Casting a curious gaze down on planet Earth, extra-terrestrial beings could well be forgiven for assuming that we humans are programmed in every move we make, by a palm-sized, oblong, slab of glass. More perplexing than that, who on earth could convince them otherwise ?

artificial-intelligence artificial-life artificiality assume assumed assumption assumptions assumptions automaton backward-step backwards big-brother brain brain-drain brainwashed brainwashed-generation brainwashed-society brainwashing cell-phone cell-phones cellphones contrary conviction convince convinced convinced-that-we-re-living convincing convincing-ability convincing-others curiosity curiosity curious deskilled despair despair device device-set-up device-sync devices dumb-people dumbing-down dumbness earth earth-citizen earth earthlings earthly-possessions earthly-task earthly-things evolution evolutionary-process extraterrestrial-life extraterrestrials fake-friends fake-people forgive forgiveness future-prediction future futuristic galactic galaxies galaxy glass glass-half-full glass-slab global-warning globalisation globalization governed homo-sapiens homogeneity homogenous human-condition human-nature human-regression human-revolution human-weakness humanity humanity-and-society humanoid humans humor humor humour humourous humourous impersonal impersonal-world intellect intellectual-capacity intelligence intelligence intelligent-design laugh-at-yourself life-beyond life-lesson life-on-earth life-on-other-planets life-philosophy life losing-it losing-yourself lost-generation lost-souls machine machine-autonomy machine-man manipulate manipulation manipulation-of-others manipulation-of-the-masses manipulation manipulative manipulative-people mankind mobile mobile-app-development mobile-device mobile-phone mobile-phones mobiles monitoring move move-backward move-forward movements moves neanderthal neanderthal-marries-human oblong obsessive-compulsions obsessive-compulsive-disorder obsessive-interests other-world other-worldly other-worlds otherworld overrun palm palms perception perception-and-reality perception-of-life perception-of-others perception-of-reality perceptions perplexed perplexing perplexity persuade persuasion persuasive persuasiveness planet planet-earth planetary planetary-exploration planetary-shift powers-of-persuasion prediction predictions programmed-to-receive programmers programming programming programming-your-mind quotable quotable quotation-collections of-the-day about-life on-life quotology regression reversal reverse reverse-worlds robot robot-world robotic robotic-humans robotic-machinery robots satire satire satirical satirical-humor satirical skill skill-sets skills skills slab slate slave slave-to-the-machine slavery slavery society-denial society-problem society subservience subservient telcos telecommunications telecoms to-the-contrary tongue-in-cheek universal-truth universal-truths universe universe universe virtual-cubicle virtual-reality virtual-world watcher watchers watching worry worrying worrying-about-the-future