Thinking With Machines (Part 4)

Cognitive stewardship is a theme I explored deeply in The Knowledge Cartographer, a speculative novel set in 2065 (see the “It’s all Connected” Substack for details). Many of the questions that have occupied my attention for decades, including lifelong learning, the impact of technology on learning and work, and our individual and organizational attempts to manage knowledge, eventually found their way into that fictional world.

The novel was a form of worldbuilding, but the underlying concerns were never limited to the future. Much of my current work remains firmly anchored in the present through teaching, writing, research, and conversations with older adults trying to make sense of rapid technological change.

Across both the fictional and the real worlds, a common theme emerges: cognitive stewardship. The ability to maintain, develop, and thoughtfully support our cognitive capabilities is becoming an increasingly important element of individual and collective well-being.

This is not a concern only for older adults. It matters at every stage of life. Yet aging adds urgency to the question. As someone growing older myself, and as someone who teaches older adults, I am particularly interested in what cognitive stewardship means for older adults today and for the older adults of tomorrow.