In the excerpt “Hal and Me” by Nicholas Carr, the author talks about how the internet is a crucial part of our lives. So much so that we no longer are capable of reading lengthy articles or books because we are used to the rapid speed of the World Wide Web. When Carr talked to his friends they said “the more they used the Web the more they have to fight to stay focused.” Carr also mentions how the use of the internet has changed the way we think and perceive information. This ties into what Clive Thompson said in “The Rise of the Centaurs”. Thompson proposes the question of who is smarter at chess, humans or computers, and he comes to the conclusion that the two together are more powerful than the two opposed. He discovered that “a new form a chess intelligence was emerging” and that “human strategic guidance combined with the tactical acuity of a computer was overwhelming.” These authors have taken into consideration the pros and the cons of using technology in our everyday lives and how it affects us.