Even though the amount of information has increased, most knowledge representation is a one-dimensional array of words. It is the same as the sounds emitted from the mouth. Just as we hear sounds coming from the mouth, we input the letters and words written in the book one by one and assemble them in our brain.
Digital data flowing over the Internet has a higher expression ability than paper books. For example, the graphics of paper books are often monochrome, due to the cost of printing. However, with digital data, we can express information colorful and even as movies. Comparing the paper map with the digital map, we can scale up and down the digital map as you want, and see the photos of the surrounding landscape. The difference in expression ability is clear.
In the long term, the form that we express knowledge change with the progress of the expression ability of peripheral devices. We are now in the transition period. We still read books which is not much different from 100 years ago(*3).
On the other hand, we search for articles that are likely to be related to our concern from a large amount of digital data on the Internet. We find and watch the explanation movie. We follow the hyperlink from the articles and find the surrounding knowledge. Those activities were not available 100 years ago.
Footnotes:
- *3
- The original footnote in the Japanese version: Unfortunately this book itself is also in an old format where words are lined one-dimensional.
- Additional footnote for English reader: I am converting the one-dimensional book to hypertext on https://scrapbox.io/intellitech-en/ .