 1991, p. XV-XVI.

CNN: AI’s Effects On The Brain

Omar Jimenez, on The Brief with Jim Sciutto

In a recent CNN¹ interview, MIT’ ²s Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna shared findings from a new study showing that relying solely on AI for tasks like writing can reduce brain activity and memory. The research highlights how overusing AI³ tools like ChatGPT may impact how we think – and why human effort still matters.

Transcript

OMAR JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, a new study from MIT is raising the alarm about how AI impacts learning and how convenience could come at a cost for your brain. The study looked at essay writing across three groups, people using AI, a search engine, or just their own brain power. That last group, no tools at all, showed the strongest brain activity plus better memory recall. They were followed by the search engine users and in last place, people relying on AI.

Now, as students and workers become more and more dependent on tools like ChatGPT, it does raise a lot of questions about the future of how we think.

Joining me now is Nataliya Kosmyna lead author on the study. Thank you for being here. Can you just explain what you learned from this study? Did it surprise you?

(https://www.media.mit.edu. Acesso em 21.07.2025. Adaptado)

GLOSSÁRIO:

¹. CNN: canal de noticiário na televisão e mídias.

². MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uma universidade de pesquisa nos Estados Unidos.

³. AI (artificial intelligence): inteligência artificial.

CNN: AI’s Effects On The Brain

Omar Jimenez, on The Brief with Jim Sciutto

In a recent CNN¹ interview, MIT’ ²s Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna shared findings from a new study showing that relying solely on AI for tasks like writing can reduce brain activity and memory. The research highlights how overusing AI³ tools like ChatGPT may impact how we think – and why human effort still matters.

Transcript

OMAR JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, a new study from MIT is raising the alarm about how AI impacts learning and how convenience could come at a cost for your brain. The study looked at essay writing across three groups, people using AI, a search engine, or just their own brain power. That last group, no tools at all, showed the strongest brain activity plus better memory recall. They were followed by the search engine users and in last place, people relying on AI.

Now, as students and workers become more and more dependent on tools like ChatGPT, it does raise a lot of questions about the future of how we think.

Joining me now is Nataliya Kosmyna lead author on the study. Thank you for being here. Can you just explain what you learned from this study? Did it surprise you?

(https://www.media.mit.edu. Acesso em 21.07.2025. Adaptado)

GLOSSÁRIO:

¹. CNN: canal de noticiário na televisão e mídias.

². MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uma universidade de pesquisa nos Estados Unidos.

³. AI (artificial intelligence): inteligência artificial.

CNN: AI’s Effects On The Brain

Omar Jimenez, on The Brief with Jim Sciutto

In a recent CNN¹ interview, MIT’ ²s Dr. Nataliya Kosmyna shared findings from a new study showing that relying solely on AI for tasks like writing can reduce brain activity and memory. The research highlights how overusing AI³ tools like ChatGPT may impact how we think – and why human effort still matters.

Transcript

OMAR JIMENEZ: Meanwhile, a new study from MIT is raising the alarm about how AI impacts learning and how convenience could come at a cost for your brain. The study looked at essay writing across three groups, people using AI, a search engine, or just their own brain power. That last group, no tools at all, showed the strongest brain activity plus better memory recall. They were followed by the search engine users and in last place, people relying on AI.

Now, as students and workers become more and more dependent on tools like ChatGPT, it does raise a lot of questions about the future of how we think.

Joining me now is Nataliya Kosmyna lead author on the study. Thank you for being here. Can you just explain what you learned from this study? Did it surprise you?

(https://www.media.mit.edu. Acesso em 21.07.2025. Adaptado)

GLOSSÁRIO:

¹. CNN: canal de noticiário na televisão e mídias.

². MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uma universidade de pesquisa nos Estados Unidos.

³. AI (artificial intelligence): inteligência artificial.

(www.washingtonpost.com. Acesso em 31.07.2025)

Rock singer leaves D.M. with a bat taste in mouth

Rock Singer Ozzy Osbourne left Des Moines Thursday with a $39,000 haul from a concert at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, a four-day supply of rabies vaccine and a bat taste in his mouth.

Osbourne reportedly put a dead bat in his mouth, bit its head off and threw it back into the crowd of about 5,000 at the auditorium Wednesday night.

Some skeptics think the whole thing was a publicity stunt – even the taking of the first of a series of five rabies shots at a Des Moines hospital after the concert.

(Nick Lamberto. www.desmoinesregister.com. Acesso em 31.07.2025. Adaptado)