Google and Mesopotamia...

“A new study has demonstrated that Internet technologies have changed the way we remember information.

We now remember information sources rather than information itself” the study says, “remembering methods instead of memorising facts”.

I don’t think this is such a new phenomenon, I believe it’s been with the human kind since written recording was first established.

In fact, in a very informative exhibition I attended recently (‘Splendours of Mesopotamia’, dubbed by a daughter as ‘a roomful of clay and sticks’) I mused about exactly this miracle.

Not being overly good on memorising facts, I could really empathise with my counterparts living in the 3100BC when first given the ability to capture information without needing to keep everything in their heads.

Capturing and searching go hand-in-hand, more recent history shows what difference technology can make in extending the lives of musical and dancing treasures by recording and managing of the records.

Let me use this opportunity to emphasise again how BIM thrives on this concept:

When used well on building projects, BIM becomes and stays your project memory bucket where you keep all relevant information on a project in orderly and searchable manner.

A set of project trivia at your fingertips, even if not in your head!

The trick still is in retaining the skills of knowing what to remember not just where to find it.