How Inventions impact Society
Oct 6, 2019 9:20:51 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Oct 6, 2019 9:20:51 GMT -5
How Inventions impact Society
How would the world be right now if the airplane had never been invented? Or let's say, the refrigerator? Of course we now casually take them for granted since for us there was never a time when they were missing. However, for those who were suddenly introduced to them, they were a marvelous wonder thing which suddenly made life much easier. After all, an icebox was called an icebox because you needed to place ice inside in order to keep things cold. At the end of the day, or much sooner, you would wind up with a puddle of tepid water and needed to eat the meat ad other perishables before it spoiled, or else buy another block of ice. The invention of the refrigerator removed the need for that constant and onerous struggle.
Wanted to visit a relative on the USA west coast? Well, that would involve a long overland, 3,000 mile trip if you were on the East coast of the United States. The invention of the locomotive, and establishment of the Transcontinental Railroad, suddenly made the trip much quicker and far less difficult. After all, trips West in horse-draw covered wagons were a real hassle in terms of time and the dangers involved.
Trips to other countries across the Atlantic or the Pacific that once required the sailing ship and months to get to a destination? Today we hop on an airplane and the trip is shortened to hours instead of months. Also, once we needed to wait months to converse with people via the mail. Now we either pick up a phone or else chat on the internet with people on the other side of the world.
So inventions can drastically transform the way we do things. Unfortunately, that also applies to war, which means that killing is far more efficient now than it ever was before when we were merely shooting arrows, throwing rocks or wielding swords. The invention of the Gattling Gun, is an example of how we could suddenly have just one man firing bullets and mowing down enemies as if he were many.
In short, the same innovative ability that makes life easier for us, now threatens to be our undoing since life on Earth itself is seriously endangered by our recently-acquired ability to harness the power of the atom in order to harm one another. So it is a rather two-edged sword which needs to be wielded with great caution lest we obliterate ourselves and all other life on Earth in the process.
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Potential Social Harm
Inventions which improve the human condition by making humans healthier can also create new social classes or increase the gap between the social classes that already exist by providing certain advantages for those who can afford them. For example, there is concern being expressed about genetically-modified babies who will be physically bigger, healthier and smarter due to genetic engineering which is expected to become very common for those who can afford it in the very near future.
Since such a service will be expensive, and not available to everyone, and because human nature remains the same, such an increased difference can very well cause pride among the beneficiaries and resentment among the deprived to emerge. That in turn can lead to discriminatory practices and attitudes by those feeling superior. So unless great care is taken to prevent the unsupervised commercialization of that invention, the seeds for extreme social unrest and a future full of increased turmoil might be sown.