Source: Fortune
Summary
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested using nuclear bombs to create a new channel in the Middle East, avoiding Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz. This idea is not new, as the US government previously considered a similar plan in the 1960s to build a sea-level canal in Panama using nuclear explosions. The plan, known as Project Plowshare, was ultimately abandoned due to environmental and health concerns. The article explores the history of this project and how it reflects the cultural context of technological developments.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. Project Plowshare, a 1960s plan to use nuclear explosions to build a sea-level canal in Panama, was a radical idea that seemed reasonable at the time. The plan was eventually abandoned due to environmental and health concerns, but it reflects the cultural context of technological developments. The article highlights how powerful interests can champion technologies that become part of people’s daily lives, not because they are inherently superior, but because they are promoted by influencers.
One original observation: The article’s focus on the cultural context of technological developments raises questions about which high-tech trends being promoted today will amuse, shock, and horrify our descendants.
Author: Evan Null
