ABSTRACT
A bird's nest and a beaver's dam are mostly non-improvised tools whose creation and use are not so much expressions of general problem-solving and learning abilities as of specific adaptive behavioral patterns. This chapter examines various forms of cognitive augmentation that are on the horizon so that we can appreciate how odd and even freakish many of these developments may seem—computer chips plugged into the brains of cyborgs to improve their memory or computational power. The chapter argues that, appearances to the contrary, these forms of augmentation, if used properly, are not ruptures from human nature but instead are the fruition of that nature. It expects more such pedagogical controversies in the future, and with the same results: Eventually educators will accept that tools of intelligence augmentation have a place in the curriculum—indeed, that the curriculum should instruct students how to use these tools properly.
