A Deadly Wandering

The early neuroscience-based chapters are devoted to the history of attention science, beginning with its inception during World War II, when the research could mean life and death for pilots. The book continues to trace technology’s advancement in the military up through the latter half of the 20th century, when the advancements started happening in the realm of consumer electronics.

According to Moore’s law, computing power doubles every two years or so. This exponential increase in computing power is important because it makes our technological future far more difficult to predict and anticipate. This is crucial in explaining why society has been so slow to understand and adapt to the dangers of texting while driving. At the time of Reggie’s accident, Trooper Rindlisbacher only has a passing familiarity with the concept of texting and driving. Linton and many of the other county prosecutors are at a loss for how the law should treat it. That is one of the cautionary tales the book tells: the quickness with which problems can arise in the clash between humans and technology, and the importance of anticipating such problems.