Week7
Prompt:
Identify a tool or instrument of measurement from the course materials and situate it in a relevant historical context of development or use.
Response: (224 words)
The progress of scientific exploration is inseparable from the precision and innovation of instruments. These tools not only accelerate our understanding of the unknown but also shape the way science is practiced. The steam engine began to be adopted by society and industry in the early 18th century due to improvements by Thomas Newcomen and James Watt. (Holmes, G.C.V., Sir. 1887) This marks a shift from traditional energy use (water power, wind power, animal power, human power) to fossil fuels (coal, oil). In early and mid-19th century Britain, the steam engine was widely recognized as the main tool for economic development. (Bowler, P. J. & Morus, I. R. 2020) The original use of steam engines was to extract water from mines in order to dig deeper and increase the production of mineral resources. Later, the use of steam engines led to the development of ships and steam locomotives, which not only accelerated the transportation of goods and people, but also facilitated the expansion of domestic and international markets. The use of steam engines promoted the transformation of primary industry into secondary industry. With the improvement of production efficiency and the reduction of production costs, commodity prices have dropped, the consumer market has expanded, and economic activities have shown unprecedented vitality and growth rate. This has led to a dramatic increase in the development speed of human civilization.
Reference:
Holmes, G.C.V., Sir. (1887). The steam engine. Longmans, Green, London.
Bowler, P. J. & Morus, I. R. (2020) Making modern science : a historical survey / Peter J. Bowler and Iwan Rhys Morus. Second edition.
