Yesterday we talked about how the food distribution can be considered mankinds greatest achievement, today we will talk about now technology has our civilization and our world on a tightrope.This highwire act is in some respects awe inspiring and yet terrifying.Technology has made our lives so much more satisifying than any other period in human history,but at the same time has the capacity to send us back to the stone age.
Technology can be a very faithful servant. Consider the computer.Twenty five years ago most computers filled entire rooms, and the rage of the days was a handheld calculator who's retail cost was well over a hundred dollars.Then the home computer started making an appearance with the Apple. By the mid 1990's computers and the computer processor were showing up in every facet of our lives. From price scanners in grocery stores, to electronic ignition in automobiles, to mini-computers in just about every facet of our lives.From home personel computers to laptop computers in just about every household. Social networking sites like facebook, twitter,to the way news is distributed and the way it is received,to the new phenomenon of personal blogging.Blogging how millions of people worldwide are able to express their thoughts to other worldwide,about personal matters and news as it happens.In schools computers and hand held calculators have invaded every aspect of teaching.In engineering classes in college the handheld calculator have replace the old fashion sliderule, for figureing out trigonometic functions. College stundents have become so dependent of computers that they have lost the ability to figure out mathematics the old fashion way.It fact in every area of science computers have become indispensable.
However as the world becomes more dependent on technology it walks a tightrope from spiralling down to the level of the early middle ages or even down to the level of the stoneage.Now ask yourself this question, just what could cause this to happen. Well anecular war of course. When an atomic bomb explodes it releases what is called an electromagnetic pulse which will fry the electronics in the computer. However I see a worldwide war using atomic bombs to be slim at best,but there is something that has happened before and has the capacity to shut down the entire world.What I am talking about is sunspot acitivity which can shut down the electrical transmission lines and in the worst case fry all the electronics in the world. The possibility of that happening is slim at best but not beyond the realm of posibility.
Now here's the assumption, that the sunspot activity or nuclear war won't happen therefore there is no need to come up with a shield for the electronics.Shortsighted don't you think?Isn't this something that our government and electronic manufactures should worry about and ensure that it can not possibilibly happen.Can we keep walking the tightrope without any sort of accident.What will happen if by some chance we slip? I have an idea but the really question is what do you think?
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