One of the trends mentioned in Bonk is something I've been conflicted about for a while, namely the decreasing importance of knowledge in favor of the ability to find information when needed, which Bonk refers to as "Fingertip Knowledge". On the one hand, there is an anecdote about Einstein in which he had to look up his own phone number in the phone book when asked for it; he allegedly claimed never to have memorized anything that could be looked up in less than two minutes. On the other hand there is the saying by Louis Pasteur that "Fortune favors the prepared mind."
While I have seen sources elsewhere documenting the trend away from memorization, I have not seen any that evaluate whether the same level of understanding can be reached without the foundational knowledge that leads to it. I, myself, have rarely successfully memorized anything except by using it repeatedly; perhaps that is where the compromise lies. Gaming certainly provides ample opportunity for this type of "accidental" memorization.
The trend is undeniable, and it may well be that there is as little point in pondering whether it is good or bad as there is to pondering whether gravity is good or bad. In terms of effort, everything tends to roll downhill. It could be that my resistance to the trend is nothing more than a Luddite's response to change and shooing these lazy kids with their internets off my lawn. I certainly hope the trend is for the best, but my doubts linger.
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