Period Accelerating Global Change and Realignments
Key Concept 6.1- Science and the Environment Rapid advances in science altered the understanding of the universe and the natural world and led to the development of new technologies. These changes enabled unprecedented population growth, which altered how humans interacted with the environment and threatened delicate ecological balances at local, regional, and global levels.
Communication New modes of communication virtually eliminated the problem of geographic distance
Transportation New modes of transportation virtually eliminated the problem of geographic distance
New scientific paradigms transformed human understanding of the world
The Theory of Relativity mpTcOU mpTcOU
Quantum Mechanics ron_o_connell_making_sense_ of_a_visible_quantum_object. html ron_o_connell_making_sense_ of_a_visible_quantum_object. html
Big Bang Theory Galileo and Copernicus were sort of right, but it’s not that simple. … and we are sort of insignificant
Psychology We can even scientifically study how the brain works.
Paradigm Shift So how did new scientific paradigms transform human understanding of the world? Which of these ideas had the biggest impact? Why?
Green Revolution Post WWII population explosion Lots of babies Smallpox eradicated New technology/sanitation decreased malaria, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, and plague Medical innovations: polio vaccine, antibiotics, artificial heart Economists project world food shortages by the 70’s
Green Revolution Technology to the rescue! GMO crops Chemical fertilizers Major increase in productivity BUT… Huge profits IMF involvement Pollution- waterways Decline in crop diversity
Energy Technology Oil Everyone buys a car People like to buy more and more stuff that needs transportation Oil got big. Really big. Politics in Middle East and Africa Global warming Nuclear- after the bomb, what else can we use this energy for?
Competition over resources What resources? How does this compare to previous periods?
Global Warming Bangladesh, Maldives
Pollution Air Water
Deforestation
Desertification
Demographic Shifts Disease Birth Control Military
Disease Diseases associated with poverty Malaria Tuberculosis Cholera Emergent epidemic diseases 1918 flu Ebola HIV/AIDS Changing lifestyles and increased longevity led to higher incidence of certain diseases
Birth Control
Wartime Casualties New military tactics Trench Warfare Firebombing “Improved” military technology Tanks Airplanes Atomic bomb Wartime casualties Nanjing Nanjing Dresden Dresden Hiroshima