One of my students recently wrote:

I do not think that the memories will matter.

I say this because if someone questions something they can just go on wikipedia, read about all the views of the subject, and make their own opinion. The individual memories no longer matter when everyone has access to all the information.

I feel compelled to respond. Two points:

1) On "Wikipedia" you won't find "all" the views on the matter. You will find the views of those who have bothered to go their and type in their views or summarize the views of some others. Those will not necessarily be the views of people who know much about the issue. Remember: Anyone can write anything on Wikipedia.

2) Memory will be the mark of an educated person. The trick is knowing what to look up. "If someone has questions" is the issue. Which questions? Someone who has not read and studied widely will not recognize patterns, analogies, allegories, etc. and won't know which questions to ask. Examples:

- How do you know that the president just used a biblical or literary reference in his speech? Did you "google" every phrase in the speech?

- How do you see the flaw in the structure of an argument? You can "google" some of the information provided in the assumptions, but you won't recognize the hidden assumptions or the "whole thing" without education and practice.

- How do you look up on google broad claims about the nature of mankind and society? Wide reading - in advance of hearing and evaluating such claims - will be necessary.

Wikipedia, google etc. can help clear our minds of "trivia" but they will not replace thought. If and when they do, we will truly be reduced to machines which take biological mass and convert it into a combination of bodily excretions and just enough energy to press the button on the remote control.

There is already a great deal of thinking going on about how "google" is changing the way we think. See http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google