History of Technology - Index

The course of History of Technology analizes the evolution of the machine culture between the Renaissance and the Present Time, with some links to the Ancient and Medieval History.
Without entering the internalist description of the technologies the lectures investigate the society development with respect to the innovation processes, but also taking into account the political, economic and artistic themes. The approach is not chronological, but by themes that are enarrated throug the time evolution. In particular the lectures will follow the index as below:

1. Storytelling, modelling and designing, i.e theactivities of historians, scientists, and technicians.
2. The stages of the evolution of technology according to José Ortaga y Gasset.
3. The first agricultural revolution vs the industrial revolution
4. The materials: natural vs industrial
5. The energy: natural vs industrial
6. The information: paper vs ICT
7. The instruction: apprenticeship vs technical school
8. The innovation: inventors vs industrial development
9. The representation: drawings vs augmented reality
10. The challenges: science vs conflicts
11. Weapons
12. Transports
13. Textiles
14. Building 
15. Mechanics
16. Hydraulics
17. Electricity
18. Chemistry
19. Computing
20. Logistics
21. Metallurgy
22. Aeronautics
23. Manufacturing
24. Arts and literature

Suggested books are: Vittorio Marchis, Storia delle macchine, Roma-Bari : Laterza, 2005; Ian McNelly (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of the History of Technology,  London : Routhledge, 1990.

Vittorio Marchis, professor of History of technology