Chapter 13 Summary
In 1908, a clay disk bearing writing was excavated on the Greek island Phaistos. The disk bears forty-five symbols, probably of a syllabary, which were stamped into the clay. Nobody has yet deciphered this writing. Archaeologists believe it may have been the first printing system in the world but that it dropped out of use. A similar printing system did not emerge elsewhere until 2,500 years later and 3,100 years later in Europe.
Some inventions happen because people need a technology and set out to create it. Other inventions come about because people tinker and experiment and create something for which they only later find a use. Diamond argues that this latter process is more common in history. He also believes that invention depends less on the work of a few rare geniuses than on the accumulated efforts of many people who improve on the work of those who came before them. Most famous inventors, such as James Watt and Thomas Edison, were improving on similar, less useful inventions. The likes of Watt and Edison simply managed to push inventions to a level that made them usable on a mass scale.
People often assume that the inhabitants of some continents are predisposed to be technologically backward. Diamond feels that such assumptions are speculative and that they neglect to take into account that native societies are highly varied. Some individuals and tribes adopt new technologies rapidly when they are introduced even when their close neighbors do not. Diamond believes it is impossible to assume that people across whole continents are systematically better or worse at creating and adopting new technologies consistently over many millennia.
Technological progress happens more and more rapidly over time. The Industrial Revolution brought more new technologies than the Bronze Age did, which had brought more new technologies than the advancements before it. Technological advancements depend on the mastery of basic problems and the development of complementary technologies. Sustainable printing depended on the existence of paper and moveable type, for example, which were imported to Europe from China. The maker of the early printing system using the Phaistos disk did not have the use of such technologies. Because of that, his system was less practical, which may explain why it dropped out of use.
The development of food production in 8500 BCE resulted in a major jump in technology development. Diamond theorizes that this is because people became sedentary, so they were able to acquire more possessions. He also thinks that the ability to store and manage food supplies created a situation that allowed people to specialize in jobs other than obtaining food. Technologies then spread to the areas they could easily reach, thus creating more opportunities for people to build on them.
Greater land area gives the inhabitants of a given continent a substantial advantage because the continent supports more societies that presumably invent more new technology. Eurasia, the largest continent, developed more technology than did the Americas. Sub-Saharan Africa, the third largest landmass, and Australia, the smallest, followed in turn.
Expert Q&A
What is an autocatalytic process?
An autocatalytic process is a self-sustaining reaction where at least one product acts as a reactant, creating a positive feedback loop. Jared Diamond uses this concept in Guns, Germs, and Steel to explain how certain technologies enable civilizations to develop exponentially. For example, domesticating animals leads to stable food sources, enabling societal growth and technological advancements like metallurgy, which further enhance societal capabilities, illustrating an autocatalytic effect.
According to Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel chapters 11-13, why did guns and steel originate in Eurasia?
Guns and steel originated in Eurasia due to its geographical advantages, as explained by Diamond. Eurasia developed agriculture first because it had more domesticable species and favorable growing conditions, particularly in the Fertile Crescent. This led to population growth and food surpluses, allowing technological innovation. Additionally, Eurasia's large size and easy diffusion routes facilitated the spread and enhancement of technologies, creating a cycle of rapid technological advancement compared to other regions.
What are the main points in Chapter 13 of Guns, Germs, and Steel?
Chapter 13 of Guns, Germs, and Steel discusses the development of technology, emphasizing that inventions arise from necessity and demand. Jared Diamond argues that technology evolves cumulatively, not through isolated events. He cites examples like the steam engine, which improved through successive innovations. The chapter outlines four reasons for technological adoption: economic and social advantages, compatibility with interests, and observable benefits. It highlights that larger land areas and sedentary lifestyles foster technological advancements.
What is the central problem of Guns, Germs, and Steel as described in Chapter 13?
The central problem in Chapter 13 of Guns, Germs, and Steel is understanding why technology evolved at different rates on different continents. This issue is integral to Jared Diamond's broader exploration of why Europeans became dominant globally. In this chapter, Diamond examines how geographic factors influenced the development and spread of technology, arguing that "geographic luck" played a crucial role in determining which societies advanced technologically more rapidly than others.
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