An informal poll of my acquaintances reveals that the first thing they think of when they hear “technology” is some kind of electronic device: a computer, a smart phone, an e-cigarette. But technology doesn’t just mean things which beep and blink and make people over 40 feel clueless and inept: it’s any applied science. So what about the car, then? More science and research goes into the development of a new car than nearly most other consumer goods (compare with a kitchen appliance, for example). Few pieces of technology have as many deeply entrenched, loyal users. In some parts of the world, there are more cars than there are people. So why don’t people immediately think of cars as technology?
The answer is simple: most people can’t remember a time before cars. I can remember when I didn’t have a smart phone (not that long ago). I can recall life without a computer (farther back, but still not that long). Both my parents can drum up memories of life without calculators, and my father can remember a time before television. But almost nobody can even imagine, let alone remember, life without an automobile. There was a time before cars, though. There was a time before the horse-and-carriage. There was a time before every man-made object you can think of (and all the ones you can’t).
There was a time before chairs. Continue reading “On Technology”