On technology speaking to us
I put on my large noise-cancelling headphones. No sound came out. I checked the Bluetooth settings. It would not connect. I was perplexed. I thought it had battery. Press settings button, no response. Press power button. Same.
OK, it must be out of battery, I concluded after my amateur, every day scientific method process was exhausted. I found the charger, plugged it into the wall, and left it.
As I returned to the room a moment later, I saw red/white blinking lights, fearing it was broken. What was it trying to communicate to me? Then it stopped, and it was just a white-blinking light. OK, it seems like the red light must have meant that it was low on battery, and then the white light means it’s charging, makes sense.
It’s amazing that machines talk to us. Do they say “Hi, hello, how are you?” No, although - Siri does. So, they really do. But even our machines, every day machines - a beeping dishwasher when it’s done, a beeping oven when the preheating is done and it’s ready, the microwave with three pulsing beeps when it’s done. Beeps, lights, you name it.
We imagine some far-off, sci-fi future where there are humans blended with machines, cyborgs. We’re already there.