Monday, February 8, 2010
Why?
In class today we discussed how the focus of science shifted a great deal in the 18th century. The topic I wish to address is what exactly caused the shift. Was it that technological advances finally allowed for more standardization in scientific areas, or was it simply a trend that stuck? I think it was somewhat a mix of the two. Since some technological advances allowed for shortened travel times, more and more scientists saw just how confusing it can be when they use none of the same units of measure. What do you guys think?
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It seems like there was just a general curiosity as to how far human ingenuity could go, so opportunity mixed with curiosity and technology (all pertaining to science) gave people the means to make a shift to developments.
ReplyDeleteAlso, since the Industrial Revolution was just starting up, it gave a huge economic AND technological boost to the places that embraced the development.
I agree completely with Alli. Scientists have been and always will be very curious about what can be discovered and accomplished. To the best of my knowledge, scientists in the 18th century were very interested in what new discoveries were being made. A key example would be Benjamin Franklin. He played a huge role in sparking the transition of the Industrial Revolution nto America. After a trip to Paris, he returned with an advanced version of the printing press to America which he used in his printing shop and could have helped spread the latest discoveries to those who desired to learn. He also conjured the idea that lighting is electricity and can be harnessed. He was very curious about the discoveries that were being made and, in turn, made others curious about his ideas. Also, sea navigation and mechanical engineering were being highly explored. Discoveries in these fields would make drastic changes in factories, transport and trade. Many traders and merchants would be interested in these advancements, thus there was probably a great deal of funding for the progression of these ideas.
ReplyDeleteScientists are only human, born with a determined sense of curiosity that drives them to learn more and more about how things work. I agree with both Tyler and Alli especially the remark about how the results of invention helped boost the economy. Today, most leading societies put forth a lot of money and effort into research and development in hopes of developing new energy sources and more efficient ways of completing necessary tasks in every day life (lessen costs, etc). These reasons are more than enough motivation for any society to focus their attention on the fields of science and technology.
ReplyDeleteOff of Chelsea's first comment, I believe that it is this curiosity that leads a scientist or inventor to play around with the current system, initially to see how it works. This curiosity can lead to a chance invention, which in turn can stimulate a desire to create more and better things. Once you have more than one scientist creating things, it is difficult to communicate if you don't have a single mode of communication, so a standardized scientific 'language' evolved. That's my take on it.
ReplyDeleteOkay so interesting topic....
ReplyDeleteWhy DID that curiosity stratify in such a way that some societies advanced and others didn't?? I think it's just the thing Doyle is helping to point out... why the Europeans and NOT the Amazonian tribes?
A prime example in history is the Maori and Moriori tribes of New Zealand. I'm sure you can Wiki it if you're interested. But the long and short is, the Maori were specialized and few in nubmer while the Moriori were large in number and very peaceful people. Maori took them in a few hours.
Why is it that specialization (which makes efficiency and strength) and curisoity (which furthers mediums for efficiency) were stratified in the world to lead to developed and non-developed societies? Why didn't everyone advance at the same pace?