Yali's Question (Part 2)

Yali's Question:
So we've all debunked the genetic answer to Yali's question because we all know that there are just as many, if not more intelligent people amongst black people than there are white. We are all subject to the same natural process when it comes to genetics. Hence, where the innate ability is concerned, black people have just as much a chance of being born intelligent as white people have being born dumb.

Why do some societies acquire technology and wealth while others don't? Some of my own takes:

1. Accessibility to the available resources:  We all know that in order to make something, we need the necessary raw materials. If so, could it be that it was the white people who had the necessary raw materials (i.e minerals like iron) to invent and develop "cargo"?
2. Could there be religious concerns?: Perhaps there is a religious explanation for the way some societies have seemed so technologically backward. For example, the Amish people. These conservative christians are aware of the worth of technology in terms of developing tools of utility and convenience. However, they shun away from specific technologies because they feel that it harms the peace of mind that exists only when they walk with God. Iran also banned Youtube because of religious concerns, claiming it as immoral. Perhaps this religious motivation leads us onto another possible answer to Yali's question: Choice. What if some societies remain satisfied with their current backward way of life and would like to keep the status quo, like the aboriginal Australians mentioned or even the Maori's of New Zealand. 
3. Political ethos: Some countries, especially in totalitarian states, a government may purposely ban the use of certain technology in order to retain it's authoritative power or because of conservative reasons. With the advent of the Internet comes the democratisation and rapid dissemination of information, which means that people have access to information like never before. This empowers people and gives them a voice. Some governments do not like the idea of their people doing so. Examples of conservative reasons include india banning youtube because of offensive videos of ghandi.   

Key Takeaways:

1. Innovation is invention followed by its implementation. Only when a designed product is successfully integrated into society and sold in organised markets can we call it innovation.
2. Technology is easy, people are hard. Technology is there for us to use and is easy to use. However, people are the ones who determine the success of this technology. They have the power to decided whether to use it or not and in what way. It is also a matter of people accepting the technology.

Overall rating: 5/10 (Not because it was bad or anything! Just that we spent half the class introducing ourselves and that I was very nervous since it was my first class in smu :/)