Philosophy and trains go well together. On the train, I can think. I can't think on the bus. Not even a little. I suspect this has to do with the different sensation or perhaps it is related to my associations: Buses remind me of my childhood routes to school and camp, places I didn't want to go. Trains take me where I want to go, and they do so at the speed of my thoughts.

However, both philosophy and trains have something outdated about them: once they were vital to our daily lives, and now they have become quaint relics. Today, few people take the train if they can avoid it, and no one studies philosophy if their parents can prevent it. Engaging with philosophy, like traveling by train, is something people did in more innocent times.

Technology leads us to believe that philosophy no longer matters. Who needs Aristotle when there are algorithms? Digital technology provides excellent answers to simple everyday questions – where can I find the best burrito in Boise? What is the fastest route to the office? – and we assume it is good for bigger ones too. This is not true.

Siri can successfully locate the burrito shop, but if asked how to enjoy them better, it will have nothing to answer. Also consider a train journey. Technology and its master, science, can tell you the train's speed, its weight and mass, and why the Wi-Fi keeps cutting out during the trip. Science cannot tell you whether you should take the train to meet your high school classmates or visit Uncle Karl, who always annoyed you but is now seriously ill.