Of what lasting benefit has been man's use of science and of the new instruments which his research brought into existence? First, they have increased his control of his material environment. *In this case, Bush was most probably referencing the "first" development of basic tools which began our species' intimate relationship with tool use which led us to the technology of today. As a species, we lack many physical advantages other species have, such as flight, photosynthesis, night vision, etc., but our mind compensates by inventing aircraft, agriculture, night vision devices, etc. These inventions are composites of basic tools and the species' collected understanding of our "environment". Our mind, with its memory, combined with our ability to communicate–or link–to other memories, gives us the ability to progress as a singular collaborative entity rather than as a group of individuals being naturally selected. **Bush chose to use the term "material environment" probably to directly reference the literal environment we live in. However, if we choose to see the hyperlink as a tool designed to increase our control, we can then in turn classify cyberspace as a "material environment"–not as an environment of matter, but as an environment of intellectual material. When data of any sort are placed in storage, they are filed alphabetically or numerically, and information is found (when it is) by tracing it down from subclass to subclass. *Bush describes the indexing style of his time, parenthetically hinting at its inefficiency. The human mind does not work that way. It operates by association. With one item in its grasp, it snaps instantly to the next that is suggested by the association of thoughts, in accordance with some intricate web of trails carried by the cells of the brain. *The term "snaps" here could be replaced with "links", which more accurately describes how the human mind operates (see snapping). Bush was probably using the word as a reference to the rapid speed involved (see definition #16), but "instantly" would sufficiently modify "links" so as to retain his initial meaning.**Bush references an "intricate web of trails" within the mind, using terminology (i.e. "web", see definition #3 and this partial map of the web) now synonymous with the internet. It has other characteristics, of course; trails that are not frequently followed are prone to fade, items are not fully permanent, memory is transitory. *Bush highlights the temporal strength of the human mind and brings up a potential problem to be solved. Digital memory can now retain trails and the information for as long as the user see fit. **Interestingly, the permanence and ease of replication of digital media information is now sometimes a problem. Some information we regret creating and/or wish to delete forever seems impervious in a world of file sharing. Yet the speed of action, the intricacy of trails, the detail of mental pictures, is awe-inspiring beyond all else in nature. Man cannot hope fully to duplicate this mental process artificially, but he certainly ought to be able to learn from it. *Bush doubts the ability of his not yet postulated solution to information organization and access, just as many doubted Christopher Columbus' ability to cross the Atlantic ocean without falling off the flat world. In minor ways he may even improve, for his records have relative permanency. One cannot hope thus to equal the speed and flexibility with which the mind follows an associative trail, but it should be possible to beat the mind decisively in regard to the permanence and clarity of the items resurrected from storage. *In his turn toward optimism about the future devices he desires, Bush accurately predicts the expansive, permanent and unfading qualities of digital information storage. His lack of "hope" for the performance speed and flexibility of the future devices makes me question whether the mind still possesses faster computation speeds than contemporary computers. All our steps in creating or absorbing material of the record proceed through one of the senses—the tactile when we touch keys, the oral when we speak or listen, the visual when we read. Is it not possible that some day the path may be established more directly? *Making our link to information more direct has always been a goal. Bush postulates a device that requires only the mind, which is still not yet available in any mainstream commodification. However, mobile smart phones now have the ability to link their user with information more easily and versatilely than ever before; the information is available at our fingertips, but not yet directly available to our mind. The next link to be made is that directly between our mind and the information we seek.
