EOTO Peer Presentations

    The EOTO presentations were very impactful for me as it is not often I am taught by my peers. Hearing about the history of technology from varying perspectives caused me to learn a lot. One piece of technology stood out to me because of its pivotal nature to the distribution of information: The Printing Press. This presentation was given by my team member, Kayla Miller-Sissoko. She was very effective at communicating the ground-breaking nature of the technology.

    The printing press allowed for printed content to be mass-produced for the first time. We accredit Johannes Gutenberg with the invention of the modern printing press in 1436. This is known as 'The Gutenberg Press.' Though, the first printing press is unknown but thought to be originally a block printing press from China in the fifth century. 

    The main problem Gutenberg was trying to address was to find a more affordable and effective way to mass-produce writings. Before the creation of the printing press, texts would be hand-copied or it would be very costly to produce them using technology. So, the Gutenberg Press was game-changing for the way information was spread and laid a foundation for many other pieces of technology.  

  Thus, the impact of the printing press was monumental. The printing press' invention and the subsequent commercialization allowed for improved distribution of ideas, books, and information. It was also very impactful to Europe's socioeconomic status. The printing press put an end to the middle ages and marked the beginning of the modern ages. The increased distribution of books led to an increase in literacy and communication. Though, the printing press was said to replace workers by doing the work they would have done during the Industrial Revolution.

    Refreshing what I knew about the printing press was very informative for me. I think it is very interesting how this machine began the era of technology making things easier while threatening the livelihood of some. This mirrors each new invention of technology and its impact. Though, all of those would not be there without first the printing press.

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