Friday, 19 June 2015

in·dus·tri·al·ism

 Advancements Throughout History

      This will be about Technological Advancements through out world history.  We will be taking a look on a few of the inventions that helped shape western civilization.   The things we look at will include, Steam Power,  metal working machines,  tanks, atomic bombs, and satellites.  

Steam Power 

     The development of stationary steam powered engines was a fundamental step in the advancement of mechanical production.  The first successful usage of a steam piston engine was implemented by Thomas Newcomen who designed it to be used in underground mining.  His engine was able to produce 3.7kw (5hp) and a total of 110 were known to have been built.   Steam power helped the speed of factory production and also helped in the mines.   Below is a picture of Thomas Newcomens steam engine design.  
                                                      
- Steam Engines work when a liquid (usually water) witch is held in a still is vaporized under extreme heat then sent into a cylinder to build pressure and propel a piston witch then is attached to a series of weights and pules to power things.

                                                                       New Machines

     During the industrial revolution there was an increase in the demand for metal parts used in machines and products.  This lead to the development of several crucial peaces of tools and machinery used in the manufacturing industry.  Three of these machines were the milling machine, lathe, and the metal plainer.  These new machines were developed so that they could be used to help manufacture new metal parts for machines and products.

                                                                            Tanks

  During the first world war trench warfare was a terrible thing.  The British sought out to design an armored vehicle capable of maneuvering the harsh battlefield terrain, with the capability to be equipped with a multitude of weapons such as an artillery cannon and guns.  Bellow is a photo of a British Mark 1 tank in 1916.  The Mark 1 was the first tank ever to be used in a military operation.  Tanks have impacted the way countries fight and has put an end to trench ware fare.



                                        


                                                                        Atomic Bombs

     Due to the immense power that nuclear weapons hold they create substantial political and military power.  The control and position of nuclear power has been an issue for about as long as they have been around.  During World war Two Canada, USA and the United Kingdoms collaborated in what was called the Manhattan project.  It was an Implement to counter possible rumors of the Nazi Germany Nuclear Weapon program.  Atomic Bombs changed the way the western world works because with them,  we have imminent protection against any threats in the world.

                                            Replica of the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945

                                                                            Satellites

      Satellites are an important part of western civilization because without them we would not have a lot of the technological capabilities that we have today.  The first satellite was developed in Russia in 1957 and sent into earths orbit with the task of measuring atmospheric layers through changes in its orbital change.  Russia's breakthrough in space technology prompted the United States to begun developing and testing their own satellites.  The First idea regarding the use of satellites for the purposes of global communications can be related back to 1945 in a letter to the editor of Wireless World magazine.  Then in 1960 NASA Launched the worlds first Communication satellite via an air balloon.  This fundamentally helped pave the way to a new era of communications and wireless data transmissions.   Today satellites are used for many purposes such as astronomical(looking for distant planets and space stuff), Communications, Navigational, Warfare and weather.


                                                                     
                                                    


                                                                 


By Jake Green








4 comments:

  1. I agree with the steam powered engines to be an important invention. I believe The development of the stationary steam engine was an essential early element of the Industrial Revolution. I also agree that tanks have changed the way countries fight. Tanks are a huge part in military combat in today's world, the tank is a deadly machine that now every military has. They have become a necessary part in war we know today. Industrialism helped cause WW1 because all the countries involved at that time were developing better and better technology, and the race to become the greatest nation was on. I agree with You saying satellites having a major impact not only western civilization, but in today's world too. Satellites are essential for most of the things we use in today's world. We as a whole would not be able to function as smoothly and efficiently without the use of satellites.

    Industrial revolution not only helped to produce very important things, it also gave out tons of jobs. Women began to work more hours than previously. And with the Industrial Revolution the demand for children in societies tended to increase, and thus birth rates grew substantially. Women in particular were a driving force in the Outwork sector of the economy.

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  3. I agree and understand where you are coming from in thinking that all the inventions during this time period were an important part in society and how it evolved but I can't help but wonder if you believe that all the costs that came with this advancement were worth it?

    When the Industrial Age began and factories were first opened the opportunities for women and children were seen as a good thing, but by the end of the same age it was safer for them not to be included at all because of the horrible conditions they were placed under, for men too. Is having an eight year boy or a young woman just recently married and trying to provide for their family put into a place where they are underpaid and over worked sound worth the small economical boost? And they were sometimes not just building useless bits of machinery but things of war. The tanks used in WWI and WWII killed countless people. They were clearly an advantage point in the wars but does that make the death that followed them around any less prominent? They were created to kill, is that really something that we as a society want to look back on and think how great an invention it was?

    Can you honestly say that that because of some of these different inventions from the past have only served people well to praise them against most people's morals?

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  4. I think it is amazing how the world has changed so exponentially in the last few centuries due to the scientific and industrial revolutions. When you think of it, we’ve always had the means to make discoveries and advancements in technology, like the same materials and same hands to work them into something better with, and only relatively recently have humans taken those means and made great leaps forward in technology.
    However, the problem with these advancements is the way the world speeds up as a result. For example, cars became the most common form of travel, since they were the most convenient method of travel, and now if you don’t have one, you can barely get anywhere in today’s world. Basically, there comes a time when technology goes from convenient to necessary as our world shapes itself around it. Look at schools today and their use of the internet. That’s not necessarily a problem, until you need to provide your own device and you’re someone who can’t really afford a laptop or tablet.
    This is also true of warfare. As technology progresses, the bombs get bigger, and the methods of killing become more and more efficient even to the point of depersonalization. A millennium ago, if you told someone that they can sit at a desk and kill people across the world by firing projectiles from the sky causing large explosions, it would have sounded like unspeakable power. But now, it happens all the time.
    In short, although technology makes living a lot more practical, I think it is dangerous that we rely so heavily on it and shape the world around it.

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