Technology And The Growth Of Civilization

Author : Giancarlo Genta,Paolo Riberi
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2019-09-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9783030255831

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Technology and the Growth of Civilization by Giancarlo Genta,Paolo Riberi Pdf

Our natural world has been irretrievably altered by humans, for humans. From domesticated wheat fields to nuclear power plants and spacecraft, everything we see and interact with has in some way been changed by the presence of our species, starting from the Neolithic era so many centuries ago. This book provides a crash course on the issues and debates surrounding technology’s shifting place in our society. It covers the history of our increasingly black-box world, which some theorize will end with technology accelerating beyond our understanding. At the same time, it analyzes competing trends and theories, the lack of scientific knowledge of large sections of the population, the dogmas of pseudoscience, and the growing suspicion of science and technology, which may inevitably lead to scientific stagnation. What will the future of our civilization look like? How soon might scientific acceleration or stagnation arrive at our doorstep, and just how radically will such technological shifts change our culture? These are issues that we must address now, to insure our future goes the way we choose.

Author : Arnold Pacey,Francesca Bray
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2021-08-03
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262366281

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Technology in World Civilization, revised and expanded edition by Arnold Pacey,Francesca Bray Pdf

The new edition of a milestone work on the global history of technology. This milestone history of technology, first published in 1990 and now revised and expanded in light of recent research, broke new ground by taking a global view, avoiding the conventional Eurocentric perspective and placing the development of technology squarely in the context of a "world civilization." Case studies include "technological dialogues" between China and West Asia in the eleventh century, medieval African states and the Islamic world, and the United States and Japan post-1950. It examines railway empires through the examples of Russia and Japan and explores current synergies of innovation in energy supply and smartphone technology through African cases. The book uses the term "technological dialogue" to challenges the top-down concept of "technology transfer," showing instead that technologies are typically modified to fit local needs and conditions, often triggering further innovation. The authors trace these encounters and exchanges over a thousand years, examining changes in such technologies as agriculture, firearms, printing, electricity, and railroads. A new chapter brings the narrative into the twenty-first century, discussing technological developments including petrochemicals, aerospace, and digitalization from often unexpected global viewpoints and asking what new kind of industrial revolution is needed to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene.

Author : Arnold Pacey,Francesca Bray
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2021-08-03
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9780262542463

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Technology in World Civilization, revised and expanded edition by Arnold Pacey,Francesca Bray Pdf

The new edition of a milestone work on the global history of technology. This milestone history of technology, first published in 1990 and now revised and expanded in light of recent research, broke new ground by taking a global view, avoiding the conventional Eurocentric perspective and placing the development of technology squarely in the context of a "world civilization." Case studies include "technological dialogues" between China and West Asia in the eleventh century, medieval African states and the Islamic world, and the United States and Japan post-1950. It examines railway empires through the examples of Russia and Japan and explores current synergies of innovation in energy supply and smartphone technology through African cases. The book uses the term "technological dialogue" to challenges the top-down concept of "technology transfer," showing instead that technologies are typically modified to fit local needs and conditions, often triggering further innovation. The authors trace these encounters and exchanges over a thousand years, examining changes in such technologies as agriculture, firearms, printing, electricity, and railroads. A new chapter brings the narrative into the twenty-first century, discussing technological developments including petrochemicals, aerospace, and digitalization from often unexpected global viewpoints and asking what new kind of industrial revolution is needed to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene.

Author : Mary A. Vance
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 24 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 1983
Category : Technology
ISBN : STANFORD:36105210144049

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Technology and Civilization by Mary A. Vance Pdf

Author : Victor C. Ferkiss
Publisher : George Braziller
Page : 390 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1974
Category : History
ISBN : WISC:89033928813

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The Future of Technological Civilization by Victor C. Ferkiss Pdf

Author : Stephen H. Cutcliffe,Judith Adams-Volpe,Christine Roysdon
Publisher : Gale Cengage
Page : 736 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 1980
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UOM:39015004523844

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Technology and Values in American Civilization by Stephen H. Cutcliffe,Judith Adams-Volpe,Christine Roysdon Pdf

Author : Melvin Kranzberg,Carroll W. Pursell
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 802 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 1967
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : UOM:39015027884314

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Technology in Western Civilization: Technology in the twentieth century by Melvin Kranzberg,Carroll W. Pursell Pdf

A complete and well-planned account of the history of technology in Western civilization from pre-historic man to the present age of the computer.

Author : Stephen Blaha
Publisher : Pingree-Hill Publishing
Page : 213 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Civilization
ISBN : 9780972079587

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The Life Cycle of Civilizations by Stephen Blaha Pdf

This book is an expanded version of The Rhythms of History, the book that made macro-History into a semi-quantitative Science. New features include: 1. an appendix showing how the history of Mayan civilization conforms to the book''s Theory of Civilizations including the latest information from the newly discovered hieroglyphic texts at Dos Pilas, Guatemala; 2. an appendix on the sub-Saharan African civilization, Great Zimbabwe, showing it fits the theory; 3. a comparison of the theory with Toynbee''s observations showing the many new features resulting from a quantitative theory; 4. numerous historic pictures and illustrations of the civilizations of Mankind including a number of newly found pictures from the nineteenth century; 5. a chapter describing the potentially disturbing implications of patterns in civilizations - Are we free? ? and the implications for the Philosophy of History; and 6. expanded comments in many sections such as the sections on the future of Humanity, the role of China, and the Islamic - West conflict. The book begins with a hard hitting, "tell it like it is" chapter on the current international situation with statements such as: "The United States and Western civilization is now engaged in a small Vietnam-style war on a global scale at the time of this writing. This war is still in the early stages of development. ... The attack on the World Trade Center by Muslim terrorists may have the same significance for Western civilization that the Gothic invasion of Rome itself in the prime of the Empire (the First Century AD) had for the future of Rome. They may be a premonition of things to come - not necessarily soon but perhaps in a few centuries. The Goths returned three centuries later and remained as permanent conquerors. ... Over the long term the West must free itself from a dependence on Muslim oil. Muslim oil revenues are the fuel for the development of weapons of mass destruction by Iran and Iraq. In the future they will supply the revenues of an expansionist Islam. ... As the silk trade looted the Roman Empire of its gold and reduced its economy, the trade in oil is looting the West of its prosperity and freedom of action. The rise and fall of oil prices has a significantly greater effect on the American and world economy than the raising and lowering of interest rates by central banks. " The book then describes a theory of civilizations that led to these observations. Currently unfolding events seem to be fulfilling the predictions which were made last year (including the new North Korean threat that seems to be consistent with a predicted breakdown in Japan ? North Korea will create major problems with Japan. As this is being written Japan is moving Aegis destroyers nearer to North Korea and preparing for defense.) THE EVENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK, AND ITS PREDECESSOR, APPEAR TO BE HAPPENING AS PREDICTED LAST YEAR. According to Theory of Civilizations the basis of civilizations was laid with a genetic mutation (found by Ding et al) 40,000 years ago that created bold enterprising individuals who became the leadership group of civilizations: a group that Toynbee called the "creative minority." When the world''s climate became warmer and more stable 10,000 years ago the seeds of civilizations began to germinate. Thus the origin of civilizations is tied to human genetics. The book then shows that a long-term social behavior pattern of mankind (based on four generation trends) causes civilizations to develop and "oscillate" in patterns of routs and rallies. Civilizations rise and fall due to their internal human dynamics. The theory of civilization is developed using equations and 68 diagrams that show a close detailed match between the theory and the actual history of all known Asian, European and African civilizations over the last 5,500 years. The theory projects the future of today''s civilizations (including the future of Western and Islamic civilizations). It also successfully describes the interaction of barbarians and civilizations, the interaction of two civilizations, the impact of modern technology on civilizations (it accounts for the Luddite reaction to the Industrial Revolution), the impact of major environmental events on civilizations (e.g. the collapse of Minoan civilization due to a volcanic eruption), and the disintegration of civilizations. It also accounts for the tremendous growth phases seen in many civilizations such as the building of the great pyramids in Egyptian civilizations. Based on the theory fifteen new civilizations are identified including new prehistoric Chinese and Egyptian civilizations. Having shown the success of the theory for earth civilizations it considers the form of extraterrestrial civilizations and calculates their impact on Western civilization should contact be established. The book also shows the need for the colonization of space and nearby planets if mankind is to progress in the future. The book analyzes the impact of the lengthening life spans of mankind on the future of civilizations. Predictions are made for the "state of the world" for 2050 and 2100. A detailed understanding the past enables the theory of civilizations to make predictions for the future. Defining Progress to be the sum of the world''s civilizations the book shows that Progress seems to be approximately linearly increasing over the last 5,500 years. A plot of Progress appears on the book''s cover (shown on this web page) together with the contributions of each civilization to Progress. (The vertical order of the civilizations in the plot is arbitrary. Older civilizations tend to be lower in the plot.) The book is a tour de force that makes History a Science rather than a collection of random events. It is the first detailed mathematical treatment of history. Although the book contains mathematics it is intended for the general reader as well as the mathematically inclined. There are copious verbal descriptions of the theory as well as many figures plotting the theory versus historical events. A qualitative, descriptive theory of civilizations is also presented that is like a "Dow Theory of Civilizations."

Author : Eugene S. Schwartz
Publisher : Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Company
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 1971
Category : Social Science
ISBN : UOM:39015004283597

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Overskill by Eugene S. Schwartz Pdf

Author : James C. Scott
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Agriculture
ISBN : 0302240217

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Against the Grain by James C. Scott Pdf

An account of all the new and surprising evidence now available for the beginnings of the earliest civilizations that contradict the standard narrative. Why did humans abandon hunting and gathering for sedentary communities dependent on livestock and cereal grains, and governed by precursors of today's states? Most people believe that plant and animal domestication allowed humans, finally, to settle down and form agricultural villages, towns, and states, which made possible civilization, law, public order, and a presumably secure way of living. But archaeological and historical evidence challenges this narrative. The first agrarian states, says James C. Scott, were born of accumulations of domestications: first fire, then plants, livestock, subjects of the state, captives, and finally women in the patriarchal family-all of which can be viewed as a way of gaining control over reproduction. Scott explores why we avoided sedentism and plow agriculture, the advantages of mobile subsistence, the unforeseeable disease epidemics arising from crowding plants, animals, and grain, and why all early states are based on millets and cereal grains and unfree labor. He also discusses the "barbarians" who long evaded state control, as a way of understanding continuing tension between states and nonsubject peoples.

Author : Targowski, Andrew
Publisher : IGI Global
Page : 462 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2008-10-31
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781605660059

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Information Technology and Societal Development by Targowski, Andrew Pdf

Latent in the current environment of rapid technological advances are breakthroughs waiting to be discovered that will have profound impacts on how organizations will cope with the direction civilization is taking. Information Technology and Societal Development examines in depth the full range of impacts of information technology on civilization and the development of societies. Uniquely broad in the scope of examining the societal implications of informational technology, this groundbreaking reference work makes an essential contribution to research libraries worldwide.

Author : Ian Morris
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 401 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2013-01-27
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781400844760

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The Measure of Civilization by Ian Morris Pdf

A groundbreaking look at Western and Eastern social development from the end of the ice age to today In the past thirty years, there have been fierce debates over how civilizations develop and why the West became so powerful. The Measure of Civilization presents a brand-new way of investigating these questions and provides new tools for assessing the long-term growth of societies. Using a groundbreaking numerical index of social development that compares societies in different times and places, award-winning author Ian Morris sets forth a sweeping examination of Eastern and Western development across 15,000 years since the end of the last ice age. He offers surprising conclusions about when and why the West came to dominate the world and fresh perspectives for thinking about the twenty-first century. Adapting the United Nations' approach for measuring human development, Morris's index breaks social development into four traits—energy capture per capita, organization, information technology, and war-making capacity—and he uses archaeological, historical, and current government data to quantify patterns. Morris reveals that for 90 percent of the time since the last ice age, the world's most advanced region has been at the western end of Eurasia, but contrary to what many historians once believed, there were roughly 1,200 years—from about 550 to 1750 CE—when an East Asian region was more advanced. Only in the late eighteenth century CE, when northwest Europeans tapped into the energy trapped in fossil fuels, did the West leap ahead. Resolving some of the biggest debates in global history, The Measure of Civilization puts forth innovative tools for determining past, present, and future economic and social trends.

Author : Dennis Karwatka
Publisher : Tech Directions Books & Media
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : Technology
ISBN : 0970339828

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Building Civilization by Dennis Karwatka Pdf

The publisher offers a special price for purchasing this text along with two related volumes: Connecting Civilization: the Growth of Communication and Moving Civilization; the Growth of Transportation. At a reading level appropriate for high school students, this work traces technical developments that advanced the methods used in construction, manufacturing, and machine tooling, primarily in America, during the 19th century. The 44 biographies that comprise the second half of the book are reprinted from Technology's Past by the same author, who teaches at Morehead State University. B & w photographs accompany the text. Distributed by Prakken Publications. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Author : Lewis Mumford
Publisher : Freedom Press (CA)
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 1986
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0900384328

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The Future of Technics & Civilization by Lewis Mumford Pdf

A brilliant survey of our response to changing technology, which sets out the prerequisites for a rational use of our discoveries and inventions as a means of human liberation rather than enslavement.

Author : Marcel Mauss
Publisher : Berghahn Books
Page : 192 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2006-03
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781571816627

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Techniques, Technology and Civilization by Marcel Mauss Pdf

Marcel Mauss's writings on techniques and technology are at the forefront of an important anthropological and sociological research tradition, and they also highlight the theoretical and ideological challenges surrounding this field of study. A selection of Mauss's texts — including his major statements on methodology, on body techniques, on practical reason, on nation and civilisation, on progress, and so forth — are here translated and presented together for the first time, with a discussion of their context, impact and implications. This book will interest scholars and students dealing with the French sociological tradition, and also more generally those concerned with technology and material culture studies in archaeological,anthropological or contemporary settings.