Session 1- Germs, Guns & Steel

The Gist

I entered the class with apprehension because TWC is my first seminar in SMU and without any prior knowledge regarding this module, I do not know what to expect from it. But things started to get warmed up when the YouTube video "Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age" was screened. I realized TWC is not as intimidating as it sounds! We do know about some sort of technology because it is omnipresent in our lives. 

Next, we watched a short documentary clip- Germs, Guns & Steel. This video was not foreign to me as I had previously watched it in school. Jared Diamond, an evolutionary biologist, investigated on a question posted by his indigenous New Guinean friend Yali, for he had no answer to it. 

"Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own? "asked Yali. 

After much research and reflection, Diamond's answer to it was not European superiority. Rather, it was about agriculture and the spread of technological know-how, which I later found out to complement the reading on "Agriculture and the Origins of Civilization"

Lastly, we briefly went through different technological breakthroughs throughout history and something that alarmed me was how fast technology are revolutionizing in recent years. In fact, form the BT interactive website, it can be witnessed that we are already surpassing several technological advancement goals set years ago. This makes our future highly unpredictable. The question of concern is " Are we prepared to embrace such fast-paced developments in technology?"

Interesting Concepts

First thing that caught my attention was when Prof Shahi said that technology is evolving so rapidly that what we learnt here may be obsolete in a couple of years. While the knowledge and information we gained through this course may become irrelevant in the years to come, the soft skills we acquire hardly will. Indeed, technological revolutions today will become norms and must-haves in the future. However, skills such as analyzing the boons and banes of technology, reflecting their impact to society and fundamental ethics of technological research will always remain valuable. In fact, I feel that TWC is not a course centered on technology only. Instead, sociology plays a main role too. Ultimately, the greater implications of technology on society are what we aim to understand. After reading what I wrote in this paragraph, I reflect that I should focus more on the soft skills and sociological impacts of technology instead of technology itself in the next session.

Another concept that I find interesting is illustrated by a drawing in the slide titled "The Future of the Human Race". The drawing illustrates human evolution that ends with an obese man holding a drink, probably coke. This comical illustration of the evolution of mankind implicitly suggests that our lifestyles have changed substantially along with the state of flux in today's world. To add on, technology is one of the main reasons that is responsible to such changes. Our reliance on wheeled transportation, convenience of online ordering of food, mass-production of food that gives rise to fast-food may just be some of the examples how technology can cause obesity. However, I feel that we do not have to end up with such adverse consequence. Ultimately, we have the decision power and can choose not to succumb to temptations technology brings (although it is tough). Technology is not inherently bad, but the abuse if it by us brings harm. ‎

Key Takeaways

1. We are extremely reliant on technology nowadays. From the video "Shift Happens", 1/5 couples today meet online; 93% of marketers use social media for business and 95% of companies use social media such as LinkedIn for recruitment. Evidently, technology has changed the way we live. In fact, we are so dependent on technology that we might find ourselves severely handicapped without its presence. With technology permeating every aspect of our lives, we find it increasingly indispensable. 

2. Whether our increased dependence on technology is good or bad remains controversial. Industrializing countries need technology to edge over their competitors and every household need technology for domestic uses. However, has our reliance on technology improved our standard of living? Fossil fuels are depleting at an alarming rate and a heated debate surrounding the Kyoto Protocol was galvanized by countries feeling that the carbon emissions set for each country was unfulfillable. In recent blackouts in the USA, activity in New York seemingly ceased- there was nothing people can do without electricity. The world is governed by technology which requires electricity. Although we see our natural resources depleting, given our reliance on technology, energy conservation has become an almost unfeasible solution to it. Instead, we employ technology to look for alternative sources of energy- this leads to the old debate of the boons and banes of technology. 

3. Differences in technological know-hows can create inequality. In Germs, Gun and Steel, Jared Diamond found out that the disparity in advancements between European countries and Papua New Guinea is generally caused by difference in technological exposure. Technology can help mankind satisfy our basic needs more efficiently which leaves us with more time and resources to invent new technology that can improve our lives. Hence, the sooner societies are exposed to technology and used it to fulfill their 'needs', the faster they advanced to satisfy their 'wants'. The difference in the extent of exposure ultimately causes inequality in the advancements of civilizations. I was intrigued by this topic and has decided to research more on "Technology and poverty" for my individual review topic paper. In this case, I will specifically delve into the disparity in social-economical status.

Issues for Further Discussion

I wished that we had analyzed reading 3 (Agriculture & the Origins of Civilization: The Neolithic Revolution). In summary, the reading is about how the change from hunting and gathering to agriculture and pastoralism causes civilization to occur. "Cultivating a growing range of crops" that are rich in protein ensures a continuous supply of food to the people, hence keeping the "ever-present threat of starvation" at bay. The domestication of animals also provides humans with "protein-rich meat" and a "steady source of manure" that enriches the soil, hence improving agriculture. These factors allowed population and thus, civilizations to thrive. 

With the rise of agriculture, advancement in civilizations can also be witnessed. Yield surpluses spurred interregional trade and full-time merchants emerge, which heightened social differences and produces class identity. The need for tools to plant the crops and techniques to irrigate plants also led to the advancement in technology. 

But what actually causes this agrarian transformation? Is it solely due to human's instinct to adapt in order to survive? Will there be no civilization without agriculture? Can hunters and gatherers these days be deemed civilized? These are some of my doubts and concerns which are I think are not addressed in class. 

Personal rating

Personally, I rate this lesson a 7/10. It is a good exposure to technology & world change, however, i wish that discussions in class can be more in-depth. Overall, this was a great introductory session and had indeed help me cleared some doubts and uncertainties I initially harbored. 




Chin Shi Xiao