I don't think it's so clear. Are we not doing alternative work? Memorizing or just learning information gives us better operation over data and still has use.

I don't think it's so clear. Are we not doing alternative work? Memorizing or just learning information gives us better operation over data and still has use. Consider that we might just be better prioritizing memory usage. Besides, smartphone lookup incurs latency. Did you really? Huh. I'd look that kind of stuff in the Guinness book of world records. Not sure that's the knowledge to defend memorization of... True. Again, not the highest priority information to memorize. Yes, and with that tool the risk of hopelessness by immersion is lower, effectively reducing the barrier to learning a new language. I think what you wrote is that we know have increased access to the actual names of plants, insects, etc. Whether we then learn and memorize them or not is separate. Some do but even those still need to consider the correctness of the code. Of course, I've worked with lots of engineers who didn't consider their stack overflow copypasta either. It's not clear and certainly not universally the case that we are replacing our brain processing and focus with garbage. As before with books and other technologies we choose how we use them. Perhaps you have an unexamined reaction to all of these tools as subtracting from some static pool. It is just as possible to view them as taking low value work off your plate to enable you to do higher value work. I would recommend removing or ignoring the low return tools and adopting those that effectively increase your scope. As with all things responsibility and consideration are required for maximal outcomes.