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A common theme I noticed in this week’s classes was the idea of difference and variation. We often dream of meeting aliens, beings from another far off location in the vast, infinite universe with customs and ways of life we couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to fathom. We in fact, do not have to look so far to be as equally bewildered. Hank Morgan’s adventures in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court show that the world was a vastly different place just a few thousand years ago, with as equally different people and customs of their own. Sure, they’re our ancestors, same species, but Hank Morgan’s experience as a person from the relatively distant future being pulled back many centuries sort of shows us how “alien” the past can be. There was a time we thought the earth was flat, that certain people were lesser because of skin color, that climate change was a myth (well, some still believe that one). The earth and all of its inhabitants, are weird. We’re strange. All of us. We just have to alter our perspective. The many cultures that exhibited themselves in Expo: Magic of the White City also seemed odd to the people not native to the United States. Belly-dancing, circus acts, strange technology from every corner of the globe. It’s not hard to imagine the gaping jaws of citizens during this time upon seeing the grandeur of German weapon engineering. We often so get caught up in technology that we barely take the time to appreciate it every once in a while. A piece of machinery that can connect you to most anyone on the entire planet, that has access to exponentially that of what a library can physically hold, is currently in your pocket! We do not have to stretch our imagination very far to be amazed at what is around us. Perspective can make things weird and fascinating; it can make the smallest animal so complexly structured, and the universe, as we know it, a tiny speck. It’s why we stress the idea of an open mind, to accept difference and live in solidarity amongst ourselves.

Another concept that stuck out to me the most of our two classes was the notion of energy balance and the basic laws of physics and thermodynamics. How everything, from meditation, life, and quantum mechanics, all rely and succeed with balance. Even socially, as The Human Motor described, the balance of the pace of technology and social norms is important in society; one cannot outweigh the other without repercussions (labor strikes, working conditions, etc.). From labor workers during the Industrial Revolution, to the infant stages of fusion energy we are currently engineering today, humans and life itself searches for the most efficient use of energy.

Prof. Perrone’s thoughts on string theory and the idea of multiple dimensions also left me scratching my head. Michio Kaku’s book Hyperspace is something I have attempted to read in the past but left me in a similarly confused state. Biologically, we apparently cannot fathom the idea of the infinite size of the universe, it is but an arbitrary thought we can only attempt to understand. The idea that there is even another galaxy containing life as complex as ours is something hard to accept, but after all, life is but a recipe in the universe’s cookbook containing ingredients like water, carbon and oxygen right? With the aftermath of the Hubble Telescope and our current understanding of math and statistical probability, the conditions that created life here shouldn’t be too hard for the universe to do again in another far off solar system, should it? With the idea of there being more universes is incredibly awesome. That these grandiose bubbles of universe act theoretically in the same way molecules of water interact with each other is absolutely amazing. And who’s to say our laws of physics apply to other universes? Could the very physical laws everything in existence that we know of in our universe follows whether they like it or not somehow be different in others? The fact that we know gravity can bend time, something we see as so structure and rigid in our daily lives, makes it seem like these two concepts are some sort of magic. We theorize science in on such an imaginative, almost fictional level that we make it seem like a sort of magic bestowed upon us by a higher being. Although, after all, magic is just science that we don’t understand, right?

One theme that fascinates me was the introductions of technology to people that have never seen something before. This was a common theme in both Mark Twain’s novel and the Worlds Fair documentary. It blows my mind to think that slightly over 100 years ago people had never seen artificial light, and were being exposed to the brightest event in the history of the Earth. Also, the biggest building ever created on this planet was showcased at the worlds fair. The sheer awe of seeing something like this first hand is unfathomable, and hopefully will be replicated in our lifetime with the advancements we have made. Another point that was made in the film is that this was the Western Hemisphere’s first exposure to the Far East, such as Japan. In today’s world, we have movies and other references, so little surprises us about the cultures and customs of other people around the world. It is weird to think that my great-grandfather’s parents did not know anything about the Japanese until adulthood. Thinking like this really puts the human timescale into perspective about how far we have come in such a short period of time, in good and bad ways.

Thinking about The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Hank Mason goes back in time to the 6^th Century and takes for granted little things that are now commonplace. Not having glass is the thing that really stuck with me. No windows, mirrors, cups, or anything that we use everyday were not anywhere to be found. I look at myself in the mirror everyday before I go to class or work, and some of these people might not have a good idea of what they look like for their entire lives. This book puts things into perspective just as the documentary did, if not more.

During my sophomore year of high school I was enrolled in AP US History and we read the book, Devil in the White City, in class. It was through this novel that I first learned about the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and when I walked into class on Tuesday I was genuinely excited when I found out that we would be watching a documentary on the Chicago World’s Fair. In high school, at only 15 years old, my ability to understand the magnitude of the exposition was limited. Now, after watching the documentary in class, I have a much deeper understanding for what the effects of the fair were, both technologically and culturally.

The Chicago World’s Fair took place 124 years ago from present day, which seems like an extended period of time relative to my own life. In reality though, 124 years is a minute period of time when compared to the lifetime of the earth. But it is in these last few centuries that the greatest advancements in society have been seen. After reflecting on the documentary, I pondered over what has caused this rapid boost in technological expansion, and I settled on the one thing that drives most people: competition. Nearly every major country was given their own building at the fair, and each country’s goal was to highlight who they are to the world, and show why they were the best. This heightened since of competition drove architects to construct the largest and most outlandish buildings, and it drove innovators to design products for the future. This was all done out of a sense of pride for one’s country.

During the operation of the fair, countless designs of new products were revealed and showcased by each country. At the time, everything seemed perfect, and there was a constant peace felt around the park. Visitors were head-over-heels for rides on the large Ferris wheel; they were blown away by the heights the air balloon could take them; they were enlightened by Thomas Edison’s light-bulb; and they were shell-shocked by the immense size and destructive power of Germany’s guns. No visitor took the time to think about what implications may follow this rapid advancement in technology and production, and it is ironic to think about how this drive for success has actually led to war and destruction of world peace.

Although the push and drive for individuals to create the ‘next best thing’ has resulted in far advancements in technological production, it has also granted countries the ability to devastate entire populations of people during a war. It is ironic that the German gun that received high acclaim at Chicago’s World’s Fair, was used just twenty years later during WWI to cause massive death and destruction. It makes you wonder, at what point do we need to focus on the present, rather than worrying so much about creating something for the future.

While watching the movie of the World’s Fair, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing the developments achieved to the theme explored by Anson Rabinbach in The Human Motor, where he views the human as a machine. It was surprising to see how these people could succeed in building such environment in such little time and how they were able to come up with innovations on the spot that would allow them to progress very rapidly with the project. Anson discusses how the worker or the “machine” desires to achieve infinite productivity because of the notion of wanting to progress and be the very best. In the movie, this could be seen when the workers worked from day to night in the construction of the fair. All the innovations and technology showcased were the product of the constant work put into such project and the desire to out-compete other nations. Even in today’s world, this notion of having to be in constant motion, achieving this “infinite productivity” keeps on revolutionizing the workforce. This is seen in the group of people that have characterized their work as a major priority in their lives,  those who “stay late and come in early” to the office, those who can’t go on a family vacation without taking their computers or checking their emails because “you never know if there’s an emergency” and even those who believe that work is the key to success. I tend to disagree because if the work someone’s doing is not goal oriented, then how could that measure success? Today’s society is constantly working because of the profit they will receive in return, not particularly for the skills they acquire along the way. Anson refers to energy as a transcendental principle where it becomes the groundwork of an individual’s thoughts and actions. If you think about it, it seems like these people not desiring to be more proficient within their work field but rather are doing it for the money are just wasting their energy instead of taking advantage of it because at the end of the day these profits are just temporary. Its interesting to thinking on how society’s perspective about work has changed throughout time. Even in A Connecticut’s Yankee we see how at the beginning of the book Hank is judgmental about the laborers for being “foolish” people since they weren’t gaining any profit from their work. He also mentions that because of the power his knowledge granted him, he could govern the city and become the wealthiest man. His approach toward this uncivilized society then changes when he realizes that the skills he teaches the people is what would allow the city to develop and be successful, not necessarily the monetary profit he would gain from it. I believe people should stray away from the notion of using work just for monetary benefits and start seeing it as an arena where they could further expand their knowledge because knowledge, in turn, will govern the way social development is achieved in the next generations.

In the Documentary, ” The White City”, I was intrigued with the size and depth of information and exhibits that the World Fair held. However, not only was I struck with amazement of the amount of innovative exhibits they portrayed, but also the innovation that went into creating the fair.

Countries, states, and companies all show-cased the most impressive innovations that they had. In an effort to show who was the most powerful, both militarily and industrial, leading up to the fair innovation was at the forefront of importance.  States produced as much as whatever their agricultural prowess allowed them to, Krupp, a German company, created the largest artillery weapon of all time. It was capable of launching a 1 ton piece of artillery over 15 miles. The United States alternatively produced a similar artillery weapon that could launch artillery over 13 miles. The fair became, essentially, a contest on who could outdo each other and prove they were the best.

Building the White City was a feat in itself and required innovation in order for it to be completed in the short timespan . Among the innovations was the creation of spray paint, to more effectively paint the vast structures and buildings. Other innovations were the plaster substitute which looked like marble, but is actually a much cheaper alternative, and the method of pile driving the buildings on poles into the swamp for support.

The fair provided vast improvements for the 20th century, not only through its exhibits, but also its construction. This spur in innovation helped propel industry and adversely could have caused possible friction through arms races that possibly could have caused World War 1.