This week, you've read and watched videos about a variety of technology. Technological and scientific advances have the potential to be both angel and devil; it's undeniable that technology often makes our lives better, but it also has the potential to be incredibly destructive.
Using the videos and readings from this week, AND ANY from prior weeks (I encourage this), please answer the following questions: In your opinion, what was/were the biggest technological breakthrough(s) of the past century that we've discussed in this class? How did this improve or harm the quality of life (and for whom)? What do you see as the biggest potential advantages and pitfalls in technological development as globalization continues?
Please use SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to back up your arguments.
Using the videos and readings from this week, AND ANY from prior weeks (I encourage this), please answer the following questions: In your opinion, what was/were the biggest technological breakthrough(s) of the past century that we've discussed in this class? How did this improve or harm the quality of life (and for whom)? What do you see as the biggest potential advantages and pitfalls in technological development as globalization continues?
Please use SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to back up your arguments.
I believe that the access to a social media has been the most impactful source of technology in the last hundred years. More people than ever have the ability to voice their opinions and instantly have it seen by the masses. The significance of this is present in the resent in the recent Egyptian revolution. The voice of the oppress are now much harder to oppress and the full side of the story is easier to find. With this the importance of interpretation of information has also increased. The sources of information are now much less subject to legitimacy and viable sources. In addition to the social media has also become a source of making local stories become a national highlight. For example the way that the events in Missouri have become a national epidemic. In all these examples the voice of the smaller individual has become gigantic, which is both the greatest advantage and disadvantage of this tech.
ReplyDelete-Ben O'Bryant
I definitely think the advancement of nuclear knowledge and technology has been one the of biggest breakthroughs of the past century. Some may say this advancement has done more harm than good. As far as the "harm" aspect goes, the creation of nuclear weapons has made the world a very dangerous place. The possibility of nuclear warfare is imminent (if we are to think somewhat negatively and cautiously), and the world could be destroyed by the hands of men. The destructive nature of nuclear weapons is perhaps the biggest drawback to the advancement of this field. On the other hand, we have the "good" aspect. Nuclear knowledge has been used to develop nuclear energy technology as a renewable energy source (though whether it truly is renewable or not is another separate debate). As of today, nuclear energy does not account for much of the world's energy consumption, but for countries like France, it is an essential part of their livelihood. However, even using nuclear technology as an energy source is complicated. It creates highly radioactive nuclear waste that is harmful to the environment and to people. Is something so hazardous even worth keeping? This question of whether it is more beneficial or harmful is very complicated.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced firsthand the harmful effects of nuclear technology. As many of you may already know, after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake of Japan, nuclear power plants in Fukushima were destroyed. They released unprecedented amounts of contaminants and radioactive waste. My hometown prefecture is located just south of Fukushima; many farmers, tourist areas, and even residential areas suffered the consequences. Farmers could not sell their food due to its possible hazardous exposure to radioactivity. Tourists stopped visiting. People felt unsafe in their proximity to Fukushima. Though the power plants were not built for harmful intentions, the end results were devastating. So as globalization continues, I think what we need to focus on and consider is that something that was meant to be positive could possibly, whether intentionally or not, become negative and destructive, and we must be careful.
Although the atomic and hydrogen bombs created devastation among the country of Japan specifically, I do believe that the advancement in technological weaponry such as the bombs were the biggest breakthrough. With the advancements of such powerful items our country ourselves gained power. With these weapons we were able to fend off competitors with the heightened ability to ultimately destroy their homes and lands. The advantages to the advancements of the bombs is that we have protections and power, but at the same time we have those at the cost of lives being lost and homes being destroyed. Had it not been for the Nuclear Arms Races the U.S. would not have been as pushed and dedicated to develop such amazing sciences. Although other countries too produced their own atomic and hydrogen bombs, it brought about a whole new style of war. With these advancements comes great power and responsibility (as Spider-man's uncle says). It is frightening however to think of what may happen if such items got in the hands of the wrong leaders.
ReplyDeleteI think that the development of nuclear weapons has had the biggest impact and has been the biggest technological breakthrough that the world has seen. It all started at the end of WWII when the US dropped the two bombs on Japan. We saw the damage those bombs did and how it could wipe out a significant number of the population in just seconds and devastate a country for a long time. Then there was the cold war with the USSR and US competing with one another. There were tensions between the two countries and they were both making nuclear bombs. People in the United States were constantly living in fear that the USSR could drop a bomb on the United States at any time and take out many many people. Even though there was never a bomb dropped during the cold war, the threat of either country dropping one and them competing to create the most destructive bomb really took a toll on each country. I think these developments have caused a lot of tensions between countries and made powerful countries even more powerful now and weaker/smaller countries even further behind.
ReplyDeleteThe development of nuclear weapons was undoubtedly a seminal event in human history. It changed the world forever, as worldwide destruction was now possible. War is no longer a purely local activity, as any conflict where one party is a nuclear state has the possibility of unleashing a nuclear winter. The devastation wrought upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II by nuclear weaponry was extreme and unspeakable. Innocent Japanese civilians even continued suffering negative health effects for decades to come. On the other hand, it would be naïve to say that the development of nuclear weaponry has not also had a certain positive impact on the world. The concept of mutual assured destruction (MAD), after all, would not even exist with this technology. When two sides, such as the U.S. and the USSR, both possess nuclear weapons, they dare not use them, nor make any gross aggressions, for fear of worldwide annihilation. Conventional, bloody war may have been much more pervasive if nuclear weapons had not been developed. Thus, this technology has been a double-edged sword, both making the world safer and more dangerous at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAs globalization continues into the middle part of this century, new and exciting technologies will continue to be developed. Things such as 3D printers, autonomous vehicles, and advanced medical technology will become ubiquitous. These technologies will have incredibly positive implications for humanity, improving the health and well-being of billions of people. On the other hand, the loss of non-Western culture and the dehumanization of the individual are concerns that exist due to the rapid pace of globalization. A Western, capitalistic world order will spread its wings over the whole of the Earth, and this undoubtedly will have myriad positive and negative effects on humanity.
-Mircea Lazar
In my opinion, the biggest technological breakthrough we have discussed in this class has been the creation and adoption of nuclear weapons. After Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the whole world took notice of America's power, and more importantly took notice of atomic bombs. The bombs themselves were the most destructive weapons to take the world stage at their time, and the extreme aftermath showed the world how effective, although horrific, nuclear power could be. The devastation inflicted on Japan from a massive civilian population drop and thousands injured displayed the negative affects of nuclear war, yet there are still some positives. After the USSR adopted nuclear weapons, the Cold War became more sinister and real. Mutual Assured Destruction between the USA and USSR forced the world into a panic and fear over human annihilation, where neither side made any true aggression in fear of nuclear war sky-balling into a world wide catastrophe. While this could be seen as a positive aspect of nuclear warfare, the negatives affects of nuclear weapons outweigh the positive. After the Cold War more and more countries began adopting nuclear power, and thus more tension has been created throughout the world. Yet hopefully Mutual Assured Destruction will dissuade governments from dropping a bomb and starting population depletion and annihilation. As globalization continues and more countries adopt nuclear power, the world will be at a bigger risk due to building tension and risky programs between countries.
ReplyDelete-Michelle Roman
New ways of communicating evolve every year. We went from newspaper to radio to TV and now cellphones. However, I would argue that television is one of the greatest accomplishments and advancements of mankind. From talking to my family and reading things in class, it is clear that this invention has helped individuals from all around the world better understand what is going on in other places. Although some may find that different channels better suit their point of view, it is undeniable that the TV has helped to connect the world in ways we once thought impossible. Without the ability to view a screen I would be unable to be writing this post.
ReplyDeleteAbby McGonagle
I think that weapons of mass destruction have been the most impactful technological breakthrough that we have had. With the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, World War II came to an end, and it also helped spur on the Cold War as the Soviet Union rushed to catch up with the United States in making their own bomb. Also, the idea that Iraq may have possessed weapons of mass destruction was a main reason for the United States to invade and start a war with Iraq. Currently, tensions are high with North Korea not only because of their dictator government but because they are harboring weapons of mass destruction as well. These weapons changed drastically diplomatic relations between countries around the world, and force countries today to proceed with extra caution with their relations with countries that hold such weapons.
ReplyDeleteMina Kim
I would say one of the biggest technological inventions of the past century would have to be the development of nuclear weapons. This development has had such a major impact on our world as we know it, and influencing the way nations have negotiated and ultimately fought wars. It adds a sense of fear to every fight, because it is an ultimatum with the utmost of terrible consequences. Tis has obviously harmed the quality of life for the world's citizens. Now obviously technology has major advantages, it connects us to anybody in the world in seconds, but the disadvantages lie heavily with weapons development, and the world just coming up with more ways to harm our fellow citizens.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Derr
ReplyDeletePutting malevolency and benevolence aside, the most notable technological advancement has to be the development on nuclear weaponry. In many cases, technology comes with a lag in time before it truly effects all people. Medicines take time to distribute, tech advances are only available to the wealthy, and so forth. However nuclear weaponry changed the entire world almost instantly. The idea of international relations has changed. We once lived in a world in which engaging in war was our biggest fear due to the inevitable destruction, but now we live in a world in which conventional war does not need to be waged to destroy us all. Furthermore ordinary citizens must constantly consider the possibility that a strike could occur at any moment. It is nearly impossible for politicians to avoid the topic. Whether it be a citizen, world leader, member of a foreign nation, or even terrorist group, the possibility of a nuclear war has changed the way we all live, and changed the way our world system functions.