8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

1/6

1

(Name Omitted)

HSci 1714

(Professor Omitted)

6 May 2014

Capture of Tec!o"o#ica" $mpro%eme!ts

Muc to te dismay of i!%e!tors a!d for&ard ti!'ers ma!y ideas fade a&ay i!to

u!recorded istory o%er te years $! order for tese products or processes to stic' arou!d tey

must u!der#o a process ca""ed capture Capture as defi!ed *y +o*ert ,riede" i! is *oo'A

Culture of Improvement is -te mea!s *y &ic a! impro%eme!t *ecomes !ot simp"y a!

epemera" co!ti!#e!t act or product *ut part of a sustai!ed series of ca!#es. (,riede" 4)

Capture i!c"udes te mea!s *y &ic a tec!ica" ca!#e adapts a!d i!te#rates i!to society *ut

a"so o& te !e& tec!o"o#y is used *y peop"e to e/ert po&er /amp"es of capture ca! *e fou!d

i! istorica" readi!#s a!d suc e/amp"es support te idea tat a cu"ture of impro%eme!t e/isted

i! ester! tec!o"o#y

Co!tro" of !e& coi! ma'i!# processes is a mai! topic of "a! M Sta"3s Technological

Innovation and Control at the Medieval Venetian Mint Tis artic"e out"i!es trou*"es &it te

productio! of coi!s i! e!ice a!d te mea!s *y &ic tey &ere so"%ed Tec!o"o#ica"

ad%a!ceme!ts &ere made i! order to so"%e te pro*"em a!d &ere i!te#rated i!to society *y

mea!s of capture Marco Sa!udo &or'ed at te e!etia! mi!t a!d faced te pro*"em of a

difficu"t a!d time5co!sumi!# process used for cutti!# meta"s Sa!udo de%e"oped a !e&

i!!o%ati%e metod i! &ic te meta"s &ere direct"y casted i!to seets rater ta! made i!to

i!#ots te! ammered out (Sta" 10) Sa!udo3s process &as a! impro%eme!t to te e/isti!#

system *ut &ou"d !eed to disp"ay its merits *efore it &ou"d *e a*"e to u!der#o capture Te

8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

2/6

2

metod pro%ed to i!crease !et profit for te mi!t Te efficie!cy of te process "ed to te

adoptio! i!to te mi!t3s system a!d te i!!o%atio! -pro%ed to *e a "o!#5sta!di!# success. (Sta"

10) Capture a"so imp"ies tat te tec!o"o#ica" ad%a!ceme!t u!der#oi!# capture *ecomes a

part of a series of ca!#es $! te case of tis impro%eme!t to mi!ti!# i! e!ice refi!eme!ts of

te process ad to come a*out -*y adusti!# e/isti!# tec!o"o#ies a!d mea!s of co!tro" to a

specific situatio!. (Sta" 11) d%a!ceme!ts *rou#t o! i!c"uded 'eepi!# te meta"s pure a!d

ma'i!# tem ca""e!#i!# to cou!terfeit 8y mai!tai!i!# te security of tis !e& a!d impro%ed

product te mi!t e/ercised co!tro" o%er teir !e& ad%a!ceme!ts 9espite coi!s a%i!# *ee!

arou!d ma!y years *efore tis i!!o%atio! it did ca!#e te sta!dard procedure of coi! creatio!

&ic *ecame *i# part i! a series of ca!#es

Simo! Pepper &rites a*out te issue of sie#e i! is Siege law, siege ritual, and the

symbolism of city walls in Renaissance urope a!d o& ad%a!ceme!ts !eeded to *e made i!

order to protect a#ai!st te pro*"em of sie#e &ic destroyed to&!s 9uri!# sie#e -tere &as

ofte! "itt"e tat officers cou"d do to restrai! so"diers &o ad fou#t teir &ay trou# te

car!a#e of te *reac to rape a!d pi""a#e i! te captured to&! 'i""i!# a!yo!e &o #ot i! te

&ay. (Pepper :77) Sei#e &as a u#e pro*"em a!d ru"es started to *e imp"eme!ted i! order to

re#u"ate it ;e!ie!cy i! %ictory &as ru"ed to *e ustified i! cases suc as a to&! *ei!# occupied

*y te e!emy after a sie#e or o"di!# out u!ti" arti""ery ad *ee! emp"aced a#ai!s it (Pepper

:7

8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

3/6

3

(Pepper :7) Capture is *e#i!!i!# to ta'e effect as tese !e& ru"es *ecome sta!dard i! sie#e

&arfare a!d *e#i! a series of ca!#es i! te sta!dard mode" of tis &arfare urope *e#a! to

de%e"op a preoccupatio! &it i!terpreti!# ;a&s of ar a!d too' it upo! temse"%es to e"p

co!tro" te capture of tese practices Tey *ecame sta!dardi=ed a!d spread Pepper me!tio!s

tat tese poi!ts of sie#e "a& &ere &e"" u!derstood *y $ta"ia!s as &e"" as dista!t po&ers suc as

Ottoma! Tur's (Pepper :

8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

4/6

4

desired to pri!t a 8i*"e Te 1460s a!d 1470s te! *e#a! to see a! asto!isi!# spread of te !e&

tec!o"o#y (,riede" 11

8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

5/6

5

e!compass pate!ts for i!%e!tio! Tese pate!ts ca!#ed te dy!amic of *usi!ess for i!%e!tors

a!d uic'"y *e#a! to u!der#o capture a!d i!te#rate i!to society Te emer#e!ce of a pate!t

system for %arious uses i! "a& a!d eco!omy -mar'ed importa!t a!d perma!e!t ca!#es i! te

%ery co!ceptua"i=atio! of i!%e!tio! a!d impro%eme!t. (,riede" 172) Te #ro&t e/i*ited a!d

te co!ti!ued i!terest i! *ot commo! peop"e a!d #o%er!me!t so&ed a c"ear desire for

impro%eme!t as tese ca!#es pro%ed to *e *e!eficia"

Tese e/amp"es of capture *ot of ideas a!d of i!%e!tio!s e/emp"ify te process as &e""

as support te c"aim tat ester! society ad a -cu"ture of impro%eme!t. i! te co!te/t of

tec!o"o#ica" i!!o%atio! Areat mi!ds &ou"d %isua"i=e a! impro%eme!t a!d if it &as #ood

e!ou# to e"icit i!terest it &ou"d *e i!te#rated i!to society Te co!ti!ua" success of tese

processes a!d products "ed to te i!creased desire to impro%e tem $deas &ere *ui"t o! i! a

co!sta!t f"urry of desire to create a!d *etter &eter it *e for te #ood of society or for

reco#!itio! Socia" a!d tec!ica" paradi#ms sifted o%er tis time period Tey did !ot o!"y

*ecome defi!i!# for tis istorica" co!te/t *ut tey a"so spread to oter cu"tures a!d p"ayed a

"ar#e ro"e "eadi!# up to te tec!o"o#ica" prese!t as &e '!o& it e see tese ideas today

*ecause rater ta! fadi!# i!to te past tey &ere captured

8/9/2019 Capture of Technological Improvements

6/6

6

or's Cited

,riede" +o*ert 9A Culture of Improvement" Technology and the #estern Millennium

Cam*rid#e Mass? M$T Press 2007 Pri!t

Pepper Simo! a!d @ames 9 Tracy DSie#e ;a& Sie#e +itua" a!d te Sym*o"ism of City a""

i! +e!aissa!ce uropeD City #alls" the $rban nceinte in %lobal &erspecti%e Ne&

Eor'? Cam*rid#e F!i%ersity Press 2000 :7G5604 Pri!t

Sta" "a! @ea! Aimpe" a!d Marie e!!er DTec!o"o#ica" $!!o%atio! a!d Co!tro" at te

Medie%a" e!etia! Mi!tD Villard's (egacy" Studies in Medieval Technology, Science, and

Art in memory of )ean %impel "dersot Ha!ts !#"a!d? s#ate 2004 1