Technological History PDF

The Ways of Knowing 1. What is technology Computers rockets cars cellphones at a basic level but historians version of technology is technology is a system which leads to creation of predetermined products, not a collection of artifacts. According to textbo...

The Ways of Knowing 1. What is technology Computers rockets cars cellphones at a basic level but historians version of technology is technology is a system which leads to creation of predetermined products, not a collection of artifacts. According to textbook System that we use to solve real world problems. system - not always viable. “silent/invisible” technology Education=student, Government=citizen, Economy=many different people. 2. From technological to social determinism How do we know what we know? Research from professional scholars but ultimately its all an interpretation of the past. approaches of historiography 1. Internal approach/the great men theory/unidirectional model of technological determinism/technological determinism/evolutionary model 2.External approach/social approach/ social determinism 3.interactive view of technology in society. Internal approach is the “nuts and bolts” they go into the inside detail and strictly stay with the science of it and not having any social aspects, scientists/ engineers make discoveries without being influenced by any social context and/or influenced by society. Independent inventor/inborn genius/’great men theory’. dominant/popular approach. Did not invent what they are credited for. All were men and all were white. All became rich and the real inventors were forgotten and died poor. Unidirectional model of technological determinism is a one way relationship which is always positive as a result of technology. Technology influences society but society does not influence or shape technology. Lynn White unidirectional model (rejected by Dr Ede) new social group discovers horse stirrup. Technology is the most decisive factor behind change development in history. Level of technological development is the only measure of success in any society. Evolutionary model/progressivism is technology that always evolves from primitive to complex or better technologies. Thomas HughesHuman Built World, technology emerged from a divine spark of human creativity and ingenuity. The humans (Americans)- build world based on technology is like paradise (only positive). Started in about the 1970s. External approach, external social factors shape development of technology society shapes/influences technology. No such thing as inborn genius and no independent ideas. Failure or success of technology is determined by external social factors, religion, social beliefs, norms, etc… Roberton Merton “puritanism and the rise of modern science” religion/external factors shape scientific technological progress. Social Determinism- all technological change is socially determined (not technologically). Society is always in control of technology. Thomas Misa-Leonardo to the Internet, against a popular vision of technology as an non social construct. Because technologies come from society technology will never run our lives. Interactive-two way relationship, technology influences/shaped by society but also society is shaped by technology. Dr Andrew Ede-Technology and Society, social context of technology. Ultimately which approach is correct? All of them are correct, each has hints of correct ideas and beliefs but it also comes to your own beliefs and such. Lesson 2 Are we A Product of Technology What is required for survival? Food/Water, Protection from the elements. Technology-prehistoric period before 3200 BC in Africa circa 2.5 million years ago. Oldowan Tools (2.5mil-1.5mil) Flake Tools were created. Australopithecus (Lucy). We see protection from the elements. Wonderwerk Cave circa 2 million years ago being seen as one of the first shelters. Acheulean tools (1.5 million- 100000) core tools, Homo Erectus, Turkana Boy. Oldowan tools were the flakes of softstone being used but Acheulean mode was the flakes being knocked off and using the soft stone as the tool(nearly like carving or whittling). Acheulean Core tools- Flint hand axe=More Meat this shift the diet and the humans were eating more meat. Making a fundamental change to the course of humans as the meat had proteins which did not exist before which made brains biggers. Making us a product of technology. Stone tools- more meat- new proteins- bigger brains= circa 100000 the jump into being Homo Sapiens. Bigger Brains=new technology. Climate Change and Technology was part of the next great change in technology. Circa 11,500 years ago “ice age” ends. Circa 11,000 years ago the earth got very hot and dry along with no food or water due to the animals moving away from the heat, causing people to move as well. Circa 11,000 years ago Mesopotamia was found, this being a lush exotic place where water and food was found. They had to learn how to use the crops that were growing and had to figure out how to grow more of them, agriculture becoming a new technology. Eventually the nomadic people went stationary as they had everything they needed there, this causing some of the first series of man made huts. Shift from ‘eat when you catch it’ to ‘save the best for the next year’. For the first time-more food than was needed to survive-a trigger surplus of food was 1% or more. Surplus of food created division of labor, specialization, political elite, first towns ever. 4000 BC the creation that changed the world, the plow. Lesson 4 The Rate of Change Stone tools about 2 million years ago, Fire taking about 1 million years to achieve, man made shelters and huts taking about 20,000 years. Agriculture taking about 2000 years. From plow to first civilization taking under 100 years. After the plow rate of technological change becomes almost instant, in one step we move from huts to first civilizations, cities, and monumental buildings. Summerian civilization circa 4000 BC, following later the Egyptian Civilization circa 3200 BC(unification of Egypt), next the Indus Valley civilization circa 3100 BC. it was no longer survival we were seeking, we were seeking dominance over nature, leading to dominance over less technologically advanced people, making everyone seek power and wealth The First Civilizations and Their Legacy and Impact Mesopotamia was not a coincidence and this being where agriculture, the plow, and first civilizations started. Euphrates and Tigris were not predictable, putting them completely at the mercy of nature. Making the people come up with irrigation bringing canals into the cities and farms. The earliest math came from seminarians who also made measurements. The seminarians were the first engineers in one of the first projects being the canals. The schedule of work most likely led up to the creation of time being tracked by clocks and calendars. Centralized project management, large scale and labor organization. Resources to pay for it, due to the labor force being introduced. When you have all these in one place you can build pyramids/ziggurats. By 4000 BC we had full scale cities. Developed a problem on how to keep records due to temple accounts and donations, couldn't keep up with who paid and how much and what was given. Circa 3200 BC writing was created, due to this everything before is considered prehistoric. Clay tablets were historical accounts, Cuneiform- ‘wedge-shaped’. Circa 3000 BC the alphabet was created. Need for better transportation system wheel circa 4000 BC. First to create a army due to the growth of wealth and trade as well as making weapons, armor, and metallurgy. Smelting was created circa 3000 BC. tin (230C) and copper (1084C)=alloy bronze forming a new relationship in technology. Everything from egyptians was from seminarians 100 years before. Lesson 3 Technology and the Art of Social Control Egypt was the wealthiest society on earth. Egypt was surrounded by desert making it well protected from invasion, the nile was a very unique river in which it was 100% predictable so they could harvest 2 times a year which was way better than any other society. Priests would predict or measure flooding of the nile, star observation and record of patterns and when these are put together you can gain complete societal control. Nile/Plow having mass amounts of food the social control and enormous wealth all together was the main reason the pyramids were able to be built, the prince of egypt had essentially the “key” to the grain in egypt. The nile would flood and bring a fresh layer of top soil to the fields. The pyramids were built during the flooding of the nile by paid workers and contractors because they had nothing to do since they could not farm. The pyramids were a trial and error process as shown by bent pyramids. Circa 3100 BC a mastaba was formed as a new tomb. The pyramids purpose was to preserve the mummified body of the pharaoh and possessions on the way to the after life they were also a form of social control by putting the farmers to work. It was not a successful design as every single pyramid they built was looted, it still did serve as social control but it used a mass amounts of resources and couldn't build anything of that magnitude again. The egyptians believed they had a medicine called mumia which they believed would cure anything and it was made of grinded up money. Was egyptian civilization as technologically advanced as it is generally thought believed. Society was preoccupied with the afterlife and invested in after life or immortality cites for the dead. All other societies had this in common, the belief that things on earth and in heaven are controlled by a god ie if something happens it happened because the will of god. Greeks first to separate divine from natural phenomena/science/technology. Lesson 5 The Invention of Inventing Major points 1. Alexander, ptolemy, and the mouseion 2. Eratosthenes- the little we know 3. Heron magic of technology and invention of inventing 4. Archimedes and the myth of a independent inventor 1.Alexander the great was a king who conquered greece and athens and conquer then destroy the persian empire. Hellenization- assimilation of greek culture/style/language/philosophy. Alexandria became the new capital of egypt due to Alexander conquering it. Ptolemy the first came with alexander the great but the egyptians like him which divided the empire. Ptolemy made the first ever research institute called the Mouseion. Divided into faculties and scholars and scientists would pay them and pay for research. The great library of Alexandria was the first huge center of information. Ptolemy the third made a backup library underground and put copies of the most important work down there. The library was destroyed multiple times but finally went down in AD 200. After that christianity became the main religion. The backup library survived until AD 642 and was discovered by the Arabs. Al -Mamun House of Wisdom Baghdad 763 was based on the alexandria institute and started off as a place of translation. 2.Eratosthenes - the little we know We know very little about eratosthenes. He was a teacher and director of the great library, also a mathematician. He was average according to ancient sources, but from a modern perspective he was extraordinary. He set off to find the circumference of the earth, he found it was 250,000 stadia (40,000km) he then measured the distance from the earth to the sun (804,000,000) stadia and the moon (780,000) stadia Lecture 7 Technological Determinism and External Factors 1.The Chinese Connection Ancient Chinese invented almost everything… did not use superior technologies the way europeans did. Lack of social flexibility - people are prevented from innovating simply by their class (DR. Ede). government/religion the government controlled the rate of change/religion/world view and had different approach to change. In west rapid change=progress (good). China rapid change=imbalance (bad). The stirrup caused instant change in Europe, already present in China. Medieval Europe - new class, the battle of hastings 1066. Christianity… armed men with nothing to do. First crusade 1095 - Jerusalem taken. Spoils of war - Greek books - from alexandria. Archimedes, aristotle, plato, pythagoras, heron of alexandria… math, science, technology. Pilgrims - templers, religion - money - international bank system. Up to 1400s life was good for knights then came the elixir of life, which was actually black powder which the chinese ended up using for rocketry but was primarily used for religious festivals. Gunpowder c AD 1100s, pistols, handguns. Roman empire came to end of civilization due to domestication of pigs. Pigs urine (ammonia) combined with pigs droppings=potassium nitrate (bacteria in pigs droppings turned ammonia into potassium nitrate). Large cannons AD 1320s china, technology transfer - Mongols - Turks. Constantinople ( Eastern Roman Empire) Turks Dardanelle guns. By 1450 medieval castles and knights obsolete. Need for books books were from alexandria/bible. The main problem being was there was only a few available copies. Commercialization of sins/faith making a price guide for sins, making a sell of indulgences leaving a almost “pay now sin later” or a get out of jail free card type of deal. Causing the churches not to be able to keep up with demand. New technology - printing press 2.Printing Press and diffusion of Knowledge 1455 Gutenberg Bible was the first printed book, movable type printing press 868 AD-China, Jikji-movable metal type 1377AD Korea. Problems to make printing press was paper, fast drying ink, reusable type, press (only the press existed in europe). Paper was in china in 1st century in the 11th century AD it came to europe. Linen fibers which was very expensive to produce before 1347. Up to 50% of Europe's population was wiped out. Linen was turned into paper. Increase of wealth caused need for books. Scribes were monks but were wiped out in 1347. Johannes gutenberg was a german gold smith oil based ink, new alloy of lead and tin. 1450 Gutenberg's printing press caused diffusion of technologies from china. Harold Innis “Empire and Communications” free access to knowledge. Before gutenberg the process was proposing publication text, gate keepers (roman catholic church), Impact (small). After 1450 gate keepers were removed, publication of text and print was proposed, impact of work. Martin Luthers ‘95 Thesis’ (1517), printing press, reformation, protestantism. Robert Mertons thesis, Protestantism-Industrial Revolution. Printed books -0 to 11 million in 50 years. Rediscovery of Alexandria knowledge-development of sciences/new technologies-mechanical philosophy-clocks Lecture 8 The Day we Stopped Looking up 1.The day we stopped looking up Sundials and water clocks c.3500 BC (Mesopotamia). Candle clock China c.500AD Indoors, at night, this was used as a alarm clock as you would put a weight in the candle and it would fall into a metal dish making a clang waking you up. Sand clock Europe - 1300s AD. by the 1300s need for new technology - religion and climate change (external factors). Religion, monks - pray if missed prayer it was a sin and some were missing due to not knowing time so a new type of clock was required. Water clocks stopped working due to climate change and the ‘Little Ice Age’ 1300-1500s. C.1327 monk Richard of Wallingford built the first mechanical clock. The escapement mechanism made the weights into time and the rod was calibrated to release 1 notch per minute. Lost connection with nature/world - from now on machines would dictate time and run our lives. Instant impact… universe/world - machines (clocks), god - supreme watchmaker. Giovanni de’Dondi made the Astarium 1364 although it was destroyed it is remembered as it was powered differently and showed time and location of planets, cosmos represented as a machine the missing component was god, as thought before god governed everything but Giovanni said it was the cosmos and the mechanical and mathematical means. This gave the uprise to mechanical philosophy instead of through god. All early clocks were not accurate. John Harrison H5, c.1770, most accurate mechanical watch until 1974. 2.External factors and watch industry Time trials 1700s-1903 - British, the best and most expensive watches. 1903 swiss-mass production inexpensive, this eliminated britain's high class only watch role, this would later make up 80% of watches in 1903-1968. 1903-1968 swiss watches won, 1968- was the last set of time trials. 1968 Seiko quartz, it was 10 times more accurate than previous watches and this was the first watch to use a battery that vibrated causing a current. Swiss refused new technology, in 1 year production moved to japan. Mechanical principles - mechanical philosophy led to newtonian physics Lecture 9 Forging the industrial industry 1.”The Holy Other” - and experimental approach The royal society, 1663. No women, system controlled by men. Isaac Newton hated women he blamed them for everything and he was apart of the royal society so many people believed in his beliefs. Kathleen Lonsdale-1945 first female admitted to the royal society. Isaac Newton 1642-1727, 1665 plague-university closed and newton goes home and invents fluxions (calculus) and laws of gravity and motion. He was a great alchemist and known as the “holy other”, gate keepers of knowledge and Betty Dobbs-1980s and he worked in secrecy. Newton believed he found the elixir of life which was mercury but really before mercury kills you it gives you extreme paranoia. C.1679 Robert Hooke-movement of planets, eventually in 1687 a book was produced about mathematics of gravity, this book changed british society. Newtonian laws were universal and the same for all causing social change. Isaac then continued his research in secrecy. In 1960 Newton vs Robert Hooke began. Robert Hooke built a reflective telescope but Isaac Newton claimed he created it and got into a huge fight and said he would never publish as long as hooke was alive then in 1703 hooke died. Optics then discovered in 1704 showing the behaviour of light and proved light is a matter (composed of small particles). How to conduct modern science in english was produced. 1704 birth of modern science. Science-standardized version for obtaining facts/knowledge. The royal society, 1663. Privately funded (unlike academy of sciences 1666-france). ‘Middle class’ new concept, capitalism, common interest was making money, utility of science and technology. They become very wealthy due to stocks and such they pushed for new technology and innovation. Experimentation with electricity, vacuum and steam - industrial and transportation revolution. 2.Steam Engine Heron of Alexandria c.50AD produced the jet stream/turbine. Steam engine was not to power factories it was a solution to another problem of the navy, britain was growing rapidly and there empire was based on shipping. The steam engine was originally created as a water pump, thomas savery was the first to experiment with steam engine, he took designs from Edward Marquise of worcester. A vacuum pump was created and it was the first patented steam engine. The third person to work on steam engines was Denis Papin, in 1681-1708 the steamboat came along and 1690 the piston steam engine arrived. Robert Boyle was one of the founders of the royal society, robert hooke, thomas savery, isaac newton, Papins social networks was he was working for robert boyle (royal society) Robert hooke and Denis Papin became close friends so this put him in a good position to get money for his research. When Boyle died his only friend in the royal society was Robert hooke, since boyle died papin lost his money and got funding from hooke then hooke died leaving him with no one in the royal society and isaac newton became head of royal society and now papin has nothing. proposal for steamboat needs 15 pounds (money). Should try the “simplest and cheapest experiments first” issac newton rejected papins proposal for money solely because of personal issues. Thomas Newcomen made a engine and it was first successful steam engine for the purpose of pumping water out of a mine and first one anyone could buy. Top of cylinder open to atmospheric pressure. Breaks at glasgow university. James Watt was a scottish instrument maker who fixed the steam engine at glasgow university. There was loss of heat in the engine so he made a external condenser, he closed the top and it would admit no pressure of steam. Matthew Boulton, watts shop iron ornaments, Soho engine factory, but there was a problem, back to the cannon but they always had problems with the cannons exploding due to the pressure and them being casted. John Wilkinson made the cannon boring machine made perfect cylinders for steam engines. Revolution of crank/flywheel made by james pickard 3.Factory System