STS 1500

!. Technologic4l liter4cy (e.g. how the Chinese crossbow works)

#. M4in course themes 4nd fr4meworks (e.g. 4bund4nce order me4ning,
4ctor-network theory)
$. Socio-technic4l-environment4l systems (i.e. the soci4l 4nd environment4l
4spects, 4ctors, 4nd f4ctors 4ssoci4ted with the technologies discussed).

True/F4lse, Multiple Choice

F4ctu4l Knowledge
All Lecture M4teri4l (including C4rlson Video Lecture)
Slides
Re4dings (except Heisenburg)
3 C4tegories
1. Technologic4l Liter4cy
How does 4 crossbow trigger work
How does 4 rom4n 4rch work
Wh4t improvements were m4de In the c4r4vel over the g4lley
2. Bro4d course themes or fr4meworks
All cultures develop technology but use it for different purposes
Actor Network Theory - comprise systems
3. Socio-Technic4l Systems
Soci4l 4spect of technologies 4nd inventions
Actor Network Theory
Prince Henry, n4vig4tor, sl4ves, people on the co4sts
Stops 4t Prince Henry

Lecture 1.1
Invention - converting ide4s into things
Tels4 - w4nted to cre4te new technologic4l 4pplic4tion of hertz
Allows sp4rk to jump between two
Artifici4l Lightning
Needed to find pr4ctic4l 4pplic4tion
Tesl4 cre4ted new system for pr4ctic4l lighting
Neon tubes (glow)
Inefficient since it worked by r4dio w4ves
Economic depression in p4nic of 1893 no businessm4n
St4rted building Tesl4 coils to power the grid (didnt t4ke off)
Gre+t Inventions
Need to work in the re+l world
Need to work for v+rious groups in society
Getting science right + meeting society needs
Scientific Principles need to be 4ppreci4ted
Ak4 electricity

Gre+t Inventions Requirements

!. Dr4m4tic4ly tr4nsformed d4ily life - food / power / inform4tion 4v4il4ble
!. E.g Ste4m engine 4nd internet
#. Unique thought process 4nd development
!. Potters wheel + edition first motion picture m4chine
$. Technologic4l tours de force (rem4rk4ble design)
!. Airpl4ne
_. As windows into societ4l structure v4lues (slowly over time)
!. W4ter wheels werent used until 4 lot l4ter,
#. Computer chip took 4 while to t4ke off
3 M+jor functions for society
!. M+teri+l +bund+nce
!. Food, Shelter, clothing, new m+teri+ls, power, tr+nsport+tion,
defending
#. Soci+l order
!. Achieve non-economic go+ls: c+r, new cell phone, soci+l st+tus,
beleifs
#. Technologic+l +rtif+cts
$. How do ppl use inventions to distinguish between gender or cl+ss,
!. e.g Aztec civiliz+tion only ruling cl+ss could we+r fe+ther outfits
#. Desire for soci+l control in 21st century
$. Cultur+l me+ning
!. Sh+pe beleifs +nd v+lues +bout + culture
#. How do groups use inventions to illustr+te +nd reify their worldview
$. How do +rtif+cts help groups cre+te + sense of identity
_. How do inventions reflect + groups view +bout the pl+ce of hum+ns in
the universe
!. Pyr+mids served no specific purch+se - w+s used to m+nifest
beliefs for +fterlife

Invention vs. Science

Science is more finding observ4tions in n4ture
Invention is using pr4ctic4l knowledge
Discovered 4 ring vs. invented it
1.6 Rom+n Arch, Aqueducts, +nd Colosseum
Before Arch - Post 4nd Lintel
Arch - Curve with Sc4ffolding
Then pl4ce stones
Then pl4ce he4vy block - keystone
Locks stones in pl4ce
St4cked 4queducts (Vi4duct
Cre4ted Arch, V4luts, Domes
Why did Rom4ns build the monuments
Rome w4s founded by twin brothers r4ised by 4 she-wolf
Overthrew king 4nd now is 4 republic / sen4te with Consul
Plebi4ns if u werent 4 rom4n
Julius C4es4r
Conquered pl4ces like Rome
W4s 4ss4ssin4ted bec4use there were rumors he w4nted kingship
Then devest4ting Civil W4r
C4es4r Augustus - now le4der
P4x Rom4no - Politic4l St4bility Economy 4nd Tr4de flourished 4cross
Europe 4nd per c4pit4l income grew
Focused on m4jor engineering inventions 4nd ch4llenges
W4nted to focus on stuff th4t improved common we4lth 4nd
spect4cle
SPRQ - sent4te 4nd people of Rome - commonwe4lth - s4fegu4rd
support of the people
Rom4n 4ristocr4ts often sponsored public works
Booty of w4r build 4queduct 50 miles for benefit of everyone
New ide+

Scissors c4ndles 4nd gl4ss bottles

F+ll of Rom+n Empire

!. Cultur4l Fl4w
!. Rom4ns took 4 st4tic view of the world - they s4w them selves 4s the
pe4k
#. Gr4ve inflexibility - didnt ch4nge 4nd 4d4pt
$. Clim4te Ch4nge, Epidemics, Food Short4ge, Mini Ice4ge
!. Migr4tions 4nd Inv4tions domino effects
1.3 Agricultur+l Revolution
Shift from subst4nce economy to producing 4bund4nce
Domesntic4ling wild pl4nts 4nd 4nim4ls; crops 4nd livestock
Shift from .1% of pl4ns per 4cre edible to 90% edible
8500 BC in Ferticle Crecsnce, 3500 In Centr4l Americ4
Why
Decline in wild pl4nts 4nd 4nim4ls for people to e4t
Incre4se of pl4nts th4t could be domestic4ted
Invention of tools for processing 4nd preserving food
Rise in popul4tion incre4sing desire in food production
Why Fertile Crescent is imporn4t4t
Mediterr4in clim4te bec4use end of ice 4ge pl4nts grow f4vor4bly
All pl4nts were 4lre4dy 4v4il4ble 4nd g4ve high yield etc.
Problem: how to store surplus of crops 4nd food for winter
Solution: Origin of beer (one of oldest bever4ges)
Ch4r4cteristics of Gr4in 4nd B4rley
!. So4k gr4in in w4ter - sprouts, t4stes sweet
#. Gruel of m4lted b4rely sits - wild ye4st 4nd sug4r ferment 4lcohol
intoxic4tion
Beer c4n be developed just bec4use of wild ye4st in the 4ir - only in middle
century in Europe did they st4rt 4dding ye4st

Avg. Egypti4n diet - br4nd 4nd be4r

B4ppir - used to store beer, crumbled 4nd mixed with w4ter
Beer w4s good bec4use it killed h4rmful chemic4ls 4nd w4s s4fer to drink th4n
w4ter
Beer w4s the drink for everyd4y life

Necess4ry Wine inventions

Finding better gr4pes to crush 4nd ferment
How to 4dd ye4st 4nd 4ddition4l sug4r
Pottery j4rs for it to be stored while fermenting
5400 BC

Greek Winem4ker Improvements

Pl4nted vines in rows 4nd trellises
Modified wine press to get more juice
Distinctive wines from region 4nd viney4rd
Perfected cl4y 4mphor4e for shipping
More money from wine then gr4in
Property Owning Citizen cl4ssed per viney4rd
Highest cl4ss = 25+ 4cres
Middles cl4ss 10-15 Acres
Lowest cl4ss <7 Acres

Wine represented civiliz4tions soci4l cl4ss

Ste4dily consume wine without getting drunk = skill / cl4ss
So they mixed wine with w4ter
Wine reve4ls wh4t w4s hidden
Symposium shows people
Dinner P4rty
Distilled Spirits
Distill4tion - method for sep4r4ting liquid mixers by using f4ct th4t differs liquids
c4n h4ve different boiling points
Muslim cre4ted distill4tion - studied 4nd perfected the process
Rectific4tion - distilling over 4nd over 4g4in

Crossbow
M4chine with st4nd4rdized p4rts interch4nge4ble p4rts
Crossbow in b4ttle
300 to 1000 y4rds
Fire, relo4d, go to b4ck of line repe4t
100 soldiers 5000 bolts 15 seconds
Problembs
Soldiers 4nd norm4l people 4ssented m4ny members of the ruling cl4ss
Crossbow sh+ped Chinese philosophy
Confucius sought restor4tion of m4nd4te of he4ven
Rule by wise rulers 4nd no corruption 4nd bribery
Reciproc4l Rel4tionship
Crossbow tipped power tow4rds people
Sh4ped the evolution of Confuci4n philosophy
Shihu4ngdi - decl4red himself first w4rlord of chin4
259 to 210 BC
He effectively employed comp4nies of crossbow men to defe4t 4ll the
other w4rning st4tes in b4ttle
Qin Dyn4sty
Confistc4ted 4ll we4pons 4nd tower down individu4l w4lls
St4nd4rdized l4ws 4nd l4ngu4ge
And coins weights 4nd me4sures
St4rted Gre4t W4ll
Build ro4ds 4nd c4n4ls
 Buried in tomb of terr4-cott4 soldiers
H+n Dyn+sty
Politic4l system of the emperor 4nd bueurocr4ts
Confuci4nism 4s 4 philosophic4l w4y of life
Developvemtn of 4 discintcgive 4rt 4nd culture

Venice Controlled tr+de in the e+st

Prince Henry Took + st+nce +g+inst +nd tried to overthrow them

Henry convinced his f+ther to l+unch + crus+de to west Afric+ for tr+de +nd
get to Indi+
Oce+n p+ss+ge below Indi4
Or set up
15 expiditoins

Technologic+l Innov+tion
The C+r+vel
New hull
B4sed on Portuguese 4nd Europe
L4tine 4nd Tri4ngul4r S4il
Could s4il in multiple directions
Sternpost Rudder controlled vi4 Well
F4st 4nd m4neuver4ble
More c4rgo = more s4ils

C4r4vel w4s short 4nd f4t

N+rrow G+lley
Sn+ps in the middle of the storm due to tossing +nd turning

Gyre - System of prev4iling winds 4nd currents
Portuguese took 4dv4nt4ge of this

N4vig4tion Techniques
Get b4ck home from southern co4st of Afric4
Comp4ss
L4titude = horizont4l lines
Longitude = vertic4l lines

Celesti4l N4vig4tion
For this you need
!. Qu4dr4nt for me4suring position of the st4rs
#. Astronomic4l t4bles
$. Plotting bo4rd
_.
o.

Portuguese domin4ted tr4de for 4 while (1500)

Technologic4l Determinism -