JMC 168 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Johannes Gutenberg, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Technological Determinism
25 Aug 2016
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Challenges: keeping it accurate, passing it from generation to generation, writing. Changed the nature of human knowledge: printing. Technological determinism: the belief that technology drives historical change: telegraph and telephone. The telegraph was described as the great annihilator of time and space . It was the first device that made instantaneous point-to-point communication over large distances. From 30 mph to 186,000 mi per second. Lightning lines: the telegraph wires swayed between poles. Keep track of train locations and coordinates the complex job of shipping. Played a role in the westward expansion transportation. Sped up communication between buyers and sellers, reported transactions, and organized deliveries. Enhanced transmission of newspaper news: photography and motion picture. Two things required to permanently store images: the pinhole fulfilled in the 16th century was a way to focus the image on the surface. The surface must be permanently altered as a result of exposure to the image. Mathew brady"s photography on the battlefield: radio and tv.
