The Commercial and Destructive Aspects of Inventions
Posted on Thursday, 16 February 2017
The Commercial and Destructive Aspects of Inventions
By Apolinario Villalobos
It is all for the comfort and money that
man has created “wants” in this world, hence, the various inventions. The
“wants” are not necessarily the “needs”, as there are things that we can forego
as they are not necessary. But, before the onset of what the modern man views
as “civilization”, our ancestors were a satisfied lot. During the time, it was
enough for a community of five families, for instance, to share a felled beast
using spears, throwing sticks, and rocks. Our ancestors’ feet were also enough
to bring them to where they wanted.
In time, however, the wizards among our
ancestors thought of making mobility more comfortable and due to the growth of
communities, competition for survival ensued. The need for security was
conceived giving rise to more lethal, though, primitive tools. Instead of the
simple tree barks to cover their private parts, they thought of using the skin
of their prey. Wheels were invented and used not only to transport heavy goods
but also in destructive chariots and later, in armored cars, etc., but most
especially, for the comfortable mobility.
While the legendary Icarus thought of
flying with the use of feathers, the Wright Brothers went further by using
metals and woods assembled to harness the power of the wind to keep their
contrived apparatus to glide and take on speed. The “standards” in quality of
the contraption improved the invention until it went further, such as its other
uses were conceived….based on what the time required in transporting people and
goods, and later, totally become tools of destruction because of greed!
Telephone units before, had to have a
component that must be cranked before it could be used while connected to each
other with miles of long copper wire. Today, wireless telephones are
inter-connected by satellites that hover above the earth. But, since people want
more sophistications in such instrument, other features are added – camera,
voice recorder, music player….and later on, used by evil-minded to set off
bombs! On the other hand, who would have ever thought that drugs that were
originally conceived to prolong life could become deadly, the same as with the
chemicals that are supposed to preserve food?
Thousands of inventions have been initially
intended for man’s comfort, convenience and survival, but his shrewdness and
selfishness made him conceive their lethal uses…that at the end practically led
him to his self-destruction!
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