Advances in Technology and Exchange

Essential Question: How has the development of new technology changed the world since 1900?
Quote: "Technology made large populations possible; large populations now make technology indispensable." - Joseph Krutch

Globalization and telecommunications have made the world feel smaller.
Radio (early 1900s):
- Brought news, music, and cultural events to a wide audience.
Air travel and shipping containers:
- Promoted the widespread movement of people and goods.
- Shipping containers are large, standard-sized units that can be carried on trucks, trains, or ships.
Energy technologies (oil and nuclear power):
- Enabled faster and cheaper transportation of goods.
Internet (developed by U.S. Defense Department, popularized in the late 1990s):
- Emerged as a regular communication tool.
Knowledge economies:
- Based on developing or sharing information.
- Took root in cities worldwide.

Communication Technologies:
- Connected people globally before the internet.
- Television and radio ads encouraged long-distance phone calls.
Mobile Technologies (1990s):
- Cellphones put information creation and dissemination tools in individuals' hands.
Social Networking Sites (Twitter, Facebook):
- Made media accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Impact of Technology:
- Videos of police actions led to racial profiling inquiries and outrage.
- Social media played a role in the "Arab Spring," where anti-government protests spread via shared experiences.
Transportation advancements:
- Move people and goods into actual proximity.
- Approximately 2 million people fly daily.
- Cargo planes transport commercial shipments continuously.
- Giant tankers carry thousands of shipping containers, some too large for the Panama Canal.

Mid-20th Century:
- A response to hunger involving new varieties of wheat, rice, and grains.
- Higher yields and greater resistance to pests, diseases, and drought.
Methods used:
- Crossbreeding: Breeding two plant varieties to create a hybrid.
- Genetic Engineering: Manipulating a cell or organism to change its basic characteristics.
- Increased use of irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.
- Deforestation for agriculture in areas like Brazil.
- Dramatic increase in land devoted to crops, especially grains, worldwide.
Problems associated with the Green Revolution:
- Small farmers could not afford new fertilizers or pesticides.
- Unable to compete with large landowners, leading to the sale of land.
- Mechanized equipment reduced jobs for farm laborers.
- Chemicals damaged the soil and environment.
Concerns with Genetic Engineering:
- Genetic modification may harm pollinating insects like bees.
- Loss of older seed varieties as new genetically engineered plants are adopted.
Grain Production in China (1945-2010):
- The graph illustrates the total grain production in China from 1945 to 2010, showcasing a significant increase over the years.

1900:
- Coal accounted for about half of global energy consumption.
Later Developments:
- Petroleum (crude oil) and natural gas became widespread due to extraction, refinement, and transportation technologies.
- Nuclear power plants began generating electricity for factories and homes, stemming from research in the 1930s and 1940s.
Fossil Fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas):
- Nonrenewable resources that are permanently depleted upon use.
- Contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide).
Nuclear Power:
- Considered a clean energy but has dangers.
- Risks include radiation leaks from accidents and hazardous nuclear waste storage.
Mitigation Efforts:
- Technologies are being developed to combat carbon dioxide emissions and minimize harm from nuclear power.
- The building of nuclear power plants declined starting in the 1980s.
- Nuclear power accounts for only about 5 percent of global energy consumption.
Renewable Resources (wind and solar power):
- Supplying energy to industries and homes, but they represent only 5 percent of global energy output.

1928:
- Alexander Fleming discovered that a fungus produced a substance that killed bacteria, leading to the discovery of penicillin.
Penicillin:
- Became the first antibiotic that cures bacterial infections.
- Saved lives of soldiers during World War II.
- Later used in civilian settings to fight various illnesses.
Fleming's Warning:
- Extensive use of antibiotics leads to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant strains that could be untreatable, raising fears of renewed epidemics.
Penicillin Fungi:
- Penicillin is derived from Penicillium fungi and can be administered orally or by injection.
- It functions by disrupting bacterial cell walls.
- Human treatment with penicillin began in 1941.

Early 1950s:
- Gregory Pincus developed the birth control pill.
- More reliable than barrier methods at the time.
Testing and Approval:
- Tested on women in the 1950s and approved for widespread use in 1960 in the U.S.
Impact:
- Fertility rates declined globally.
- Transformed sexual practices and reshaped gender roles.
- By 2018, over 300 million women worldwide were using modern forms of contraception, including the pill.

Used since 1796, but widespread distribution began after 1900.
Impact:
- Polio and measles became rare, and smallpox was eradicated by the 1980s, thanks to vaccines.
- Vaccines prevent mumps, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough.
- Malaria vaccine in the trial stage as of 2019.
World Health Organization (WHO):
- Vaccines prevent as many as 3 million deaths each year in the 21st century.
- Better vaccination coverage could save another 1.5 million people annually.
- Some people are unable to get vaccinated due to living in hard-to-reach areas.

Society:
- Communication
- Radio
- Internet
- Crossbreeding
- Genetic Engineering
Technology: Travel
- Shipping Containers
Environment: Ecology
- Green Revolution
Technology: Medicine
- Antibiotic
- Birth Control
- Fertility Rates
- Vaccine