This blog has been set up for our class to have a collective, virtual space in which to write and discuss. I will give you specific blog assignments throughout the semester, but I also encourage you to use this space to post relevant images, articles, videos, comments, etc. that you want to share with the class.
Your first blog assignment: What does this film clip, which begins Stanley Kubrick's 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, say about the relationship between technology, violence and what it means to be "human"? Do you agree? Why or why not?
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18 comments:
The film clip shows technology advancing. The film clip also shows evolution and the movie even has a catchy song when an evolutionary event is happening. This was when the monolith, upright black rectangle, appeared. Everything was advancing and when the monkeys looked at the monolith the screen turned black because the monkeys were looking at exactly that, a screen. I did do some research and watched the clip twice as it left me befuddled. The monkey had found a weapon, a form of violence and technology and which brought them closer to the state of becoming a human. I belief that there is a god and I belief that this god instilled thoughts in our heads. So when the monkey used the bone to kill the ox, the monkey was doing it not because the monkey had gotten smarter all of a sudden but that god had placed that thought in the monkey’s mind. So I agree with the film but on evolution I don’t agree on.
My last name is handler so my nickname was Handyman. The earlier comment was from me, Zachary.
After the first view of the film, without seeing the front questions, I thought why the director made video for chimpanzee? Then I noticed I should connect these monkey to technology, violence and human beings. It is far from my imagination.
Maybe the film wants to tell us the following information: Human are some animals that always live in groups, they always have curiosity. When they meet with new things they'll be frightened at first and then some of them who are brave will try to touch, to know them.
The film has the clip that a monkey finds and uses a tool to break the bones of big animals, which insert the picture of the dawn, show these kind of behavior is the beginning of technology, so the violence ways change, and in the future, the monkeys can knock down the buffalos that more heavier than themselves.
Teng
I believe that this video is telling us that technology and evolution go hand and hand. The movie starts out with the "Dawn of Man" and then ends with a short clip of a space station or satellite. This is used to show how far we have come as a species. Without tools and technology civilization would be primitive. Technology is what advances society and allows us as a species to make our lives easier. On the other hand technology is not always used for good. As we grow as a society so does our weapons. Greater technology equals greater weapons and more chance to inflict harm unto others. At the beginning of the clip, the ape-men seemed physically peaceful towards each other with a hint of emotional aggression. As the movie progressed and the black rectangle was introduced,(technology) one of the ape-men began pounding away at boar bones with a larger bone. This is physical aggression and eventually can be used against each other. Violence is part of our human nature and is inevitable. History has proven this through numerous wars. Technology brings greater violence within society as well as a superior way of living. It is a double edged sword.
When I first watched this clip I was very confused and had no idea why a group of gorillas, a tall black monument, and smashing a dead animal were at all significant. However, after watching it a second time, I think I understand more about its significance (although this might be a far-fetched idea and completely wrong). Humans, just like gorillas, travel and live in groups. With the rise of the sun (sunlight symbolizes enlightenment and knowledge) comes the rise of some kind of technological advancement that gives us new knowledge (the tall black blank board). When humans are introduced to new ideas, beliefs or advancements, they are scared and excited at the same time (this is shown from the sounds and motions of the gorillas). However, there is usually someone who is brave enough to approach this new knowledge and absorb it. When others see that nothing bad happens from this act they too eventually approach it and absorb it. However, with valuable knowledge and new technology comes more and worse violence.
As primitive beings learn to use tools, they begin to use them for many purposes, including technological purposes and violent purposes. As seen in the clip, the first advancement that the primate had was a bone that he used for violence. He began breaking other bones with it and from there used it to hunt prey. It then transitioned into 2,000 years later, where man continues to use technological advancements for violent purposes. Instead of using the bone to kill animals, people now use weapons and other pieces of technology to hurt and kill entire countries of their fellow men. Unfortunately, this shows that one of the defining characteristics of humans is violence. Although our technological advances show our intelligence, the way that we use them shows otherwise.
-BEER
After watching the film about three times, I sort of got an idea of what the film was trying to show. In this video, violence, technology, and being 'human' go hand-in-hand. We're all born (even animals) with certain instincts that stick with us for life. When the animals saw the large black 'thing' in the ground, it took them a while, and a few tries, to actually touch it. This is an instinct we all have. It's not really likely for someone to go up to a random object they've never seen before (that came out of no where) and touch it right away. Part of being 'human' is also violence. No one had taught this monkey that bones could be used as a weapon. Violence is just something that we're born with, but it's up to us (and society) to figure out what to do with it. The connection to technology was that step by step (starting with the bone scene, and ending with the space scene) we've grown intellectually and technologically. I agree with the ideas I received from this film because it's obvious that we've grown alot as people, but will still always have our basic human instincts.
J. SUTTON
This video shows a symbolic connection between the human race, violence, and technology. The origin of the human race is simple and primitive. Life was peaceful and family-centered. Then there comes the appearance of technology (the mysterious black tower) and everything changes. Curiosity sparks in each of the "humans" (gorillas) and they approach technology with a sense of fear and uncertainty. Once they overcome the fear, they willfully embrace the new technology. Then there is a sudden shift to a violent scene, which I believe is the result of the appearance of technology. I believe this scene represents all the byproducts of technology, which include the sense of frustration that comes with not understanding technology or with wanting more of it. I believe this video showed that being human has a lot to do with the kind of things we discover and what we make of them. I agree with the video in the sense that discovery and advancement of human technology is something that can lead people to change from what they originally started, just how the gorillas started peacfully and ended in violence.
I think that this video is expressing evolution and technology's way of being parallel to each other. this is shown in the clip when the ape is using a bone (which is his tool)to kill the animal in front of him.His technology rose from his hand to the bone and he evolved from being with a group to being a leader. This is just like humans made knives out of stones or when the first Ak47 was made.This film is very violent especially when the gorillas are screeching and fighting with each other.This represents humans a lot, humans have a away of using there technology for violent purposes. It is in human instincts to always want to advance and the way we do this is through technology.I agree with this film because its concept is to show how humans have grown through using gorillas.
I think this film shows how technology is increasing at a very quick rate and at the same time it also causes violence to increase very rapidly through different technological advances that can cause harm to humans or animals or kill them. For example guns, and bombs.I think that in being human we are born with the capability of being violent but the people we are around influence us and therefore if they are violent we will most likely also act in a violent way because we usually imitate what other people do especially if it is a group that is doing it because a person wants to fit in with the group.I agree with this video because a person or animal is capable of being violent but they have to be put into a situation that will cause them to be violent and as the monkey had the bone and he started to hit the other bones and eventually he became very aggressive and even more violent.
SUTTONM
After the first time vewing this clip, I was unable to find a connection. However, after viewing it a few more times, I think the connection is quite simple, and it goes as follows. As the technology continues to get better, it is going to be man's instinct to use that technology for violence. When the gorilla first picked up the bone,(the new technology)he started using it in a violent way(smashing the skeleton that was on the ground). However the last few seconds of the clip show us a space station, meaning that overtime man has used technology for good purposes instead of using it for violence. My interpretation of what it means to be human is that at first man might use technology for violence, but ultimately man will use technology for the good, as we've seen by the last few seconds of the video displaying the spacestation.
-Levy
The clip shows the evolution between the chimpanzees and human beings.Many years ago(I don't know the exactly time)chimpanzees lived together and they all had curiosity. When they met new things,they felt frightened(some of them felt excited).They wanted to touch it and knew what was it and how could they use it for?When they understood it,they used it as tools,like the chimpanzee was shown in the clip,he or she ,whatever,used bone to kill other animals.So far,I understand the realtionship between technoloty,violence and the means to be "human".The chimpanzees found tools and started use of technology.When more and more chimpanzees knew that,the conflicts began in them.They used violences to solve these problems.All the behaviors were the beginning of the human activities.Right now,human use tools practised and they develop many weapons to solve conflicts between each other,such as swords and guns.So,I agree the evolution between chimpanzees and human beings.
In the video is shows our world in its primitive state and how a single tool( representing technology) enabled the growth of our world to ultimately become what it is today. The relationship between technology and violence in the video is that as technology advances,violence becomes greater. In the video it shows the gorillas using a bone as a tool. A tool which would be use for in order to survive. It would allow them to hunt, as well as protect themselves, and as the world has become more and more advanced that same tool has as well. However, instead of it being a bone it is a gun or knife. Today the world's most advanced technology isn't being used in the most humane way, it is being used so we can fight each other, hence violence.
Gustavo:
To be honest I am very much confused by this video but I think the video clip is about the benefits of technology. All the primates came together amazed by the new thing before them so in a sense is how technology helps us behave in a diferent way but a the same time how we takes those things and use to destroy our own world, that I think was represented by the primate hitting the bones. So violence comes with technology. In the aspect of what it is saying about being human is the ability and innate instict of create new things and learn.
Gustavo Almonte
The film, Space Odyssey 2001, profoundly shows the relationship between what it means to be human, violence and technology. The film starts off with a dawning; the sun rises and there is an evolutionary shift. This is the case when the ancient humans discover the unknown object appearing during the night. Their first reaction is instinctive fear of the unknown. They are very wary of the object and fascinated by the unknown; when they realize it's not a threat they idolize it almost like a god. The film also shows the relationship between violence and technology when the caveman discovers he can use the bone as a weapon. He is consumed by the power the bone gives him, he understands that he can cause more destruction with the bone and is enjoying the new abilities. This also defines what it means to be human. We are separate from the rest of the animals on our planet because of are ability to utilize tools (like the bone) and our need to be in control and have power. It is this power hungry, destructive nature of human beings that is being depicted in the scene with caveman and the bone.
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