Human ingenuity and the ability to create has often been seen as the cornerstone to a civilized society. It is the key concept which, throughout history, has separated us from all other species on earth. Why has humanity succeeded thus far? What truly separates us from every other species?
The answer lies in the question; but which question? I always strive to learn and understand something new each day. Upon watching and reading a lecture by renowned Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku, he spoke about a story of how Isaac Newton discovered gravity. His story talks about a single question which he believes drove Isaac Newton to discover gravity and the laws of physics as we know them today. Michio Kaku says that when Newton noticed the apple fall to the ground, he picked up the apple and looked up into the sky and asked, "Does the moon also fall?" This question, along with all others in history, have sparked the fire of technology and human evolution that we are experiencing today.
It seems incredible that everything that is here today in terms of technology is here because of a simple question. That is the beauty of human ingenuity. This is human curiosity in its simplest form. Daring to ask why something occurs instead of just accepting its existence is truly remarkable. Isaac Newton was only 23 when he discovered the laws of gravity and calculus. Newton invented calculus for only one reason; to determine if the moon also falls. This question sparked the creation of all technology that we take for granted today, however, similar questions have been asked by others as well.
Culture has been a byproduct of human existence since the dawn of mankind. However only recently have there been such a large number of humans populating a certain area at a time. During the beginning of the industrial revolution human beings finally began to populate and live within such a small proximity of each other. This only reinforced the common belief of an elite and poor class in society. Karl Marx questioned why this was happening. Marx lived during the birth of the industrial revolution. He saw the inequality of the social class and decided to figure out why it occurred. Marx's conflict theory of social class was huge in the advancement of sociology as a whole today. He speaks of a poor and rich class which is driven solely by the economy, which forms all other parts of culture around it. This line of thinking had never been seen before and lives on in forms today. The Scandinavian countries all practice Democratic Socialism in their government, which is a real life practice of the socialism Marx talked about in theory.
So what is this grand question; the question which drives the motor of the world? The truth is, there is not but one question, any and all questions matter because any and all have the potential to change humanity forever. The advancement of technology, culture, and human evolution has always been driven by the questions and hard work of the few in order to be enjoyed by the many.
