Read:
“Zanzibar: the Hundred Days of Revolution” (pgs. 29-51)
Read: "An African Cuba?"
Today we depend on the data provided by the thousands of satellites that circle the earth. The first commercial communications satellite "Telstar" was the pioneer which changed the nature of how we live. Today, we are unable to imagine life without the many services provided by satellites. The sudden opening of international communication was marked in several pop songs at the time. Interestingly, Telstar's unique pattern was mimicked by Adidas when they created the "Telstar" soccer-ball, whose black and white pattern became the standard.
Watch: Telstar Documentary
Listen: Telstar in pop music
"(Help Me) Telstar" by the Gee Sisters
"Telstar" by the Tornadoes
17 comments:
Something that struck me about this week's reading is the participation of other Communist countries we learned about in the Zanzibar revolution. Whether it was China helping train soldiers, Cuban influence and support of the revolution, or USSR making gains from the new established African government, I found it interesting how interconnected and supportive of each other all the different Communist countries were.
I was surprised that the government of Zanzibar really didn't do anything. They just laughed the whole idea off. And it seemed, even if they had acted immediately, there was not a whole lot of force they could have provided. No army, no airforce, no navy. Maybe it they had at least acted a bit earlier, they could have prevented something from happening.
Yeah Marc, I thought that was really interesting too. Communism is always tying to spread itself, it has been a common theme in our readings. And the Communist Manifesto mentions spreading itself quite often.
It seems like Britain didn't make the best decisions regarding their colonies during this time. They lost all their colonies, created rifts between them and us, and made a lot of other people mad at them. Why do you think that they handled these issues so poorly?
I am going to comment of the Telstar thing.
That was so much fun!
It is really amazing what these people did. Even more amazing is how far that technology has come today.
I wonder what those people that made telstar think about how far technology has come?
in response to N8.
Yes that is weird they did not offer up much resistance. It was kinda a coup ready to happen. But the unpreparedness of the government was frightening. Apparently it does not take too much to overthrow a government.
Wow. I've never heard of the Zanzibar Revolution before, and what stood out to me was that Okello had 20,000 killed in a single night :(
Yeah Rob, I agree about Telstar. And I think it's cool how we got the soccer ball design from it!
The personification used in Telstar (Help Me) almost seems like some sort of modern, space age prayer to the "household gods." Just a weird thought.
It was also kind of funny how the Bell Labs-funded Telstar documentary mentioned Bell at every possible opportunity, usually at the exclusion of other, more important players. Gotta get the most bang for your buck!
That Telstar comment above is mine! No idea why it was posted anonymously.
I was surprised I'd never heard of the Zanzibar revolution before, it seems like it was a pretty big event. What stood out to me was how many mistakes the British made. They really upset a lot of people.
Today's headline: scientists launch the first successful commercial communications satellite, the Telstar, into orbit, allowing international communication. In other news, Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the first annoying person to talk on the phone in the movie theater.
Cheers
I think it is so interesting that Telstar influenced so many other factions of society. It completely makes sense, because this was a huge defining moment in the technological advancement of the world. I just often forget, as crazy as it is, that there was a world without satellites an transatlantic communication via television/phone.
I wonder if the Telstar design inspired the Death Star's look? The influence of Telstar on pop music is interesting to note, even claiming its place in the lyrics of the first song. I think Telstar was one decisive step towards a 'smaller' world.
@Mark: Haha! Very good!
On the subject of Telstar, I thought it was fascinating to watch the scientists designing and crafting the satellite. All the components look so complex and intricate, I couldn't help but wonder what purposes they all served.
@Max: Not to get the song stuck in anyone's head, but good point about the 'small world' aspect. I think you're absolutely right; the satellite was a huge step towards "shrinking" distances.
I thought the movie about Telstar was really cool but the music ones were awful. They hurt my ears!
@Max: haha thats an interesting thought about the Death star!
The Telstar satellite thing was weird.. And yet at the same time, it's interesting how back then in the 60s, technology seemed so advanced. The delicate procedures used to create that satellite began approaching the level of electronics and intelligence that we have today.
Concerning the music... Oh man... I'm sorry Mr. Parker, I couldn't bear to listen to the whole selection. Terrible!
Something that really stood out to me was the sometimes unseen help many countrys were giving to different causes.
And i didn't like the music very much! sorry! it was to all-over-the-place.
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