Category: Uncategorized

Time/ Machine a course that will teach me how through time, we’ve come to built/develop these different “machines” we have weaved into our daily routines… or that’s what I thought. When we had to discuss whether we agreed or not with the author comparing the human brain to a computer, I found myself in the batch of those who were startled  by this idea. As a biology major, we’ve talked about the central nervous system which is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, the different parts of the brain and their functions, the role of neurons in deliverance of information, but have never made this distinction of the possibility that the brain behaves just as a computer. I tried finding other arguments including the second article we had to read about the brain NOT being a computer that could refute this idea but the longer I thought of it, the more complex this became. Indeed, if one wants to look at the components of a computer and compare it to what interacts with our brain, we can attempt to justify that as most of the computers (usually desktops) need specific cables to function properly, neurons and nerves behave the same way delivering information throughout the body. It was just really interesting to apply such behavior to what we know about our brains and think how it can potentially revolutionize the way scientist study such complex system.

On the other hand, when reading “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” it was interesting to explore how technology has played an important role in modern generations and drives the desire of most individuals to want to be the best. This is seen in Morgan’s attitude change when he realized he had the power to drive the development of Camelot. When he first noticed where he was, he was not content; there were no commodities, and everything was strange. He mentions how “it is the little conveniences that make the real comfort in life” but it is kind of humorous to even think about the conveniences he was referring to (soap, matches, mirrors) because in today’s world those are deem as unimportant. But then one see throughout the reading, that these inconveniences are no longer dreadful because he is able to use his knowledge to rearrange the system and drive the development of more important institutions that will bring with them more technological advances. I think his desire to see development within the city is kind of bogus because it doesn’t seem like he is doing it for the people but rather to be able to reach a level within this particular society where he can feel comfortable in the environment he is situated in. As a result he might be changing the city for the better and introduce technological advances that if in real life, could have been the ones shaping the pathway to what we have and know today, but it is kind of idealistic to think that there’s no self-interest among his actions and desires.

The philosopher Sigmund Freud was an extremely innovative thinker of his time; however, his impressions of the technological innovations he saw were discerningly bleak. In his book Civilization and its Discontents he captures many of the timeless frustrations people have about such advancements. In one part of the book he says, “If there had been no railway to conquer distance, my child would never have left town and I should need no telephone to hear his voice” (Freud). This is a commentary on the extremely ironic idea that technology is created to help solve the problems past technology created. The invention of the telephone would have never come to fruition if the railroad did not create a need for communication over vast distances. Freud then goes on to critique the existence of technology even further, arguing “This newly won mastery over space and time… has not increased the amount of pleasure they can expect from life or made us feel happier…these satisfactions [are] ‘cheap pleasures’”(Freud). The invention of a telephone or a railroad, in Freud’s opinion, is not advancement at all because it does not advance or increase the happiness of a person’s life. Today, such convictions are still extremely relevant. Many people argue the advancements of our century have created a generation who is less social, less “in the moment”, and extremely impatient. This was also true about previous generations as well, when the television came out many people feared it would lessen human connections.

All do not share such a negative attitude towards technology, Mark Twain was known for his interest in the latest and greatest advancements of his time. This interest is seen in his book “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”. The main character, Hank, is thrown out of his time period into the 6^th century. It follows him through his experiences in England, without the advancements and comforts of his previous life. Early on this tension comes to a head when Hank was in an apartment looking around “There was no soap, no matches, no looking glass… and not a chromo. I had been used to chromos for years, and I saw now that without my suspecting it a passion for art had got worked into the fabric of my being and was become a part of me”(45). The technology of Hanks previous life, chromos had become apart of his identity. Without it he felt as thought something was missing. This could be seen in two ways, the first is as a commentary to the negative reliance on advancements. Critics would say people should be able to rely solely on themselves for happiness and it is unhealthy to have an inanimate object, like a phone or a chromo, become apart of someone’s identity. However, such an idea could also be seen as a positive, a person is able to get direct happiness from an inanimate object to a point where it is so interwoven into them. This could add to their ability to connect with others, find a passion, or strive to make improvements. It also shows how important technology has become in everyday lives, Freud argued technology only creates the need for more technology and such a pursuit is futile and fills a person with little happiness. But in Hank’s case, the absence of technology made him upset suggesting there is a happiness that can come from technology. In today’s world, there is a constant tension between the excitement of innovation paired with the desire or nostalgia for the way the “past” was before such inventions. I hope to dig deeper into this debate through analysis and class discussion while keeping an open mind for both viewpoints.

The idea of time travel has always been fascinating to me, and in my lifetime I would like to see that technology be accessible. If I were to travel somewhere for a short period of time, it would be the Middle Ages in Europe. This part of history has always been interesting to me (as I am currently watching Game of Thrones), and I would like to see how accurate our depiction of this time period really is. I’m sure with historians and archeologists have pieced together a good idea of what it was like, but I would still like to immerse myself in the culture of the time for a short while. Our generation has grown up with technology all around us, and we certainly take that for granted. It would be a good experience for any of us to leave all technology behind for a certain period of time and truly live off of the land, which is the only way of life that the people of the middle ages knew. I think most of us would lose our minds after more than a few days not being able to have many of the commonplace things that we do not even consider technology.

In Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Hank Morgan travels back in time to the days of King Arthur (around 600AD) where there is little to no technological advancements. I wouldn’t have even thought about not having glass, and I do not think society has considered glass as “technology” for hundreds of years. Not having windows and never being able to see your own face is a shocking thought to me, and one that I will probably not take for granted again. Not only was the technology of the day primitive, but also so were the ideologies of the masses. Clarence, a boy in King Arthur’s castle, was scared beyond belief at the fact that Merlin has cast spells all over the castle that would do harm if spoken out against him. This seems silly to Hank, as it should, but it also puts things in perspective for me a little bit. As a man of science myself, I know that we are always making new discoveries, and disproving old theories. In the 600’s, they did not know any better, and believed in the idea of magic without question. This makes me think about what things we currently believe in that people hundreds of years from now will find preposterous. I would like to believe that our advancements in STEM have been sufficient enough where we don’t have any laws of nature completely backwards, and that everything I’ve learned in school so far is not a waste and we are not actually part of the matrix, but hey you never know.

Sigmund Freud discusses his opinion about the impact of technology on modern society in Civilization and Its Discontents. Freud states in the opening sentence that humans have made prominent advances in the sciences as well as technical application and this has increased control over nature tremendously. He goes on to say that these advancements may not be all optimistic. In fact, Freud believes technology leads to a sort of “cheap pleasure.” An example of cheap pleasure he offers is, “what is the good of reduction of infant mortality if it forces us to practice extreme restraint in the procreation of children.” He says by promoting this reduction, we are actually “imposing restraints on sexual life within marriage and worked against the benefits of natural selection.” Another example Freud offers is the prolonging of life. To him, this is seen as a “cheap pleasure” as well because what good is extending life if the person living is old, suffering, and joyless? Sigmund Freud and his contemporaries were overall pessimists about technological advancements due to what they experienced in WWI. The improved technology in warfare created during WWI lead to an outrageous amount of casualties compared to previous wars.

Personally, I agree but also disagree with Freud and his contemporaries on the argument involving technology. In my day and age, technology has taken over the world. Every task or activity one goes about involves some sort of technology. An example today of technology advancement is the transition of writing emails to sending texts. In the positive light, texting is much more convenient and consumes less time compared to emailing. However, by doing the simple task of texting, humans lose the personal connection of formal email interaction as well as face to face interaction with one another. The happiness humans get from saving time by texting is what I see as a positive aspect of technological advancement. The suffering of losing personal connection with each other is what creates a negative aspect of technological advancement.

The protagonist, Hank Morgan, in Mark Twain’s, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, favors technological advancements. Hank is described as a manager of a munitions factory in Connecticut. His goal is to remake England with the American model and correct all of the country’s injustices. Hank has diverse ideas of technological advancements including building factories, schools and railroads. He believes with these advancements he will be able to end slavery, raise men, and carry out truth and justice throughout the nation. Hank seems to be a supporter of technological advancements as of now. He believes they will make a positive difference in the world.

Coming into this class, I was not sure what to expect. During the crazy, cut-throat time that is the scheduling period at Bucknell, the ambiguous title of the class “Time/Machine” intrigued me. After the first couple days, the intrigue has continued to grow.
I like to think that I am a curious person. However, when it comes to technology, I tend to leave the exploration and the innovation to the experts of the field or those that have a greater interest than I do. I then wait and reap the fruits of their labor in the form of cell phones, computers, cars, etc., all the amazing gadgets that have sort of shaped how I’ve grown up. On Thursday, we discussed the passage in which Hank Morgan reflected that he feels as though there is a certain void within him as he lives without the technology that his is used to. This prompted me to attempt to place myself in his shoes, in a world without technology and the commodities that I am used to. I wondered whether our brains, those of whom, like me, have been privileged enough to constantly use and access a large amount technology, have become sort of wired to require technology in close to everything that we do. With the advancements in cell phones and texting, communication has been drastically altered. Higher education and entering high paying jobs require a certain amount of expertise in technology and introduction of technology has trickled down into the education system itself until my mom, who is a kindergarten teacher, is required to learn the ins and outs of the iPad, a device that is given to every student in her class.
Then, as was suggested on Thursday, we also tend judge those who do not have a certain threshold of expertise in technology. Hank Morgan believes the people in the sixth century have such an inferior level of knowledge that he compares them to animals many times throughout the work. However, if we are to apply this to our day to day life, then people like my Grandfather who has not dedicated time to embracing new technology would also be judged as inferior. If he, who I have always held the highest respect for due to his wealth of experience and his character, is judged as inferior due to his lack of technical knowledge, then I personally believe that this notion is extremely flawed.