in olden times

"do you think we've lost touch with our environment?" Sabrina asked Sam. They were watching the stars spin behind the window.

"I mean, now days we just look at a screen to get our information, it's all right there. In olden times, people would listen to their environment, make judgements from the sounds, the feel of how things were. Instinctive."

 "Look at the stars, and you can tell the time of day, and day of the year. Stella looks at the leaves of the plants in the herbarium to see how the plants are doing, or feels the soil to make sure it's the right temperature or has enough moisture. I see old Hank, he's listening to things, feeling them to see if the air-con is running right or the pumps. Stan will listen to how a robot arm moves or the series of beeps from a power-door. The newer, younger guys just have their gadgets which tell them that the air-con is clogged somewhere, or use sensors for the soil and air."