I didn't realize that the Benedictine Monks invented the mechanical clock to better track their daily prayers. I wonder what they would thing of society today the way the clock is used, basically to make more money. An the printing press was pushed forward by the superveniing necessity to spread the word of God. I find it interesting that our present state of technology was rooted due to God.

I think technologiues are adopted because their is an ovrewhelming need , in the past I think this need came from whoever was governing society. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the developed world was in an Oligarchy. So if the church could deem a supervening social necessity for the mechanical clock than it would probably be adopted. A couple of centuries later, there was Guternberg with a want to spread the Bible and he created the printing press, also the first form of Mass Media communication.

In contrast to the 12th-15th centuries, we are now in a capitalistic society and most of the technologies that are developed are driven by time saving and money making. Cell phones, PCs, PDAs, originally developed for businesses, then adopted by the mainstream.

In Winston's CH 2 AND 3 HE DESCRIBES WHY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE TELEPHONE. No one thought it was important to hear your voice over the line. THey had the capability to do wire transfers of money, so the banks and Western Union were happy, and you could now send messages through the wire. THere was no supervening social necessity for you to hear a voice. Also there were problems getting the patent due to western Union.

It seems that technology get adopted when its easy to use, affordable, and its not infringing on the technology of another item.