Sublime Communication Technologies - Essay Example

In 1945 Vermadsksy who was the inventor of the concept of the biosphere pointed out some resent development noting that the twentieth century had seen man for the first time in history of earth, having knowledge and embracing the entire biosphere, was able to complete the geographic map of the planet earth and was able to tame the entire surface of the earth (Vermadsksy, 1945). In Vermadsky argument there are some important additions that seem to have been overlooked, these being the additions that had come to scene in the twentieth century in man’s influence such as the use of electromagnetosphere in communication over long distances by radio technology. The development noted by Vermadsky came and were “facilitated” by the other developments made in 19th century. These is clearly illustrated where in 1847 Daniel Webster proclaimed to his contemporaries that at that time oceans were navigated and solid land was traversed through steam power, with intelligence being communicated through electricity (Cubitt,1998). The railway and telegraph enhanced both the human bodily and mental capacities in addition to reshaping the earth, something that was also experienced through both radio and television technology in the later years. Electricity did not only pass forward intelligence as if it were goods being transported, but was also affected by the process. The invention and technologies being the products of the brain it followed that intelligence was to affect the process. The challenges that come with the failures of technologies cannot be overlooked. After inventions have been made the need for improvement is inevitable. Technologies that require use of electricity would mean that man was to venture more in electricity production and look for ways to eliminated electricity black out. Over consumption of electricity would also mean that the cost of operation of the innovations would be beyond reach of many and thus man was to think of ways to improve on the innovations. According to Friedburg (1993) through machines there was change of measure of space and time, the machine in question being train and automobiles that came later. The machines affected the relation between space and time as well as bodily movement. There was change of relations between space and time, sight and body movement producing what was Friedburg referred to as machine visibility that was to match with the new nobilities that resulted from changes that were being experienced in transportation, with virtual gaze being brought about by photography. Friedburg further argues that all these made it possible for the past to be brought to present, distant things to be brought near and the muniscukle to be enlarged. Through these it is seen that there was alteration of scale, the extent and duration of things with the perceptions of time and space being changed irreversibly. The argument that the past could be brought to present may need some discussion. This is due to the fact that photos may not depict the entire situation with only part of the situation being represented. Earlier photographs were mostly black and white and to some extent this could be argued that there was distortion of the real situation. Through combination of the machine of mobility and machine of visibility brought about the virtual transport machine (panorama, the diorama and later cinema) through which there was extension of virtual gaze of photography resulting into virtual mobility. The development of the panorama is attributed to Robert Barker in 1804, where there was a huge circular painting inside a rotunda. The spectators would be seated in the centre of the rotunda with the separation between them and the painting being what was referred to as a ‘dry moat” by Kattele (2002). The dry moat had the effect of removing and protecting the audience the scene and was then mediated to them. The panaromic paint could scroll past the audience this being in contrast to diorama developed by Daguarre 1822. This is described by Kattelle as having a huge painting that was stationary and the audience being on the rotating platform that carried in a slow motion over the scenes that was before them. In the diorama, the foreground scene could have the actual objects being placed with great skills against the backdrop so that there was creation of a strong three dimensional effect. The panaroma is equated to the cinema and television while diorama is likened to the railway and the car. In the former case, the scene is in motion while the spectator is still; in the later case the scene being depicted would be moving or will appear to be moving, both being vehicles for seated passengers. In both cases there is achievement of increased visual capabilities and virtual image of the spectator. In both cases there is creation of a sense of virtual mobility, virtual transport and virtual gaze, of these constituting a virtual grid of hypermodernity that is stripped of the definitive object, the space coordinates also is stripped of solid reality. These culminate in the production of world sublime communication technologies. It is easy to see that there is a linkage between communication and transportation and the two are mutually supportive as agreed upon by Cubitt (1998) and Freidberg. The past histories of both electronic and photomechanical arts could also be seen as a narration of assimilation and internalization of a combination of communication (mediation and transport) instruments in an urbane population which is always large. The movement from the machine construction with a combination of tracks, the engine, carriages, telegraph, a timetable and panoramic views through cinema instruments to achieve virtual reality could be taken as a hop, skip and a jump with the smoothness belling the inherent insecurity of the transition. The coming of a transition was never doubted, even with some hesitations of undergoing the process, there was a kind of inevitability about it, this being more evident in the manner in which each of the succeeding transport and communication technology types combined and bought into the features of all the previous ones. The convergence of communication and transport technologies is a normal occurrence as opposed to it being a recent phenomenon. Picking up with this line of thinking, there will be more extensive historical account than Veradsky’s. This thinking would include the nineteenth century and the second half of the twentieth century and this could be devised on the following: in the mid nineteenth century modernity took root with terrestrial space and time being enclosed through use of the railway and telegraph as a means of communication though physical linkage of places that were vastly separated. In the mid and late nineteenth century the entire surface and heights of earth is believed to been colonized and enclosed by use of radio to communicate in long distances over the earth surface through electromagnetosphere. Also at the beginning of twentieth century there was what is referred to as hypermasculization of modernity through militarization (Spretnak, 1997). The first world war, so the industrialization of war mediated by more sophisticated guns, telephones and telegraphy. It is also almost at the same time that modernity was also highly experienced in the private sphere with the car taking the centre stage in providing mobidity for passengers on highways and through on varied landscapes. The development of the rockets has also been linked with the deadly effects of the First World War which necessitated further inventions. The rockets were used in the launch of satellites during the Cold War of 1950s and 1960s. While the war contributed a great deal to this development and accepting that most of the research has been through military facilities, the need for human development have been motivated by more than wars. The challenges faced by agriculture has necessitated the need to have farm equipments. The roads have been constructed in order to ensure that farm produce reach the market. It could also be argued that after developing and countries becoming reach the countries find it necessary to protect themselves and thus resulting into military innovations. Since the second World War it hypermasculine modernity is believed to have made further extension of its reach beyond the biosphere and electromagnetosphere, into extraterrestrial space where what is described by Virilio (1994) as “the conquest of sidereal space throughout the sixties”. Hypermasculine modernity in the decade took what was referred to as “the simulation of territorial and scientific conquest” (Williams,1968) with new heights literally believed to take place through the exploration of the space frontier, and there was colonization of orbital extraterrestrial space so as to achieve military objectives. Hypermasculine modernity is also linked to the placement of satellites in orbits in the 1950s and in the 1960s, where the satellites had the ability to penetrate terrain that could be described as being inhospitable and communication was made possible in places that were vastly separated. The 1970s was linked with orbital extraterrestrial space being militarized, where the majority of communication satellites launched were associated with military. The Gulf War of 1991 being cited which involved the coalition forces that were led by the USA. There was reliance on satellite surveillance in addition to computers that were used in giving the finer details of the desired targets. War was seen to betaken to new heights where extraterrestrial space was developed to a new front and frontier, and computers taking the role of the targeting technology. It is also important to note that it was during this time that the email communication emerged. Initially this was for military purpose but the need for it in daily communication has seen it being used overwhelmingly with the user not being of its military origin. The same technology is applied in website creation and this has made transfer of knowledge to be very easy. The militarization of communication is fueled by the need of governments need to being in charge of the vital information of the country. The government agencies need to know that there is nobody accessing government secrets. The agencies need to be at the frontline in the technologies that protect their information. In the 1990s also so electromagnetospheric spectrum being colonized and being exploited with the colonization opening up what was referred to as blue sky mining with a boom and bust similar to what was experienced in the gold rush and railway speculation experienced 100 year earlier and 30 years earlier for iron ore and nickel. The simple definition which is given to communication is the transportation of messages. There has not only been a close association between communication and transportation, but it has been seen as being synonymous with transportation up to the time telegraphy was developed. The lines of communication between cities were roads, railway lines, shipping lanes, rivers and canals (McLuhan, 1964; Williams ,1968). In his sixth annual message President Thomas Jefferson is cited by Dadly (1996) to argue that the “channels of communication” which had been created by road or canal network could play the role of cementing unions and making separation lines to vanish. Communication took place on these lines and through these channels but also through the lines there was and speed was speed and increase in volume. The high speed and increase in volume are the features of the sublime of cities. Speed can not only be taken as a quintessential component of cities and modernity in general terms as Virilio argument would go, but also they are of the sublime in particular as the rush of sensory experience it brings about transcend in time, space as well as the body. When there is a smooth line of communication, there is sublime of speed be it on the road, canal or rail. The three fill up hallow areas and smoothen surface of the earth creating gradients favorable for their means of transportation. Canals have been referred to as being the other weighty new arm of communication in the earlier industrialization that could be placed alongside the steam railways. References Cubbitt. S. (1998). Digital Aesthetics. London Sage. Dadly, P. (1996). The Garden of Edison : Invention and American imagination. London :Faber &Faber. Friedberg A. (1993). Window shoppinh:Cinema and the postmode. Beckeley. University of California. Giblett R(1998). Sublime Communication Technologies . 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