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[1]
The Absent-Minded Professor
[2]The Absent-Minded Professor
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An E-bike For The Mind
E-bikes and what they can teach us about AI
[7]
Josh Brake's avatar
[8]Josh Brake
Jun 10, 2025
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Thank you for being here. As always, these essays are free and publicly
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[23]
[https]
A photo of my new ride, the OG [24]Aventon Abound. Not quite the same capacity
as the new minivan, but close. Fitting four kiddos is easy. Probably could
squeeze three on the back bench to make five in a pinch.
I've always had a philosophical objection to e-bikes. It probably started a few
years ago when I was out of the saddle, cranking my way up the hills west of
the Rose Bowl to reach the top of the hill and a glorious overlook of the San
Gabriel Mountains when I got passed by some older ladies calmly powering their
way up past me, hardly breaking a sweat. On further reflection, maybe it's not
just a philosophical objection.
And yet, as you’ve seen in the picture above, I am now the proud owner of—you
guessed it—a beautiful, used-but-new-to-me, cargo e-bike.
[25]
[https]
The trusty, now semi-retired, kid trailer hauler with a photo of the San
Gabriel Mountains in the background on a fine morning from 2017.
As I've been pedaling around town over the past few days, I've been reexamining
my beef with e-bikes. And as I've wrestled with it, I've come to a few
conclusions that I think are relevant not just to e-bikes but—wait for it, I'm
sure you didn't see this one coming either—our use of artificial intelligence
too.
Steve Jobs famously imagined the computer as [26]a bicycle for the mind. If the
computer is a bicycle, perhaps AI is an e-bike.
Narcissus as Narcosis
In an early chapter of his magnum opus, [28]Understanding Media (with the
blog-post worthy title "The Gadget Lover: Narcissus as Narcosis"), Marshall
McLuhan makes the case that technological augmentation is simultaneously
amputation. He writes:
Any invention or technology is an extension or self-amputation of our
physical bodies, and such extension also demands new ratios or new
equilibriums among the other organs and extensions of the body.
He goes on to quote the 113th Psalm to argue that by using technologies, we are
both formed by them and conformed to them.
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they speak not;
Eyes they have, but they see not;
They have ears, but they hear not;
Noses have they, but they smell not;
They have hands, but they handle not;
Feet have they, but they walk not;
Neither speak they through their throat.
They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
"They that make them shall be like unto them." Indeed.
This is the question we had better be asking much more regularly, publicly, and
with each other: to what image is our technology conforming us? In recent
years, there has been much conversation about the conforming power of
algorithmically-powered social media and internet-connected devices that are
practically attached to our hands. In so many ways, we accepted them into our
lives with a false promise of augmentation without amputation. Only in
retrospect are we noticing what’s been cut off.
In the midst of it all, there is hope. We can work to reclaim those things we
have lost. Perhaps amputation is the wrong metaphor, and it is more a
desensitization from infrequent attention and use. But if we thought that the
societal impact of smartphones and social media was significant, just wait till
we see the downstream amputations on offer with the promises of artificial
intelligence.
As we consider the potential augmentations of AI, we need to hold them in
tension with the concurrent amputations. E-bikes and their tradeoffs can offer
us some wisdom.
Today, I’d like to riff on three e-bike-inspired perspectives I’m using to
think about my technology use.
1. What: What is being augmented and amputated?
2. How: How does the augmentation interact with our effort?
3. Why: What are the values and stories motivating our choices?
1. What: Augmentation and Amputation
The question is not a question of whether a technology has enabling and
disabling effects, but rather a question of what they are. Many times, this has
to do with your perspective.
In the case of the e-bike, the most obvious augmentation is the ease of travel
compared to a standard bicycle. With the addition of a motor, the bike can
propel itself with an energy source that supplements (or completely replaces)
that of its human rider. If you look at the advertisements for any technology,
the augmentations are clear. E-bikes are no different. What’s front and center?
Range, speed, and power.
But how to judge the choice depends on the alternative. If I were to trade my
road bike for an e-bike, that would indicate a certain set of values and
choices. However, in my case, I sold a car and got a cargo e-bike.
The cargo bike will enable me to get around town and accomplish many of the
things a second car would have. It doesn't solve any long-range transportation
needs, but it will solve the majority of our need for a second car by giving me
a more convenient and efficient way to get around town with enough space on the
back for the kids and some groceries, too.
Yesterday, I biked to my dentist appointment. It was only a mile away and
certainly in reach with my road bike, but the e-bike makes it even more
accessible without the car.
Of course, there is always an amputating influence, even if the overall
motivation for the e-bike was a good one. It is worth asking why not use a
regular bicycle or even walk. Some of the benefits of bicycling, like getting
fresh air and being able to move more slowly and intentionally, or taking time
to pay attention to your surroundings, are even more accentuated when moving
less efficiently.
Whatever our choice, we should be clear about the tradeoffs.
2. How: The Principle of Proportional Augmentation
When we think about what a certain technology does for us, it is also important
to consider how that technology is conforming us. The features of the
technology matter, but often the conformational power of the technology is
significantly influenced by how they are implemented.
Take, for example, the implementation of the electric motor assist on an
e-bike. When you first think of an e-bike, you may think of it essentially as a
motorbike. Most e-bikes can be ridden without pedals. You can use throttle
control to power your forward movement completely from the onboard battery and
motor.
But most e-bikes today are primarily designed to be driven using pedal assist.
In this mode, sensors on the bike detect the force or speed with which you are
pushing on the pedals and use this measurement to supplement, not totally
replace, the power being exerted by the rider through the pedals in the
old-fashioned way. In this mode, the assistance from the motor is proportional
to the effort that you, as the rider, are putting in.
Functionally, there is little difference between the throttle and the pedal
assist. In both cases, the motor is giving you a significant boost.
Philosophically, however, there is a big difference. In pedal assist mode, you
are still required to exert some effort. You have some choice over how strong
the assistance will be, but in any situation, the level of assistance remains
directly connected to the amount of effort you put in.
This sort of design strategy is important to consider as we think about AI,
especially in educational contexts. If we eliminate the connection between
effort and results, we are training ourselves to become reliant on our AI
tools. Just like only using the throttle on our e-bike will deprive us of the
health benefits of exerting ourselves and cycling, using AI in this way will
sacrifice opportunities we have to build our cognitive and intellectual skills.
3. Why: The Ruthless Elimination of Friction
One last question we should be asking as we choose our technology is why we are
choosing to use it. In many ways, these three questions cannot be disconnected
from each other. The what, how, and why are interconnected.
In the case of my e-bike, am I really getting it to replace my car, or will it
just serve as an excuse to ride my road bike less? As we think about AI, is the
thing it will accomplish for us worth doing the old-fashioned way? Why exactly
are we choosing to outsource it? What does our choice indicate about our
values?
In my case, I feel pretty justified in my purchase, having towed all three kids
around town multiple times already. My previous bike just didn’t have the space
to fit all of them, and trying to tow a bike trailer behind a cargo bike with a
five and almost four-year-old on the back without some assistance just isn’t a
tenable solution.
But enter a little electronic boost, and the bike has new life again. Last
week, we rode to get ice cream as a family on bikes. I had a smile on my face
for the rest of the weekend. Yesterday, we explored a new neighborhood and
checked out a new park. All these things were enabled by the e-bike and the
additional boost of power that comes with it.
[32]
[https]
[33]
[https]
The Innovation Bargain 2x2. Original design by me based on [34]the idea from
[35]Andy Crouch.
At the end of the day, we must remember that [36]innovation is a bargain. We
often consider what technology promises to enable for us, without considering
what it will almost certainly disable.
Most of the time, we fail to stop and consider the tradeoffs. Perhaps e-bikes
may give us a metaphor to frame our thinking.
[47][ ]
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Got a thought? Leave a comment below.
[49]Leave a comment
Reading Recommendations
I’ve been intrigued and encouraged by the work that The
[51]Cosmos Institute
is doing to ask thoughtful questions about AI. Their mission to cultivate
philosopher-builders resonates deeply with my own and the kind of impact I hope
to have at Harvey Mudd.
[52]Brendan McCord
’s latest, where he uses Wilhelm von Humboldt as a frame to think about our
future with AI, is worth a read.
[53]
[https]Cosmos Institute
AI vs. the Self-Directed Career
Two centuries ago, as mechanization began reshaping society, German philosopher
Wilhelm von Humboldt issued a vision and a warning…
Read more
4 months ago · 69 likes · 12 comments · Brendan McCord and Cosmos Institute
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The Book Nook
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[https]
Slowly but surely making progress on [68]The Devil and the Dark Water. Getting
more and more interesting, page by page.
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The Professor Is In
Hard to believe we are quickly coming up on the end of four weeks of summer
research already. It’s always amazing to see how much progress my students make
so quickly during the summer, and great fun to get to dig into building and
debugging optical systems with them.
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Leisure Line
[https][https][https]
[https][https][https]
Some pies from the weekend. Went with a slightly higher than usual hydration
(65%), which led to some nice chewy texture on the crust.
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Still Life
[72]
[https]
#1 and I went to see the Mets last week at the Dodgers game. We took the train
in from Claremont and the bus to the game, which was fun. The good guys lost,
but we took the season series from LA and were in it all four games of the
series we played out west. Metsies are just fun to watch this year, and boy,
Alonso is just ripping the cover off the ball lately.
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[81]
Colin's avatar
[82]Colin
[83]4d
Liked by Josh Brake
Interestingly in the UK e-bikes _must_ be propelled with human energy and can
only support you up to 15.5mph / 25kph. Otherwise, it's a moped and you need to
get a drivers license / register it as a motor vehicle. There are 'jailbroken'
bikes where you can just use the motor but the police are cracking down on
those as they're proving to be a public safety issue. [86]https://
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/sep/04/
britains-e-bike-boom-desperation-delivery-drivers-and-unthinkable-danger
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[87]
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[88]Kalen
[89]Jun 10
It's funny- I had the e-bike thought a few days ago-but less charitably. In my
neck of the woods a particular breed of especially fat-tired, awfully fast,
never-actually-seen-it-pedaled e-bike has been surging in popularity, and
functionally has turned into a way to get away with driving a small motorcycle
on the bike and walking paths- a weird netherworld device that mostly just
serve to muck things up. It's less old people being enabled and dads towing a
pack of kids through nature and more almost being run over by disaffected
teenagers.
I dunno- the longer this hype cycle goes on the more that chatbots really just
seem like a bad tool, regardless of their technical sophistication. More
amputation than augmentation. They do too much if you are trying to improve
yourself (synthesized homework text is one of their major markets) and do too
little if you have actual work to do (not enough knobs to turn for creatives
trying to express themselves, and fake law citations will never do). Just like
with the metaverse and crypto and all the rest, the giant pool of money is
doing its best to drive uptake through sheer noise with a product that might
just be kind of bad in a durable way, or at least kind of niche (given how much
coding is boilerplate in something besides your native language, sure, maybe
the boilerplate generator is a nice thing to have).
Your thoughts reminded me of a good Nicholas Carr essay on good and bad tools
that's been rolling around my head of late- on the off chance you haven't read
it yet, you might enjoy it: [91]https://www.newcartographies.com/p/
the-love-that-lays-the-swale-in-rows
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[24] https://www.aventon.com/products/abound-ebike?variant=42319517515971
[25] https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V_-V!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd9286909-abcf-49d5-9396-76c21c7ca5b9_1024x768.jpeg
[26] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/a-bicycle-for-the-mind
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[34] https://journal.praxislabs.org/we-dont-need-superpowers-we-need-instruments-860459cfc165
[35] https://andy-crouch.com/
[36] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/the-innovation-bargain
[49] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/an-e-bike-for-the-mind/comments
[51] https://open.substack.com/users/179794473-cosmos-institute?utm_source=mentions
[52] https://open.substack.com/users/866604-brendan-mccord?utm_source=mentions
[53] https://cosmosinstitute.substack.com/p/ai-vs-the-self-directed-career?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web
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[83] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/an-e-bike-for-the-mind/comment/152585767
[86] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/sep/04/britains-e-bike-boom-desperation-delivery-drivers-and-unthinkable-danger
[87] https://substack.com/profile/7174172-kalen?utm_source=comment
[88] https://substack.com/profile/7174172-kalen?utm_source=substack-feed-item
[89] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/an-e-bike-for-the-mind/comment/124514975
[91] https://www.newcartographies.com/p/the-love-that-lays-the-swale-in-rows
[92] https://joshbrake.substack.com/p/an-e-bike-for-the-mind/comments
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