The Need for Analog Technology

Welcome back!

What is analog technology and why is it so important? That is the question I will be answering in this post. Analog technology has existed for at least as long as humans have been sentient. Analog is a board category that includes any man made item that does not have microchips or use any mathematical system to function. It could or not could be made from natural materials but will usually cannot be made or found in nature, or not be able to perform a function entirely using organic based systems.. At least that is how I define analog technology.

Some examples in this category would be light, physical waves (sound, radiation, radio, etc.), physical button fans, older standard definition TVs, clocks using gears, older vehicles, flashlights, basic generators, etc. Other examples could include simple tools, postal mail, houses, camping gear, fuels, etc. In general any item that is not digital or organic (which I'll talk about in a future post) falls in the analog category. This is one of the reasons why we need and depend on analog technology. Without analog we would not have been able to  create digital technology or be able to sustain digital technology. There is more to it than that though.

Analog technology does not have a shared weakness. That is unlike digital technology analog technology should be able to withstand electrical discharges more easily compared to digital technology and it is generally unaffected by cosmic events and most radiation. Now sure stoves, light bulbs, clocks, etc. could be affected by electricity discharges they have a much better resistance to it. Electricity won't affect the function of other technologies such as tools, waves, mail, gear, etc. Because analog technology does have have a major weakness it has a much longer longevity and is much better to depend upon in the very long term.

The last sub-topic I want to touch on is what analog technology allows us to do and why we should keep these systems in place regardless of how far other technologies evolve. The first ability it gives us is the ability to communicate.

Go outside and look around you. What do you see? If you are in a city you will probably see many buildings close together. These buildings keep us safe from the elements sure, but they provide us with another function as well. In cities by having buildings closer together we create communities. Within these communities we are able to find our when we need it, find a friend to talk to and entertain ourselves with the company of others. The simple technology that was meant to keep us safe has also brought us together as human beings. If we maintain these tight communities then we should be able to better survive serious natural or cosmic events. These communities also create other types of communications.

Newspapers are created from a community. Those pieces of paper that you may just recycle or throw away might actually be your life line in the future. Think about what it contains. You can find political information, community news, advertisements (jobs that need to be done in the community, lost items; people; or animals, places to find shelter or food, etc.), change in laws and regulations and community events. All of this information is, and would be, essential to your function in society. If we lost this technology then it would be that much harder to keep in touch if digital technology fails us. Another technology that communities create are postal services

Postal services allow for longer range communication. This could include letters, telegraphs or items. In order for us to stay in touch with adjacent cities and towns we need this service to stay around. While yes email can cover data transmission much faster and easier it cannot handle physical items such as food, clothes, currency, etc.

Other analog technologies that need to remain include medical knowledge and practise, food production and farming, horse (or other animal) based transportation, historic record keeping and political systems. We should try to replace these technologies but instead enhance them. We should continue to remember how to create and use analog technology. When creating other kinds of technologies we should use them in conjunction with dependable analog technologies. One day we may need to go back to depending on analog technology so it is essential that we don't forget about it.

In my next post I will talk about another kind of technology, one that nature creates. Watch for Organics: Digital or Analog Technology?

 Bye for now,

 Superskull85 - The Dark Skull