Will Historians Become Obsolete In The Near Future?

Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

To say that somebody has goldfish memory means to forget easily. When we think of all the important dates in our lives, we tend to rely on both virtual and physical calendars. Yet, the amount of data that we are inundated on a daily basis far exceeds the storage capacities of our amygdala— — a walnut-shaped organ that helps us retain information.

One of my teachers whom I have a strong impression of is my high-school History teacher. The ability to regurgitate and process events that happened in the past relies on strong analytical skills, critical thinking and a good memory. Exam papers test students on everything from the Middle Ages to the current US-China trade issues, the war happening in Ukraine and other humanitarian affairs.

Considering how it is somewhat ironic that we use our laptops and phones to dig into the past, this unique group of people who keep careful records and detailed plans of historical events may sooner or later fall out of fashion. In the meantime, we can continue to browse through encyclopedias and watch television documentaries to jog down memory lane. One last thing though, we have to bear in mind that historians are people too.

They may not necessarily remember everything.