One of my favorite TV shows when I was little was Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century. Part of the reason was Erin Gray but a lot of the reason was Star Wars made me love sci-fi and this show (and Battlestar Galactica) was as close to Star Wars on the TV as anything the 70s had to offer. I recently picked of the DVDs and have been watching them with my three-year-old son. He likes Twiki but thinks everything else is Star Wars. Oh well.

The show is full of 70s cheese but I’m still enjoying it. One of the concepts that show hits on during the early episodes is that the humans in the 25^th century have become so dependent on computers thinking for them that many have lost the ability to make their own decisions quickly. Consequently, Buck is seen as someone who can easily out maneuver enemy space ships because he is better at flying than the ships computer or he can regularly beat a computer dealing blackjack because he still thinks for himself. In these early episodes this trait allows him to succeed when his peers all fail.

I find this concept fascinating. Are we as a society becoming dumber because of all the gadgets we have or are we so overwhelmed that we can only pick and choose what it is we will excel at? We often see on late night TV interviews with people on the street and they are asked a seemingly easy question but they cannot answer it or give an answer that is very wrong. When I see those it makes me wonder how many people they had to interview to get the funny responses. I truly hope it is a lot. If it isn’t, then we as a country have some serious concerns.

So let’s say that as a society we are getting dumber. Let’s say that the latest happenings with Brittany, Paris, and Lindsay are more important to us than balancing our checkbook. What can we do about it? Well I know I can’t change society, but I can change myself and hopefully influence those around me. So the simple answer is realize that you can never know everything but that should not stop you from continuing to learn. Whether it is history, car repair, a new PC application, or a musical instrument, there is never any reason to not learn something new.

The benefits to this are numerous. Obviously you will expand your horizons. You will possibly pick up a new skill or accomplish something you never knew you could. If society continues to be less intelligent (or less skilled) you will continue to rise above them. Also there is medical evidence that exercising your brain can help to prevent or significantly delay the onset of various mental conditions like Alzheimer’s.

So the challenge to you is to pick something new to learn. Think of something you have always wanted to do but never found the time to do it. Make some time in your schedule and pursue your dream. A friend of mine always wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle, now he practices riding up and down in front of his house, each time getting just a little bit better. Is there something you have always meant to try? Go do it today and start to exercise your brain.