Stylized Facts

Nunberg is skeptical of notions of "information overload," but does admit to moments of tech-induced befuddlement. "I fancy myself a dab hand at Google, but it drives me crazy," he said. "Information is like taxis in New York: it seems to be all over the place, and then you can never find it when you need it. But the problem isn't just the raw volume; we've collapsed all these channels and categories that used to be distinct, so that nothing is where it's supposed to be. It's as if we've torn down the walls of the library, and now the reading room is full of street people."