I dont get this sentence

[hugsandkisses]

Bowman, having nearly been sent to a deep-space death by the malfunctioning machine, is calmly, coldly disconnecting the memory circuits that control its artificial “ brain. “Dave, my mind is going,” HAL says, forlornly. “I can feel it. I can feel it.”
from: Is Google Making Us Stupid? first paragraph

[Anglika]

Which sentence is giving you trouble?

[hugsandkisses]

Ok The first para. and the last:
Question: Explain the reference that carr opens his essay with. What points is carr making? I am not sure if i have answered this correctly.

I think it means:
The reference is Stanley Kurick's 2001: A space Odyssey, the supercomputer HAL who owns an "artificial brain" Computers don't have feelings. They are merely machines. Author mkes the contrast between lazy humans and computers. Suprisingly, humans are those ones who act like machinese because they rely too much on computers.

[Anglika]

Ok The first para. and the last:
Question: Explain the reference that carr opens his essay with. What points is carr making? I am not sure if i have answered this correctly.

I think it means:
The reference is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A space Odyssey. The supercomputer HAL has an "artificial brain". Computers don't have feelings. They are merely machines. Author mkes the contrast between lazy humans and computers. Suprisingly, humans are those ones who act like machines because they rely too much on computers.

Not far off. I read it as suggesting that over-reliance on computers and the internet will reduce man's ability to concentrate and to think freely. That man will cease to be able to feel and will become increasingly mechanical in response.

[hugsandkisses]

According to what you have just said, I do believe this is also the thesis statement of the article.
"....as suggesting that over-reliance on computers and the internet will reduce man's ability to concentrate and to think freely. That man will cease to be able to feel and will become increasingly mechanical in response..."

[hugsandkisses]

Overall, thank you, Anglika! That helped a lot!

God Bless you!