Advances in Technology and Exchange After 1900 [AP World History] Unit 9 Topic 1 (9.1)

Summary

This AP World History video delves into the impact of technology on globalization. It explores the evolution of communication and transportation, from the radio to social media, which bridged distances and democratized information. The script also covers energy advancements like petroleum and nuclear power, the Green Revolution in agriculture, and medical breakthroughs including antibiotics and birth control. These technologies have interconnected the world, influencing economies, societies, and global dynamics.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The script discusses the impact of globalization, focusing on how various factors have contributed to the world becoming more interconnected.
• 📻 Communication technology evolved significantly in the 20th century, starting with the radio which allowed direct communication without intermediaries.
• 📺 The advent of television added a visual element to mass communication, enhancing the way people received information.
• 📱 Cellular technology revolutionized personal communication, enabling instant global connectivity right from our pockets.
• 🌐 Social media platforms democratized communication, allowing individuals to have a voice and organize events, as seen during the Arab Spring.
• ✈️ Commercial air travel and shipping container innovations reduced the physical distance between people and facilitated faster trade.
• ⚙️ New energy technologies like petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear energy increased productivity but also raised environmental concerns.
• 🌱 The Green Revolution in agriculture, marked by the development of high-yield crops and the use of fertilizers and pesticides, aimed to feed a growing global population.
• 🏥 Medical advancements such as antibiotics, vaccines, and birth control significantly improved health outcomes and influenced population dynamics.
• 📈 The script highlights how technology has been a major player in globalization, shaping modern society in various ways.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Unit 9 in the AP World History curriculum?

The main focus of Unit 9 in the AP World History curriculum is to understand the concept of globalization and how it has been influenced by various factors such as technology, migration, and ideologies.

How did the advent of radio technology impact communication in the early 20th century?

The radio allowed individuals and families to hear the voices of those delivering information directly, bypassing intermediaries like newspapers and news reporters, and thus reducing the distance between speakers and listeners.

What role did television play in the evolution of mass communication?

Television added the visual element to mass communication, allowing people to see the person speaking to them, which was a significant advancement over radio that only provided audio.

How has cellular technology changed the way people communicate?

Cellular technology has enabled instant communication with anyone across the globe, and it has been so integrated into daily life that its revolutionary nature is often overlooked.

What was a significant historical event where social media played a key role?

The Arab Spring in the early 2010s was a series of anti-government protests across the Arab world, many of which were organized and documented on cell phones and social media platforms.

How did commercial air travel contribute to globalization?

Commercial air travel reduced the time required to travel long distances, making it possible to traverse continents in hours instead of weeks, thus bringing people and goods closer together.

What is the significance of the Green Revolution in the context of agricultural technology?

The Green Revolution was significant because it introduced new grain and wheat varieties that yielded more abundant harvests and were more resistant to pests, largely due to genetic engineering and the increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation.

How did the development of nuclear energy impact the global energy landscape?

Nuclear energy provided a more renewable and cleaner alternative to petroleum and natural gas for powering factories and cities, although it also presented risks, as seen in the Chernobyl disaster.

What were the key medical advancements that contributed to increased life expectancy after 1900?

Key medical advancements included the development of antibiotics like penicillin, the widespread use of vaccines, and the introduction of medical birth control, such as the birth control pill.

What was the impact of the birth control pill on global fertility rates?

The widespread use of the birth control pill led to a decline in fertility rates across the world, as women on average had fewer children.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Globalization and Technological Advancements

This paragraph introduces the topic of globalization within the AP World History curriculum, focusing on the role of technology and the exchange of goods. It discusses how various technological advancements have led to increased global interconnectedness. The paragraph outlines the impact of communication and transportation technologies, such as radio, television, and cellular technology, on reducing the metaphorical space between people. It also touches on the historical significance of these technologies, like how President Franklin D. Roosevelt used radio to communicate with Americans during the Great Depression and World War II. The paragraph also briefly mentions the rise of social media platforms and their role in democratizing communication and organizing events like the Arab Spring. Finally, it discusses the shrinking of literal space between people due to commercial airlines and shipping containers, allowing for faster and more efficient transportation of goods.

05:01

🌱 Agricultural and Medical Innovations in the 20th Century

The second paragraph delves into the agricultural and medical technologies that have shaped the 20th century. It starts by discussing the Green Revolution, which involved the development of high-yield and pest-resistant grains and wheat through genetic engineering. The paragraph also highlights the increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation, which led to a significant expansion of farmland and the rise of commercial farming. This, in turn, resulted in the consolidation of small farms into larger corporate entities. The paragraph then shifts to medical advancements, emphasizing the discovery of antibiotics like penicillin, which revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections. It also mentions the increased use of vaccines to prevent diseases and the development of medical birth control, such as the birth control pill, which led to a decline in global fertility rates. The paragraph concludes by suggesting educational technology as a means to help students excel in their AP World History class.

Keywords

💡Globalization

Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world's markets, cultures, and technologies. In the video, it is the central theme as it discusses how various technological advancements have contributed to the shrinking of the world and the integration of economies and societies. Examples from the script include the discussion of how communication and transportation technologies have made the world smaller and more interconnected.

💡Communication Technology

Communication technology encompasses the tools and systems used to transmit information across distances. The video highlights the evolution from radio to television and then to cellular technology, which has revolutionized how people communicate and access information. The script mentions how these technologies have made global communication instantaneous and accessible.

💡Transportation Technology

Transportation technology refers to the means by which goods and people are moved from one place to another. The video discusses how innovations in transportation, such as commercial airlines and shipping containers, have reduced the time and cost of moving goods, thus facilitating globalization. The script provides the example of how these technologies have made it possible to travel across continents in hours instead of weeks.

💡Energy Technology

Energy technology pertains to the methods and systems used to produce and distribute energy. The video script discusses the shift from coal to petroleum and natural gas, and the advent of nuclear energy, which have all played significant roles in powering industrialization and daily life. The script also touches on the environmental implications of these energy sources.

💡Agricultural Technology

Agricultural technology involves the tools, equipment, and practices used in farming to increase crop yields and efficiency. The video describes the Green Revolution, where genetic engineering and the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation led to more abundant harvests. The script explains how these technologies have allowed for the feeding of a rapidly growing global population.

💡Medical Technology

Medical technology includes the devices, equipment, and procedures used to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. The video highlights the development of antibiotics like penicillin, the widespread use of vaccines, and the introduction of medical birth control, such as the birth control pill. These advancements have contributed to increased life expectancy and changes in fertility rates, as mentioned in the script.

💡Radio

Radio is a mass communication medium that transmits sound through electromagnetic waves. In the video, radio is noted as a significant step in communication technology, allowing people to hear the voices of leaders and information providers directly, without intermediaries. The script gives the example of President Franklin D. Roosevelt using radio to communicate with the American public during the Great Depression and World War II.

💡Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The video script describes television as an advancement over radio, providing both audio and visual communication. It allowed people to see the person they were listening to, which added a new dimension to mass communication.

💡Cellular Technology

Cellular technology refers to the network of mobile phones and devices that allow for wireless communication. The video emphasizes how cellular technology has made communication portable and instant, connecting people across the globe. The script also notes the significance of this technology in historical events, such as the Arab Spring, where it played a crucial role in organizing protests and disseminating information.

💡Social Media

Social media consists of web-based applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses how social media platforms have democratized communication, giving everyone a platform to express themselves and connect with others. The script mentions the Arab Spring as an example of social media's impact on global events.

💡Commercial Airline

A commercial airline is a service that transports passengers and cargo by airplane for a fee. The video script explains how the development of commercial airlines has significantly reduced travel time, making it possible to traverse long distances within hours. This has contributed to the globalization process by making international travel more accessible and efficient.

Highlights

Global interconnectedness is a key theme of AP World History Unit 9.

Technology plays a major role in the globalization of the world.

Communication and transportation technologies have made the world 'smaller'.

The radio was a pivotal mass communication medium in the early 20th century.

Television added visual elements to mass communication.

Cellular technology allows instant global communication.

Social media platforms democratized communication.

The Arab Spring was significantly influenced by social media.

Commercial airlines and shipping containers revolutionized the transportation of goods.

Energy technologies like petroleum and natural gas increased productivity.

Nuclear energy was developed as a cleaner alternative to petroleum.

The Green Revolution in agriculture led to more abundant and pest-resistant crops.

Genetic engineering was a key part of the Green Revolution.

The use of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation increased agricultural output.

Commercial farming rose due to the complexity and cost of new farming technologies.

Antibiotics like penicillin saved lives by combating bacterial infections.

Vaccines became more widespread, protecting against diseases like smallpox and polio.

Medical birth control, such as the pill, led to a decline in global fertility rates.

Transcripts

well hey and welcome back to heimler's

history and welcome to the first topic

video of unit 9 of our ap world history

curriculum and this topic is here and

this unit is here to help us come to

terms with globalization now in previous

units we've talked about global wars and

migration and ideologies and in this

unit we're going to bring that all

together and see how all of this led to

an increasing global interconnectedness

and we're going to look at what the

consequences of that global

interconnectedness work and in this

video we're going to talk about a major

player in the globalization of the world

namely technology and the exchange of

goods so if you're ready to get them

brain cows milked i am let's get to it

okay so with respect to technology and

globalization let's first look at

communication and transportation

technologies second we'll look at new

energy technology third we'll look at

agricultural technology and we'll round

it all out by talking about medical

technology all right first communication

and transportation technology so in case

you haven't noticed the world is a

mighty big place and after 900 new

communication and transportation

technologies we're busy making the space

between us much smaller first there was

the radio in the early part of the 20th

century and this certainly wasn't the

first medium of mass communication

available to humanity but it certainly

did change a lot this little box in

people's homes allowed individuals and

families to actually hear the voices of

the people who were delivering

information to them at a distance as

opposed to say a newspaper which was

only in print also it eliminated the

intermediary filter between the speaker

and the listener prior to this for

example if a leader gave a press

conference that message would then be

filtered through the news reporter who

might emphasize his or her own pet

biases but on the radio that leader

could speak to the listener exactly as

he or she wishes american president

franklin delano roosevelt utilized this

medium and broadcast his voice into

american homes during the great

depression in world war ii he used the

medium to comfort americans during hard

times and to update them on policies

that he was enacting to support them

second there was the advent of

television in the middle part of the

20th century and with this new medium of

communication you had all the benefits

of radio with the added benefit of being

able to see the person who was actually

talking to you third and later in the

20th century cellular technology was

developed which put the ability to

communicate with each other in our

pockets people could instantly

communicate with anyone all over the

globe we've all grown up with this

technology and so the revolutionary

nature of it can get lost on us so just

to get a sense of how much cellular

technology has changed consider this

little episode from the seven years war

in the 18th century now part of this war

was fought on the american continent

between the british and the french now

britain ended up winning this war but

the american colonists kept on fighting

for like six weeks because it took so

long for news to travel across the

atlantic but now it would be like

okay and shut it down now along with the

cellular technology and related to it

was the rise of social media platforms

like facebook and twitter and instagram

these platforms essentially democratize

communication and gave anyone a platform

to say whatever they wanted to and then

to gain an audience now a key historical

event in which social media played a

part was the arab spring which happened

in the early 2010s and was a series of

anti-government protests across the arab

world many of these protests were

organized and documented on cell phones

and social media and it speaks to the

significance of these platforms that

governments in these places often shut

down the internet and censored social

sites in the days before these protests

it was cellular technology and social

media that allowed the rest of the world

to know about these people's discontent

with their governments so all of these

communication technologies reduced the

metaphorical space between each other

even if the literal space was still

there but the literal space between

people was also growing smaller with the

advent of commercial airline instead of

requiring weeks to trek from one side of

the continent to another now the

distance could be traveled in a matter

of hours also people came to much closer

and more abundant contact with the goods

that they wanted to purchase mass

shipments of goods could be more easily

and quickly transported through the air

also with the development of massive

shipping containers which could be

loaded in bulk and transported across

the sea in bulk without having to unload

the cargo people could get more goods

faster okay that was communication and

transportation technology in the 20th

century now let's look at new energy

technology so ever since the rise of the

industrial revolution factories and the

cities that grew up around them needed

energy in order to power their machines

and deliver services to the people that

lived around them now in the beginning

that energy came from burning coal but

by the 20th century they were using

petroleum and natural gas and that had

the effect of actually upping

productivity another significant energy

technology was nuclear energy so you

probably recall that at the end of world

war ii the americans dropped two atomic

bombs on japan and i guess somebody

looked at that and said you know i

wonder if instead of blowing people up

with nuclear fission we could actually

produce power instead and as it turns

out you can now petroleum is a

non-renewable resource that releases

copious amounts of pollution into the

environment nuclear energy on the other

hand while not unlimited is far more

renewable than petroleum and much

cleaner all things being equal and

sometimes with nuclear energy all things

are not equal the much cleaner part of

that statement goes out the window in a

case like the disaster at the chernobyl

power plant in russia in the 1980s one

of their reactor cores exploded and

released about 400 times more radiation

into the environment than the bombs

dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki

combined okay now let's turn and talk

about agricultural technology in the

20th century something called the green

revolution occurred this was a

revolution because scientists developed

new kinds of grain and wheat that yield

in more abundant harvests and were more

resistant to pests and how did they do

that well one significant way they did

it was through genetic engineering they

actually modified the cellular

organization of these crops to make them

accomplish what they wanted additionally

during the 20th century we saw the

increased use of fertilizers and

pesticides and irrigation along with all

of this came a huge increase in the

worldwide acreage devoted to farming and

all of this was deployed in order to

feed the mouths of a rapidly growing

world population now one consequence of

all this new farming technology was the

rise of commercial farming all these new

technologies were complex and expensive

and generally out of the reach of your

average farmer therefore small farmers

found themselves unable to compete on

the scale of larger wealthy commercial

farmers and that led to the

consolidation of small farms into the

hands of these corporations and fourth

let's consider new medical technology

after 1900 there are a couple

significant medical advances that help

people to live longer the first was

antibiotics which is the substance that

killed bacterial infections and in 1928

the first antibiotic was developed and

it was called penicillin it saved the

lives of many people not least of which

was soldiers fighting in wars and gave

them a means by which they could survive

infections that previously would have

killed them second we see the widespread

use of vaccines now vaccines of course

were not new to the 20th century but

there certainly was a spike in the use

of these were shots that people got that

inoculated them against diseases like

smallpox and measles and polio and yet

another medical technology was developed

during this time that didn't extend

people's lives but it certainly did

change them this development was medical

birth control in the 1950s a birth

control pill was developed which

consisted of a synthetic hormone which

prevented pregnancy and the result of

the widespread use of this pill caused

fertility rates across the world to

decline which is to say women were

having fewer babies on average all right

that's what you need to know about unit

nine topic one of ap world history if

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