IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2015 - 80

Last Word
Christine Perakslis

Lessons from the Sea
hrough wearables,
bearables and the
Internet of Things,
my neighbor with
diabetes is eating
healthier and losing weight; he is
likely to extend his life. Yet, technology usage can lead to an overreliance and excessive dependency
on electronic devices. Detrimental
effects are a concern as a person
endures ongoing cognitive reflections with tracking, followed by

Society has become
increasingly fatigued, both
physically and cognitively.

recurrent loops of messages posted
and seen. Regrettably, usage as such
could be at the expense of the more
important aspects of life.
Society has become increasingly
fatigued, both physically and cognitively. Self-imposed sleep deprivation
is identified as a primary reason, as
people "skimp on sleep in hopes of
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/2015.2396111
Date of publication: 23 March 2015

getting more done, and widespread
access to technology makes it possible to stay busy round the clock." It is
no wonder we long for resource-conserving mechanisms. However droll,
we often find solutions through the
very devices with which we stayed
busy round the clock.
Enter the cyberneticist, who
might ask us to gain insight by peering through the lens of biology. In
the spirit of ethology, let's dive into
the sea to watch a small fish performing dance-like movements so as
to clean the teeth of a large grouper.
The large grouper, which would've
otherwise devoured the small fish,
has been lulled into a trance through
the artful dance of the small fish.
Although the large grouper seems
vulnerable in this dazed state, a
mutually beneficial relationship is
in action as the small fish is safely enjoying nourishment while the
large grouper derives dental benefits
through the removal of parasites and
fungi. Ethologists tell us a "behavior pattern" has been activated; the
stimulus of one (the dance) has
triggered an instinctive behavior in
another (the trance). Under instinctive behavior, the large grouper can
better survive, receiving and conserving valuable resources.
Serious danger arises, however,
when the Saber-toothed Blenny
arrives on the scene with its codeIEEE Technology and Society Magazine

breaking abilities. This impostor, also
known as the false cleanerfish, has
learned to mimic the stimulus (the
dance) of the small fish to trigger the
instinctive behavior (trance) of the
large grouper. The duped large grouper becomes vulnerable to this insidious imitator; the false cleanerfish is
at liberty to tear away portions of the
mouth or fin of the large grouper.
Fortunately, as the large groupers
mature, the species learns to avoid
being duped by astutely discriminating key attributes of the imposter.
Our maritime analogy brings
considerations to the surface. Perhaps Luddites perceive mostly the
Saber-toothed blenny in the sea of
technology; they may recommend
that we obstruct or halt technology.
Yet, technologies that are akin to the
small fish cleaners can wonderfully
enhance our existence. There will
always be the Saber-toothed Blenny;
and we cannot control the sea. Perhaps the answer is less about trying
to control the external domain, and
more about developing - and teaching others to develop - the internal domain. With a healthy balance
of physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual capacities, we are likely to
mature to wisely discern the false,
to develop robust safeguards, and all
the while enjoy the wonderful benefits of technology.

∕

MARCH 2015

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