Oxford Pictorial History of Modern Technology: The Pace of the World (Complete Four Volumes)

Author: Ke Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The 20th century was an era of miracles in science and technology. This miracle is not only a marvelous performance in the playground of human wisdom but also an intellectual competition that affects the quality of human life and even survival. The rapid development of science and technology has completely renewed the rhythm and laws of human history. Humans have even become reluctant to predict the future because the speed of technological advancement makes it impossible to confirm the coordinates of future predictions. It has been racing at a dizzying speed. This book reflects our two fundamental understandings of human scientific and technological civilization: First, human scientific and technological civilization is a product of harmonious development between humans and the natural world. Human technological development should align with humans' position in nature—coexisting with heaven and earth—rather than dominating nature, heading down a path of death that claims to conquer nature but is actually an endless expansion of human greed. Second, human scientific and technological civilization is a product of utilizing the bounty of heaven and earth and exchanging life between heaven and earth. Information is humanity's effort to alter the environment and shift the boundaries of time and space. It is in these aspects that science and technology have given wings to the development of human civilization.