In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution was one of several revolutions that overturned society. Mechanical creatures intruded into farms and homes, but still this invasion had no name. Finally, in 1802, Johann Beckmann, an economics professor at Gottingen University gave this ascending force its name [technology] . . . He hoped his outline [a textbook titled Guide to Technology] would become the first course in the subject. It did that and more. It also gave a name to what we do. Once named, we could now see it. Having seen it, we wondered how anyone could not have seen it.
Source: Kevin Kelly, What Technology Wants
Posted: 2025 Oct 18
Or check out this TEDxSF by Kelly.
I can only exercise until the crisis is past. When I fell off a roof and injured my back, I did back exercises for several months, until I seemed to have regained my strength. When I smashed my elbow, I did exercises for about six months, to regain movement. When I had a heart attack, I cut out fatty/sweet foods for… well… a while, until my arteries felt as though they had cleared themselves of cholesterol. Doing exercises seems so much like a waste of time, when I could be doing something more productive. I felt the same way about playing scales, back when I took music lessons, when I could be making melody instead.
Jim T
Jim T – Well, that’s about what I’ve been doing with physio for 20 years – working my way out of back attacks. And now shoulders and knees . . . We could start an Unhappy Exercisers Support Group, maybe, but who would do the maintenance work for that?