Electricity
The
Telephone
The Automobile
Steel and
Iron
Humongous
factories fueled by new machines
Mass
transportation connecting opposite sides of the country
We’ve come a
long way! Comparing our advances today is similar to relating the Mario Brothers games of the 1990’s to Sims 4:
Preset
gaming levels—randomly generated world
Small (virtual)
play area—huge (virtual) universe of play
Closed gaming
world—completely interactive gaming world
2D—3D
Uncomplicated
software—professionally computer-engineered software, including calculators and
computers
Those are a
few examples of how technology has become bigger in capacity, faster, brighter,
clearer, smarter, and more interactive. That’s just in the past 3 ½ decades!
Watch for publicly accessible virtual reality in the coming decade!
Does our intelligence match our
technological advances?
I’d like to
look at both sides of that coin:
Yes
Example:Disease and Poverty
Mankind has
learned much since the mid-1800s, and the days of the Buffalo, New York,
Poorhouse. We don’t isolate people with certain limitations in the same manner
as before. In addition, we know the cause of certain diseases, such as cholera.
That’s why many illnesses have been eradicated in developed countries. Everyone
understands the importance of sanitation, plumbing, and adequate medical care.
In summary,
it’s safe to say the non-technological sciences have also progressed in leaps
in bounds. The proof is in the lesser amount of fatal contagious diseases in
many areas.
No
The recent
riots in Baltimore were a repeat of the 1968 uprisings following Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. The same neighborhood was nearly
destroyed 47 years ago. Hordes of volunteers are cleaning up some of the identical
streets and buildings their grandparents may have walked. Political issues
aside, have we learned nothing in 47 years?
My Conclusion
Recent advances
in technology show mankind is moving forward at breakneck speed. On the other
hand, there are ways in which we haven’t changed. Humans don’t seem to learn
from some of our past mistakes; we’re stubborn. That’s why history repeats
itself. This happened with the Israelites in the Bible, the Western European
nations as their empires began shrinking, and the list goes on.
Will future
generations be willing to learn from our mistakes?
Traci Lawrence writes about her passion:
communication, relationships, the value of individuals, and rising above
verbal bullying (trash talk). She lives in the Northern Virginia area of
the United States and teaches English, among other subjects. Please
find more on her blog, and
view her book: Accept No Trash
Talk: Overcoming the Odds.
Thanks for posting this, Rosanne! Nice intro!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to write it. I think if more policy makers were aware of the history of the social welfare system there would be less problems with it today.
DeleteI agree. That's just another example of how we could learn from all aspects of history; yet, we often don't.
DeleteWe escaped Detroit during the riots in the 60's and what is happening in Baltimore is exactly what I was thinking -- haven't we grown past this? Have we learned nothing? So sad. Good comparison Traci - using our advances in technology.
ReplyDeleteHi, Carol. Thanks so much for reading and commenting! Detroit is another traditional haven of unrest.I'm so glad you were able to get out! It seems that, in many ways, we have to keep learning some lessons over and over (which means we really aren't learning.) It's a sad statement on our wisdom in many areas. What will another half a century bring? Hopefully, we'll have made progress by then!
Delete