I can appreciate where the author is coming from. It is understandable that some of us may feel a bit overwhelmed by many modern-day technology applications that mostly only require a single human capability: movement of a hand and the fingers on a glass surface while many other human physical capabilities seem to be getting forgotten about or utilized less and less. If that is, indeed, what the future holds, as the author is eluding to, we may be in big trouble. However, I have a different view, or perhaps a bit more positive perspective of the cycle of evolution. As humans, we often want and wish for what we don't or can't have. We didn't use to be able to hold a slim smart phone, so we created one. We didn't use to be able to control appliances just with a screen and by pointing our finger tips at them, so we found the technology to make that happen. On the other hand, what about things or technologies that were popular at one point, then faded away or got replaced by newer trends? Didn't some eventually come back unexpectedly as if it is a cycle? Such as, fashion, or our old styled record players? I think so called by author Bret Victor - "pictures under glass" technology is, yet, another new trend that keeps up with humans' life evolution, satisfies humans' need for such physical interactions with technology. We don't know when we will get tired of that, but as soon as that becomes old and boring, I am almost certain humans' wants and needs will drive new trends in technology which may require other forms of physical interactions or possibly going back to the old ways of more hand gestures. Who knows! No one can predict the future, but I am not too worried about us forgetting how to utilize our hands, and our fingers beyond swiping and pointing at screens. "Pictures under glass" is an extension to everything that we already have, including all of our existing human physical capabilities which aren't going anywhere as long as we have the need to utilize them. As humans, we want new things, things we don't have, things we can't have but don't you agree, we also miss what we no longer have? And, the habit is, often we go and find them!
Link to article by Bret Victor: http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/
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