The Power of Writing and Reading: Conversations with the Dead, Time Compression, and AI

Amadou Hampâté Bâ once said, "In Africa, when an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." Bâ said this when referring to the amount of knowledge and wisdom unique to the deceased person.

The metaphor of the library refers to the importance of what the library contains and not the mere edifice. In other words, the meaning is in the written scriptures and not the library per se.

You can see a link established between the person and the mind, highlighting their close relationship, almost as if to equate the two.

It could even suggest that while losing a person is difficult, creating a significant societal and emotional gap that should not be overlooked, losing the mind could be an even greater loss.

Death surely causes our inability to interact with deceased ones and have a conversation with them. We will miss their voices and feelings, smell, and facial expressions, which are all important aspects of communication and human connection.

And even more, it is the case that some people had and continue to have conversations with people they would have not conversed with within their lifetime.

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