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2901

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History

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Dec 6, 2023

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pdf

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Take-Home Exam on The End of Technology Due: October 17 by 9:00 a.m. University of Winnipeg HIST 2901 - History of Technology Question #1: Why does Denton say “technology is in our heads, not just in our hands,” and why is that important? Peter Denton says “technology is in our heads, not just in our hands” because we humans create technology more with our heads than we do with our hands. We decided technology existed since the ideas we get come from humankind advancing society, with all the different ideas we get and new technologies coming to light. “Technology exists in our heads as a particular idea or as a collection of assumptions, ideas and examples. It exists because we decide it exists” (page 10). Since each and everyone of us have different ideas, the advancement of technology could go in any direction depending on the person's beliefs, culture and the time, which means technology comes from our heads and where we come from. “Thus, if technology is what makes us human, then every culture since Grok and the rock has had its own set of technological systems, chosen for reasons that were appropriate to its time and circumstances."(page 23). Human choice determines what kind of technological system the rock might fit into and for what purpose. The technological outcome of the rock lies in the mind of the person who designs and develops that technology into something bigger. “Technology is not a mere object by itself, it is knowledge that is used to do something to perhaps make into an object” (page 12). And then whatever works, is passed along in knowledge to the next generation
which shows that it's in our heads and not just in our hands. “Technology is knowledge used to do something in the future” (page 19) Why is this crucial? So, what function does our technology serve, and why did someone choose this technology or technical system specifically instead of something else? Similar to how phones are not technology that magically materialize. We might wonder why a phone was used to make the phone rather than something else. We need to take a deeper look at the community and culture in which that phonemaker was born, raised, educated, trained, and compensated. Unless digital communication was crucial at the time and the mechanical systems permitted for its production, no one just becomes a phonemaker. Which is why we need to understand that technology is in our heads and not just in our hands since every aspect in a person's mind makes technology and everything we use and do is the advancement of technology. Whatever is required now not only to meet our needs and wishes but also to ensure that future generations can live as they like. “As far as our tools and our technologies are concerned, we choose the future” (page 15) Question #2: Your friends have just purchased a new electric vehicle and it’s parked in the driveway of their suburban home. Reverse engineer this purchase/situation to identify the reasons behind your friends’ choice, and the values that those reasons imply. Electric vehicles have been the talk of the future for about 4-5 years now. These vehicles are fast, fun to drive, require little maintenance and produce no tailpipe emissions which is a major contributor to climate change. They offer the convenience of charging your car at home and have
an overall lower fuel cost. I say affordability, availability, and familiarity appear to be amongst the key factors influencing likelihood of electric vehicle purchases. And if you install a plug-in outlet for the electric car in the garage, you are installing something unique which means there is a cost associated with it, which is the only downside. If my friends purchased an electric vehicle I don't think it would be for basic transportation. I think it would be a clear expression of themselves and their personality. I think at that point they would have the value of accomplishment and success. They would have this vehicle to show how successful and materialistic they are and to show they have accomplished to buy the new ‘advanced’ vehicle available. Since electric vehicles aren't cheap, usually when we see someone with one, we think they are wealthy. And usually every wealthy person already has a car so these people/my friends purposely went out to buy an electric car even when it wasn't necessarily needed. When it comes to the T system, the metals and all of the vehicle's components must be sourced at the T1 level and converted into suitable auto parts for these electric vehicles. The contents must also serve as sources, identifying not only the proper elements but also the procedure to be followed when assembling the electric vehicle. "At the first level are the choices relating to the design and production of the first item, the prototype. The materials needed must be chosen, both in terms of contents and packaging, so the item is designed using what is initially available to the designer/maker." (page 50). The decisions and values pertaining to the subject of mass production of electric vehicles are then discussed at the T2 level. “choices and values related to the issue of mass production” (page 51). How can we produce more than one item simultaneously or obtain parts for more than one? What kind of tools are required, along with a dependable source for all of our auto parts that is open all year. Since T2 level influences
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