February 7 - Technology vs. Society: Who is Hindering Who?

Previously discussed in an earlier blog was what kind of impact the development of the internet had on the way human beings think - in other words, how has technology affected society? In this entry, I'll be reversing that question and investigating how society has affected the development of technology. As Woodhouse puts it, "just because people have needs, and just because techno-scientists have the techniques to help meet those needs, does not mean that economic, political, cultural, and other barriers will not interfere". Perhaps its society's own lack of action and hesitance to initiate change that makes the world seem as if it's at a standstill.

In an article regarding the cover-up of the hybrid car, Brad Berman discusses Victor Wouk's struggle to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support his emission-reducing invention. Though Berman seems to pinpoint Stork as the 'bad guy' who put a halt to the Federal Clean Car Incentive Program, perhaps the mass commercialization of hybrid cars wasn't a realistic goal for the time to begin with. At 28 cents a gallon, one could hardly blame car companies for lacking significant interest in supporting the development of vehicles that ran on alternative sources. American car companies held tight to their powerful engines and unique body designs to maintain a specific image as the Europeans and Japanese decided to focus more on fuel efficiency.With the development of the Toyota Production System and the concept of lean manufacturing, it was clear that the Japanese were ahead of the game in terms of efficiently and effectively producing reliable and fuel efficient automobiles. At the time, it was much more cost effective to invest in imported cars from companies with an effective business model than develop new, unfamiliar, expensive, and currently unnecessary alternative fuel vehicles.

Although there existed the capability to fully develop and commercialize hybrid technologies within the United States in the 70s, the market and the need was not there to support it. Whatever seems to satisfy the most people most of the time is the standard that generally stays. Unless there's a significant catalyst to make a push for change, like the national average price of gas remaining around $2.60 (Berman), society and technology's inertia proves to be too large to overcome.

Works Cited

Berman, Brad. "Victor Wouk and The Great Hybrid Car Cover-up of 1974." HybridCars 28 March 2006. Web. 13 February 2014 <http://www.hybridcars.com/the-great-hybrid-car-cover-up-of-74/>

Woodhouse, Edward. The Future of Technological Civilization. University Readers, 2013. Print.