ancient technology

From: Neil Hopkinson (nhopkins@dmu.ac.uk)
Date: Wed Aug 05 1998 - 18:00:08 EEST


ver the weekend I watched a show that reviewed ancient technology and
how
long it had taken to become apart of daily lives. The Egyptians had
'computing machines' that calculated the movements of the planets, etc.
The
statement that fascinated me was not about the technologies but the
cultures where they were developed. It seems that the success of a
technology is due to how the people living during its development feel
about technology rather than a need or use.

If the masses accepted and sought advanced technologies, then more were
developed but when there existed opposition to new ideas then a 'dark
age'
appeared and development ceased and many ideas were lost...some
forever. A
computer, a battery, differential gearing, etc. all existed some 2000+
years ago but most have only been made widely available within the last
100
years.

Where will RP&M be 2000 years from now?

Elaine

Hopefully it won't be subject to an intergallactic inquisition during
some post apocalytic dark age!

Neil

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