Donnerstag
17
JAN
| 18.00 Uhr | Canaries and Machines: Security in Collieries, Cities, and the Atmosphere
Dr. Akihisa Setoguchi, Kyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities
This lecture will answer the question about how technology is building up our current air environment. The air monitoring technology has its origin in collieries, which experienced massive explosions with hundreds of victims in the nineteenth century. Modern Japan, which excavated coal to build its industries, was no exception. Technologies to prevent explosions began to be developed in the 1930s, when methane gas detectors and canaries were introduced in coal mines.
In the 1970s, an automatic monitoring system was established. Although most coal mines have declined in Japan, this monitoring system is now widespread in the current technological society. Japanese cities experienced large explosive accidents in the 1970s. As a result, residential gas detectors became popular in the 1980s. Air pollution from the combustion of coal and oil became serious in the 1950s. The atmosphere over Japanese cities is still monitored with the automatic machines, which was established in the 1970s.
This presentation will situate air monitoring technologies in the history of human-made-atmosphere and will demonstrate how machines, animals, and humans are involved in the large technological system that maintains our everyday lives.
This lecture is part of the “Nichi-Doku Joint Lecture” (Japanese-German Joint Lecture) is organized in close cooperation between the Kyoto University European Center in Heidelberg and the Heidelberg University Office in Kyoto — the liaison offices of both universities in Japan and Germany. It aims at promoting and strengthening research exchange between Heidelberg University and Kyoto University. Adresse Neue Universität Hörsaal 15 Grabengasse 3 69117 Heidelberg Veranstalter Kyoto University European Center, Heidelberg
Heidelberg University Office, Kyoto Homepage Veranstalter https://www.oc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/overseas-centers/eu/en/research/jd-joint-lecture/ |