Discussion Topic: Open
Post your comments or questions about related topics in "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster.
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Rod Clement (Australian Financial Review) from alertandalarmed.blogspot.com
This blog is for discussion of the E.M. Forster science fiction short story "The Machine Stops", which has been chosen by North Harris College librarians for the Title V Synergy ITech series. The ITech series focuses on learning how technology affects our lives.
The Machine Stops
Click on the link to read this short story online. "The Machine Stops " by E.M. Forster was written in 1908.
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Discussion Leaders
- Carolyn Jacobs
- Karen Parker
- Maryann Readal
Rod Clement (Australian Financial Review) from alertandalarmed.blogspot.com
Links of Interest
Watch a video from the Museum of Media History predicting the future of Google
Epic 2014 http://www.robinsloan.com/epic/Blog Archive
- February (3)
14 comments:
How well would we live if our machines stopped? Could we (you and I) survive very well without our cell phones, our televisions, our iPods, our computerized cars/trucks/
SUVs, our air-conditioned houses/
apartments/schools/work places?
Have these things become to us what "The Machine" became to the people in the Machine Stops? MR
This story reminds me of Owell's 1984. In this book the society of the "machine" weeded out stregths of body and of the mind. The story is not so far fetched. We do depend on technology, but we could survive without it, as some of our grandparents did. In a couple hundred years it is possible that we may have to form a society underground based on the point global warming is at today. We must keep our individuality and our self-suffiencency to prevent an occurance such as this.
There are many forms of communications that we have with people using technology. Some examples are MySpace, instant messaging, cell phones, text messaging, email, and there are many more. Some might ask, what is gained or lost by communicating through a machine? In my own personal experiences, i beleive it is easier to say somethings via text message or email than it is face to face. However, this limits face to face communication and it is hard to tell someone's emotions without seeing there facial expressions and body langauge. As you can tell, technological machines have benifits as well as disadvantages.
i believe we are heading with the direction E.M. Forester described. although Forester does exaggerate our future alittle bit, this article was written nearly 100 years ago. E.M. Forester has great vision during his time. Maybe another century later, more of his prediction will be revealed.
MR: I think they have more than we like to admit. For example, colleges used to "hand register" each student, but now registration is done by computers... much easier and much faster, EXCEPT when the rain storms take out the electricity for a week. Then, since the memory for how to "hand register" has been forgotten, registration is shut down and classes begin a week later and... and... and... we are dependent on the computers to boot up before we can proceed. ~JB
When I went to a large state university, (30 years ago, pre-computer age) it was necessary to see your advisor every semester, and then dean of the school signed off your class schedule each quarter. You handed her the slip with your classes and your advisor's signature in person.
When I graduated, she had ALL of her division graduates (about 100 in her division)over for dinner in small groups. When I rang her doorbell, she answered, and greeted my by name. She knew me.
Hard to duplicate that experience with a log in/password "knows me" format.
Wonder how many more people would complete their degrees if they had that level of personal contact?
"The Machine Shop" was a blatant exaggeration. It was more like a warning of what could happen if people lose touch with one another and if they rely too much on on technology instead on themselves.
Does it reflect us now? No. The future - I can see it easily. How would we survive without our cell phones, televisions, etc.? What if you had to confront someone face to face to tell them anything? Would your manners improve? Would you be more reserved? Would you look more closely for the small body language tells? What if you only knew the local news - what was around you? Would you help your next door neighbor more? Would you know them better? The isolation has already started. The story just reflects a logical progression.
Can we go on if machines just one day just stop working? Or we just can't live with out them?
I am responding to the 2-5-2007 2:40pm. I don't think that I would be able to surive without my cell phone, or my computer. That is my big use of technology.~MMW
My husband and I just returned from a trip to Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Through the technology of an automobile, we were able to make our trip quickly and comfortably. When we arrived at our motel, we found that we missed some of the technology that we have come to take for granted. There was no cell phone service except in one small town. Water had to be brought in by truck, and we could only drink bottled water. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip: seeing mountains and wildlife, rafting on the Rio Grande and watching the stars at night (especially through the big telescopes at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. If technology ("the Machine") were to stop or become unavailable, we might not make such trips. Even so, I think we could find interesting things to see and do as our parents and grandparents did. --- Lynn Porter
Fortunatly we have all this machines that easy and better our lives in some ways. However some people put this machines more priority to them than their families. We have to stop and think it can be scary if the next day we go to work intead of a human working next to you it will be a robot, then in a few days later your boss can say: sorry we have some "thing" else to replace you. It is good that technology is growing and developing more and more things to make ourselves more comfortable and even to survive, just as Victoria wrote. Yet we should not replace people with this new inventios and from time to time we should try to do things with out them. Even if they are neccesary but to test ourselves what will it happen if they tell us that we can not use it for some hours or a day or two we should not panic and try to do the best with out the "machines". Now I know that some of the machine invented save lives and to communicate have better education, and enviroment. Do not take my words the wrong way. I just think that some people take more time, pay more attention and give priority to some machines more than other important things or people more than they should.
karla
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