I arrived in Asheville, North Carolina not knowing exactly what to expect. My cousin told me it was a great little town and was the most progressive spot in the region. I rode my bike from the hotel to the downtown area and took a seat in a taproom called ‘The Thirsty Monk’. While perusing the draught choices a young woman starting talking to me. She told me it was pint night and offered me a sip of her beer to see if I might like that one. I did, and we were off to chatting.
Kat is a student at Warren Wilson University in Asheville and is writing up her senior thesis. The topic? Creating bike tours that move from organic farm to organic farm in order to educate people about a more sustainable lifestyle and agriculture. Needless to say we had plenty to talk about.
In summer 2008, Nicholas Carr wrote a poignant and thought-provoking article, asking the question “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”. The article explored the idea that the Internet, as it becomes our primary means of accessing information, is affecting our ability to focus on any one task that requires deep concentration, such as reading a book. Carr laments that as he spends more and more time online, he has had trouble reading more than a few pages of a book anymore, and anecdotal evidence from his friends and acquaintances seems to support the hypothesis.
