In Johnson’s work titled, The Invention of Air, he discusses how technology and science threaten the current order of both society and simply the ways people think. He shows this in how the Birmingham rioters burned down Joseph Priestly’s home and laboratory, (Johnson 186). The people were upset that he’d separated from the church and began exploring science and philosophy which had the potential to harm their thoughts on their own beliefs. Science has the ability to change the world as we know it, typically for the good, however people tend to be wary or even afraid of change. These people involved in the riots, it was likely that they were afraid of people doing something different or changing something they are so accustomed to. The government is often the same way, they want things to stay the same; for people to remain loyal and obey the things the government says. When people begin to change and think for themselves, things like revolutions begin and governments become afraid. New technology being allowed to the public contributes greatly to all of this.
His work shows how people are cautious of change and sometimes outright hostile. A current technological example would be recreational drones. People are afraid of these drones because they can pose a risk to their privacy, though most people are being watched at all times one way or another anyways be it traffic cameras, security cameras, or other methods that may not even be known yet. People are willing to shoot down these expensive drones for the sake of “privacy” and more often than not, are fined and have to pay for the property they’ve now destroyed. More often than not however, people simply fly these drones for fun, and for many others; they make money from flying for real estate or for geographical surveying. It is unfortunate the stigma that surrounds this new and very interesting technology and it is plain to see the reservations people have for this change that likely won’t be going away for a very long time.
Nice work Bryce. Your first paragraphs nicely sums up how scientific and technological innovation disrupt government control through the change they create. Your analysis of the drone scare is interesting as. The fear of drones invading privacy, whether it be from a neighbor or from the government, has slowed the development and wide deployment of such a useful technology. I wonder what your thoughts might be on how we might combat this fear? Many people think these drones are strictly used for spying, and I’m curious how we could educate people afraid of drones, that this technology is actually mostly used for fun or professional purposes.