Originally published on February 24, 2022 (Episode 251)
Introduction
“My underlying goal,” writes today’s guest, Thomas J. Misa, “has been to display the variety of technologies, to describe how they changed across time, and to understand how they interacted with diverse societies and cultures. There’s no simple definition of technology that adequately conveys the variety of its forms or sufficiently emphasizes the social and cultural interactions and consequences that I believe are essential to understand. The key point is that technologies are consequential for social and political futures. There is not ‘one path’ forward.”
These words come from the conclusion of Misa’s Leonardo to the Internet: Technology and Culture from the Renaissance to the Present (Johns Hopkins University Press, 3rd ed., 2022), an essential work for those seeking some knowledge about the history of technology.
About the Guest
Thomas J. Misa is Professor Emeritus of the History of Technology at the University of Minnesota, where he directed the Charles Babbage Center for the History of Computing. He taught in the Program for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, and held an appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
For Further Investigation
Thomas J. Misa, Leonardo to the Internet: Technology and Culture from the Renaissance to the Present, 3rd ed. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022)
FIAT Lingotto factory (featured in the 1969 film The Italian Job)—from “The Lady Travels” on YouTube
Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota
For a technology not often thought of as a technology, listen to Suzanne Marchand discuss the importance of porcelain in European history
💬 Listen & Discuss
How do technologies not just change daily life but also reshape political and cultural orders? What “paths not taken” in technological history do you find most intriguing? Share your thoughts in the comments — and forward this episode to someone who thinks tech is only about gadgets.
