Metaphors Revealed

Technology is an Organism

“’High’ technology supposedly transcends new modern ‘low’ technologies.”
“Technology is always advancing, .. and is often seen as largely out of control.”
“modern technology was displacing magic”
“phylum of machine”
“and machine readable”

It’s not so uncommon today to see this metaphor in effect. Technology is somehow seen as this sentient thing that not only thinks for itself but can grow unchecked without the assistance of human beings. While the desire to discover new technology may infect humans to a degree such that it is comparable to fanaticism or a virus, technology is nothing more than a byproduct of human’s scientific discovery. Technology is firmly in the ‘control’ of human beings and it will only ‘advance’ so long as humans continue down the same vein of scientific exploration.

New Discovery is Up; Old Discovery is Down

“’High’ technology supposedly transcends new modern ‘low’ technologies.”
“By privileging the discoveries of science over superseded irrational beliefs.”

This is a fair example of the orientation metaphor. New discovery is often attributed this position over older and more dated discoveries. This is easily examined with high-tech vs. low-tech. This, I believe, has some relevance to modern culture and it’s near addiction to advancements in technology; coveting it almost in a drug-like fashion. This is ironic because, as Daemian’s post mentioned earlier, when out in the middle of nowhere and stranded without a bar on your cellphone, such low-tech devices like pay phones would seem a godsend.

Modernity is an Architect

“Modernity builds huge messy networks …”

I find this to be one of the oddest of the metaphors used in the article. This metaphor suggests that somehow the modern time is responsible for building these networks. It is almost if this statement is trying to alleviate the responsibility that man has in this creation as if shamed by it. It begs the question, are our metaphors any indication of our thoughts and our beliefs? Do we create them in order to subtle convince ourselves and others of a likeness that may be entirely fictitious? I wonder if we would prescribe the same kind of metaphor when talking about the creation of other technologies, like the atomic bomb for example.