IndexIntroductionTechnologies in Fahrenheit 451Headphones and EarphonesTelevisionFingerprint RecognitionBlood TransfusionSurveillance TechnologyConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionSociety's use of technology has a substantial effect on the world. The theme of technology is a major theme that is shown in several well-known works, including Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury's once shunned and now famous book, Fahrenheit 451, is set in a dystopian future where satirical plot twists by Bradbury suggest to readers the dangers of the world. future. The book foreshadows consequences that may occur in the future due to the gradual accumulation of problems in the world. This fact makes Fahrenheit 451 a perfect repository of themes. One of these themes revolves heavily around the topic of technology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Technologies in Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury in 1953. The book talks about banning books in the future, so that the government has to better control society. In the 1950s their technologies were limited compared to what we invented today. However, Bradbury had a vast imagination. He created technologies in Fahrenheit that we use now and he created technologies that even we don't have today in 2014. Bradbury uses similar technologies in headphones and earphones, Skype, blood transfusions, fingerprint recognition and even government technology used for surveillance of the of technology by the nation. Headphones and Earphones In Fahrenheit 451, there is a strong indication of earphones being used by many different people. Mildred uses what's called a Seashell Radio when she goes to sleep. It is described as an earphone that plays electronic wave sounds so you can sleep more easily. This reminded me of one of those machines that makes sounds to help someone fall asleep. Mildred had hers in the form of earphones they called clamshell radios. A second use of the in-ear technology used is what they called the Green Bullet. The green bullet allowed Montag and the old man to listen and “analyze the world of firefighters” (Bradbury 72). This spying tactic can be considered improper access. Improper access is defined by Yang as “data about individuals [that are] readily available to persons not properly authorized to view or work with this data” (Holster, 2014). Due to Montag's change in character, he is seen as a person who is not allowed to know why firefighters do the work they do. Mildred's clamshell radio is very similar to the wireless headphones we have today. Headphones were originally invented in the early 1900s and were only sold in over-the-ear versions. Keep in mind that the book was written in 1953. In 2001, in-ear headphones came into play. In 2012, wireless headphones were invented. Compared to the types of headphones that existed in the early 1900s, headphones developed today are more advanced and come in different styles and brands. Comparing Mildred's headphones to today's headphones, it's clear that the two devices are more or less the same. Mildred's, however, appear to be used only as a sleep aid. Today, headphones are used to aid sleep, as well as for listening to music and even talking on the phone. After looking deeper into the invention of in-ear devices and Bluetooth devices, it turned out that they invented Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones are an in-ear device that connects boththe earphones together via a piece of wire or plastic that fits over your ear and wraps around the back of your head. Montag's Green Bullet is also similar to Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless communication device invented in 1994. The Bluetooth device has a part inserted into the ear. Montag and the old man use this Bluetooth device to spy on firefighters. Montag and the old man began to question the firefighters' motives and sparked curiosity about the books and what they contain. The onset of the arms race caused great distrust and anxiety among Americans. According to Cullip, a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, “the Soviet Union succeeded in testing its own atomic device, which created mass suspicion in the United States.” This underlying fear inspired Bradbury to create a device for Montag and the old man to keep an eye on the firefighters. The firefighters, in this case, represent the Soviet Union and the fear they instilled among Americans. The firefighters instill a sense of fear among all the book-loving citizens of this city. Thus, they exhibit a matrix of domination “which means that the particular configuration of race, class, and gender relations in society is such that together they establish an interconnected system of domination” (Holster, 2014). Television One government tactic to keep people away from books is the intricate use of television. In Montag and Mildred's living room, they have a television with what Bradbury calls a Spot-Wavex scrambler. Essentially what the Spot-Wavex scrambler does is allow the TV announcer to respond to the person watching. This makes television viewing more personal and helps keep people interested in TV rather than allowing their minds to become curious about books. This piece of technology reminded me of an application we now call Skype. Skype is the brand name of a technological invention that allows people to communicate through a screen very similar to the Spot-Wavex scrambler. Although Skype is primarily used via computers, there are televisions that support Skype. Skype was invented in 2003, 50 years after the book was written. The video chat idea has notable improvements over Bradbury's initial creation. In Bradbury's version, he only allows one-on-one contact through the screen. With companies like Skype, there is now a way to add multiple users to a call. Television was a relatively new technology introduced in the early 1950s and “by 1951, 1.5 million televisions were sold in the United States, ten times what they were in 1950” (Cullip). Bradbury was influenced by all the excitement surrounding television. This contributed to his invention of a television that responds to the viewer. Fingerprint Recognition Instead of having a lock and key for his front door, Montag has a glove that he slips his hand into. The glove recognizes his hand and opens the door for him. This is very similar to a technology found in many touch screen objects called fingerprint recognition. Fingerprint recognition allows someone to press their finger or thumb against the screen and the machine will recognize the fingerprint. This technological advancement can be found on iPhones and some computers and tablets. For many, fingerprint recognition is considered the most secure method of keeping a device locked and keeping personal information private. Fingerprint recognition was incorporated into devices around the 1960s for FBI use. By the 1980s, the FBI had begun making improvements to thefingerprint recognition technology. Even today, there is no glove that connects to the front doors as a replacement for a lock and key. Bradbury's invention of a glove lock is seen as a strong security technique. This fear of uninsured security stems from the fear and panic that the Soviet Union had created in the 1950s. Blood Transfusion When Mildred accidentally, or so she claims, overdoses on sleeping pills, Montag rushes her to the paramedics who use a machine that removes all the sleeping pills. his blood and replaces it with new blood. This machine is somewhat similar to a blood transfusion or gastric aspiration. Blood transfusions are defined as the transfer of blood from one individual to another in the event of excessive blood loss following surgery or serious injury, while gastric aspiration is a process that empties the contents of the stomach and is designed to remove toxins from the stomach in the event of a suicide attempt due to a pill overdose like Mildred's. Blood transfusion was invented around 1760. However, it is currently not possible for doctors and paramedics to remove all of someone's blood and replace it with completely new blood. Blood transfusions only add more blood to the body instead of removing it all and replacing it. Bradbury's machine idea is much better than a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions carry risks. Blood donated to a patient may be rejected by the body. With Bradbury's idea, the body is washed away all the blood and then completely replaced. This method eliminates the risk of blood rejection. However, in Bradbury's Fahrenheit world, there is a strong sense of technological rationality. Technological rationality is defined as the idea that “all problems are seen as manageable with technical solutions” (Holster, 2014). It seems that medically, environmentally, socially, and politically, all the problems within Fahrenheit 451 can be solved by technology. Surveillance Technology The Mastiff is a very large robotic dog that firefighters use to locate books hidden in residents' homes. To date, the US government does not have a bloodhound. However, the government has the technology to keep tabs on society's use of technology, especially the Internet. The Internet was not invented until 1962. The Hound symbolizes the government watching people through technology. In the book, the Hound is described as a cold, emotionless machine dedicated solely to finding books to destroy. Bradbury predicts that government surveillance will have a negative impact on society. Bradbury's opinion can be argued on both sides. Constant government surveillance of society's use of the Internet can be seen as an invasion of privacy. Privacy is defined as a spatialized right to solitude or an information right to confidentiality ( Holster, 2014 ). Bradbury feared that constant government surveillance could eventually lead to society being completely dependent on and brainwashed by the government. However, government surveillance of the Internet can be seen as a security precaution, especially in today's world. With the recent attacks in our country by overseas adversary countries, the government has good reasons and good intentions when it comes to overseeing all the technology used by ordinary citizens. The technology used by the government today is better than what Bradbury described in his book. Government technologies in Fahrenheit were used for the destruction of knowledge/