Kahn vs Gershenfeld
After reading these articles, the first thing that was evident from both of them was the technology theme. However both authors look at technology differently. Gershenfeld talks a lot about his "how to make (almost) Anything" class he teaches at MIT and the possibility of a world where people will be able to make anything they want or need whenever you wanted. Kahn's article talked about light as architecture and about how the brain creates all technology.
Gershenfeld talks a lot about personal fabricators and machines or printers that can create objects that the used designs. It seems that there is an infinite future for the creation of technology and what technology can create. Gershenfeld talks about the amazement he had at his students at MIT and their ability to develop the skills to make their desires realities.
Kahn doesn't address technology in the same manner that Gershenfeld does, but his message is similair to his Gershenfelds. His first point is comparing light with architecture, and that without light (shadow) there is no architecture. He then goes on to discuss nature and how it can produce things on its own, while man can create things from nature, that nature cannot make on its own. Essentially he is trying to say that nature and man are co-dependant on each other. Mans desires create the need for and the creation of new technologies. We believe that these new technologies will try to take over our society, but our brains, the real technology, won't let that happen. Since brain is the true technology, it is the only tool that leads to new creations and new thought.
Both authors discuess technology in our world. Gershenfeld talks about the technology that is responsive to our desires and our creativity while Kahn discusses how the true technology is the human mind and technology itself is only a result of the brain.