A Bicycle for the Mind
Humans are tool builders. We use our brains to create devices that enable us to overcome our shortcomings. Animals run (or fly or swim) faster than humans. And then the bicycle enters the picture.
Condors are highly efficient at locomotion. A condor requires very little energy to move one kilometer. A human requires much more energy (and complaint if he/she is not in shape) to move the same distance.
A young Steve Jobs shares this observation in a one-minute video:
Humans Are Tool Builders
Humans win the locomotion contest by building tools. Our mental capacity enables us to build tools to mitigate shortcomings and amplify strengths. A bicycle is a tool for locomotion. A human on a bicycle is more efficient than a condor.
Take the metaphor further: A computer is like a bicycle for the mind. Every mundane task that a human can do, a computer can do it faster. A computer is like a bicycle for the mind.
And a bicycle needs a rider to get anywhere!