Revolutionary Cycle, Darwin Revelation

    Throughout this semester in Scientific Revolutions, we have studied many different works that display a similar message. This message reveals that almost everything in life has some kind of revolutionary cycle. Everything starts somewhere and ends somewhere else. Through life we see things change for good and for worse. Sometimes these things change for the better and turn out worse in the end. Through all the close analysis and thought provoking assignments I have come realized that sometimes good things can turn around and come back to haunt us later.
    We first see this in Nicholas Carr's, “Is Google Making us Stupid?” In this article we see that Google has turned the average reader into a reader looking for just the main point to a message. Google and the internet has made everything so easy and presents the information in a way that we can read it quickly and easily. In time we tend to start looking at other readings in the same way. Our perception on reading has evolved to want to read just a short segment instead of the entire piece. This ties into what I have learned because it is a good example of how sometime good came about and turned to something not so good. Google and the internet have made things very easy; however, things have become so easy people cant seem to spare the time to sit and read or take time to complete a task, instead it has to be done very quickly. One example in this reading is from Scott Karp who writes for a blog about online media. He used to read books all the time and now does not at all. He states, “What if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I'm just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?” (Carr, 2). Here Karp is saying how he used to read books all the time and after reading on the web he not only believes that the way he reads has changed but also the way he thinks and tackles thinks intellectually has changed. For some this could be a major issue.
    Something else that is similar is the Gutenberg printing press. This device introduced in the 15th century, was feared at first. This would be the first part of a cycle of mass production of the press. In the end it became a good thing and a great wealth of knowledge to many. However, at first many people of the time were frightened of the idea.
    Different cycles take different paths. Paths such as the one Google other technologies are on, seem to be going up and down and will eventually lead to a point where drastic change is needed. Other paths are available as well. One of which is the path of life. We start out small and need caring for, move into a place where we provide for ourselves and younger, and later in life we are cared for by those who are younger than us. This is almost the evolution of life. We start out small evolve into something that can accomplish and survive and then evolve back. The image at the right shows the traditional evolutionary chain Darwin spoke of, but this one includes modern factual implications. This is similar to our lifespans path of how we start out small and in need of assistance, we then move to where we are assisted and then move back downwards.
    Darwin's theory of Natural Selection states that through evolution what works is kept in existence and what is injurious or bad is prevented. This is clearly stated in The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. This is found in our book Darwin edited by Phillip Appleman. Darwin states, “This prevention of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection.” (Darwin, 112). This states that everything that gives someone else an advantage such as a super strength or another natural abilities will be prevented as well as rejection of extreme injurious factors to the human body.
    

    This video explanation of how technology has made things so easy for us we are starting to abuse them and become more lazy in effect to them. Instead of using physical strength to do something we now find the easiest way to do it without having to actually complete the task. A couple of good examples came up in the video. When it was time for dinner the Mother would call her children via cellphone to notify them it was time for dinner. Also, in order to talk the dog the car was used so walking was not a factor in the task. Both these examples and more help me come to the revelations that we as humans are watching technology as well as other cycles go from good to bad and allowing it because we don't know what else to do.

Works cited

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The Atlantic. 2007. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google 2.

Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. Appleman, Philip, ed. Darwin. 3rd ed. New York: W.W.Norton, 2001. 112.

Justine Stafford. “The Evolution Of Laziness With Technology”. Youtube.com. 2008. December 13th, 2008.