Technological determinism – the idea that there is some solid, continuous thing called technology and that this force, this entity, is the protagonist of our historical drama and the mainspring behind other kinds of change – is a false idea. It’s a hobgoblin in a lab coat, or maybe a black turtleneck. There is no prewritten plan for technology, and I’d argue that it’s silly to talk about one form of technology being more advanced than another unless there’s a direct connection.

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