Googly-eyed for Google's new goggles, but should we fear new technology?

Google is about to do it again. Whispers abound about yet another revolutionary new technology that will renew how humans interact, work and live. The company that brought us the Google search engine, Gmail, Google Earth and myriad other products - from Android phones to scanning and archiving ancient books - is set to introduce a reality-shattering new technology.
The Google "goggles" will be worn like Bluetooth headsets, but over the eyes. They will offer much of the same functionality as smartphones; numerous applications, location devices and information technology will flow through the wireless Internet that surrounds us and project directly in front of our eyes.
The implications are mind boggling. The Google goggles are set to be one of the most disruptive and revolutionary new technologies the world has ever seen, belonging on a tier with settled farming, the wheel, gunpowder, steam powered ships, airplanes, cell phones and cyber-social networks.
One day soon, armies of kids will battle on real grass fields, but the games will all be virtual. Lacrosse sticks and balls will be replaced by sensors and projected illusions; the physical exertion will be the same, but the tools will have changed. Tourists venturing through Baltimore will pause in front of Gilman Hall, the goggles will click and whirl, and, within seconds, location-imaging technology will produce a complete history of the building, historical pictures, friends' comments on cyber-social networks and more. Disturbingly, when out socializing we may be able to point our goggled-eyes at a new acquaintance, and through face-imaging technology (already available on many laptops), be able to view a history of the person - maybe how many mutual friends we have.
The U.S. government has already placed a hold on this technology to protect citizen's privacy rights. We can only hope that Google will adhere to its motto of "don't be evil" and ensure our privacy. The right to our own image is both sacred and already trampled upon enough by Facebook.
Regardless, there will be a flood of critical voices. From old timers screeching "back in my day!" to kids bemoaning their friends not paying attention to them during conversations, society will have difficulty adjusting to this technology.
This does not mean we should worry, however. We'll just learn to adjust, as we have done time and time again. Technology's forward march is inevitable and unstoppable, and there are numerous historical examples to show us other similarly disruptive and revolutionary technologies that have become ubiquitous - indeed necessary - for life as we know it.
No doubt when the first farmer, thousands of years ago, squatted in a field to plant and sow a seed, tribal elders decried the action. Farming would eventually revolutionize the old hunting-gathering lifestyle, relegating literally hundreds of thousands of years of tradition to the back burner, leaving it to die. Many beautiful songs, chants and artwork related to the skill of hunting and gathering have passed away, and yet we are untroubled by this loss of culture. Similarly, when the telephone was invented, many old timers whined about the "good old days" when folks used to communicate face-to-face. No more. Cell phones have penetrated everyone's lives. They are a necessity not just in the first but also in the second and even the third worlds, and they have met with as much resistance and critical thought as any other new technology. We continue to grapple with their constant and invasive usage.
Just as we have done with every bit of technology, we can and we will accept Google's new goggles into our lives, but not without careful reservations. As we walk half blind down streets, fogged by goggles, as we relax at home with glasses half covering our loved ones from view, and as we drive to work visually impaired by information flows, we must always remember what makes us human.
It's not the technology we see around us. It's not our advanced wireless computer mouses, nor our heated water, nor our jet airplanes. Though these are important landmarks in our journey of intelligence and development, they do not accurately reflect what makes us human.
Rather, the core themes and values that connect us are what make us human. We see them in the Bible, in Harry Potter, in The Return of the King and in The Last Supper. We see these themes in The Daily Show and in ancient Buddhist texts alike. What make us human are love, friendship and common humanity - and the numerous shades and nuances in between, from courage to heartbreak, from despair to loss, joy to elation.
As we strap on and wield our new Google goggles in the next few years, we need to remember that we are perhaps most human when we are stripped naked of our achievements and stand revealed in the beauty of our bodies and intellects, to revel in our human interactions and conversations. So put the phone away, shut the laptop and go for a walk in the woods with a few friends. You might have a good time.