TOW #23: "Civilization’s Starter Kit," Lewis Dartnell

When thinking about the idea of civilization, it is hard to imagine how much is truly involved. As a human, one might be an expert at one subject, and clueless when it comes to another. This disconnect could cause issues if there was ever a situation where humans needed to rebuild civilization. In his opinion article, "Civilization's Starter Kit," published in the New York Times, author, Lewis Dartnell addresses the skills and ideas that are crucial to the success of a civilization. In order to explain the importance and broadness of society, Dartnell uses rhetorical questioning and makes an appeal to authority. In the article, the main question that the author asks is "what key principles of science and technology would be necessary to rebuild our world from scratch?" This question is important because it forces readers to think about what humans would actually need. It is not as simple as the recipe to a pie or knowing how to do multiplication. He also asks, "who has any real understanding of where their last meal came from or how the objects in their pockets were dug out of the earth and transformed into useful materials?" By asking these questions, Dartnell is clearly sharing his purpose. In order to convince the audience to agree with that purpose, he includes a quote stated by Richard Feynman, a famous physicist. Feynman is not stupid, and because the quote backs up Dartnell's stance, it helps his argument overall. This article was very interesting in my opinion, and it accomplished the purpose of making me think about all that goes into society. It also effectively touched on what is most important in civilizations, which is important to know if the I ever have to rebuild society.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/civilizations-starter-kit.html?ref=opinion