This is the prompt:
Context: Thomas Misa illustrated that the court engineers were called upon in areas of “city-building, courtly entertainment, and dynastic display,
and for the means of war” (Misa, 3). Cultural displays can be seen in
the various cathedrals of the Renaissance era.
Misa points us towards
the Dome of the Florence Cathedral as a vivid example of advanced
technology used for grand display (often as a display of wealth…the
Catholic Church was not poor) – the renaissance “shock and awe.”
Cultural display was a powerful force in consolidating power, be that
for a prince, ruling family, or the Pope. If we think of the technology
that went into the Florence Cathedral, for example the masonry work, the
special cranes, the hoisting machines, soldering techniques, and so
forth, we can see how those technologies were not developed because of
economic need, nor for a military need (inputs we typically think of
today to spur on new technology), but rather for a cultural need.
Likewise, technology was not being used “principally to create wealth or
improve industries,” but rather wealth was being spent to create
technology (33). And engineering can also be used for the seemingly
frivolous or entertaining, as we see with da Vinci’s work in the
theater. Whether it is Hollywood, video games, or pogo sticks, the
inventor can be hard at work making our lives more fun.
Written 4-page Paper: Find an example from the last
100 years of engineering being used for some kind of “cultural display,”
trivial or crucial. Write a 4-page paper explaining the object and its
appropriate history. Your paper needs to explain the “why” it was built
and the “how” it was built. You should make it clear why you think it is
an example of a “cultural display.” You need to use no fewer than three
quality sources. Your paper ought to have a title page and a works
cited page, neither of which count towards the four pages. You may not
use an AI program to help you write the paper. If you do, you will fail.
Don’t be lazy. Just write the paper yourself.
Note: cover page and works cited pages (if you use sources other than
the book) do not count toward the four pages. The paper should be
double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, normal margins. Write well. That which is written in haste is read without pleasure.
This is a history of engineering class. I have written almost half of the essay, you could continue with that or rewrite it. I have a few sources that I gathered but they do not have to be used, I will include the links to those at the bottom.
1636838
an hour ago
These are the souces I collected:
https://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/hoover-dam-broke.htm
https://www.shakaguide.com/article/las-vegas/hoover-dam-history-why-was-the-hoover-dam-built
https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/hoover-dam
https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/hoover-dam
