JF Ptak Science Books LLC Post 12
I’m interested to know what anyone might know about the use of metaphors relating large-scale societal techno advances and biological functions? I have no doubt that they go back to modern-ancient times (say to William Gilbert (1544-1603) and his vis electrica)—but I’m stopped today by seeing this paper by J. Norman Lockyer called “Social Electrical Nerves” (in two issues of Nature for 14 and 28 February 1878). In this paper the great astronomer looks at elements of the “grid” as it was and seeing how the new networks of police and fire communications via telegraph interacts with the existing electrical systems. It seems to me an early use of nervous system/electrical grid, in spite of the fact the first “electrical highways” (as Lockyer puts it 120 years before our own “information superhighway”) appeared in England 32 years earlier though apparently without these biological metaphors.
The work pictured above is the electrically-draped world of the future,
at least according to the vision of the wonderful Albert Robida, who
was actually at work on these visions just at the time of the
publication of the Lockyear paper . (Robida produced at least a trio of
interesting and lovely and occasionally prescient works: Le Vingtième
Siècle (1883); La Guerre au vingtième siècle (1887); and Le Vingtième
siècle-- La vie électrique (1890)). Many of Robida’s visions of
electrical connectivity seem to me to move beyond the nervous system
metaphor and become a kind of societal “skin”—which is not terribly far
from the truth, especially when looking at images of congested
metropolitan centers ca. 1910, when utility poles fairly well sagged
under 20 (!) horizontal crossbars carrying a dozen lines apiece. At
the very least, you knew that something or other was happening (fast
forward to the massive ductworks of Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece,
Brazil. Check this out for a
wonderful cameo by De Niro coming to fix the neuronal duct-muck.)
And now that the wireless age is starting to get ridges in its fingernails (the “wireless” age being at least 115 years old, beautifully borne by Heinrich Hertz and Marconi), are our bio-electrical metaphors giving way?
Those crazy power poles from the early days of the distribution of electricity were made even worse by the fact that there were competing electrical systems at the time: Edison was pushing his DC system, the first in general use, over Tesla's (and Westinghouse's--the financial backer) AC.
Edison, in fact, secretly bankrolled the development of the electric chair (designed to use AC) specifically to discredit alternating current as too dangerous for the public to be exposed to.
It took some time, but eventually better technology won out.
Here's a trivia winner for you, John: ConEd, which continued distribution of DC in New York City for many years after AC had won the main battle for supremacy, shut down distribution to their last DC customer on November 14th, 2007!
Posted by: Rick | 12 February 2008 at 05:45 PM
I don't even understand the two posts you recently submitted, but felt the need to post seeing as your other penname is Mr. Brilliant..which is a horrible mantra I imagine as you certainly have more depth then just being married to Ms. You Know Who..by which I mean NO SLIGHT...I recently found her blog and participated in her ATC submission...but enough about her...I recognize the value of someone posting to your blog and felt to bring a smile and kind feeling to you today. Happy Blogging.
Posted by: shawn | 12 February 2008 at 06:31 PM
it's a nervous system..We re-create ourselves in the world...it's all metaphor, micro, macro cosmic gooo
that blows through those Gilliam ducts I am reminded of at least once per moth...
Posted by: woman of wonder | 13 February 2008 at 12:42 AM
I'm sorry. I'm just too stupid to read your blog. I would be happy to drink a glass of wine with you though. What's the name of that new cologne?
Posted by: Miss G. Marshall | 15 February 2008 at 07:14 PM