4.4 Major Technological Advances

Major Technological Advancements

• Automobile 🚗 🚙
  • One of the largest industries in Italy - over 2000 firms, 250,000 employed, 8.5% of Italy's GDP
  • Dominated by the Fiat Group (90% of vehicles)
  • (+++) - convenient, more privacy, spurs other industries, freedom of open road
  • (- - -) - expensive, air + noise pollution, traffic, increase in fossil fuels consumed (⬆️ global warming)
• Airplane 🛫 🛬
  • Contributes to the tourism industry, as people fly by plane to Italy and within Italy, from region to region
  • (+++) - easy, high speed, quick service, no natural deterrents
  • (- - -) - expensive, unreliable, airports take up land space
• Television 📺 📺
  • 2 Main Networks: state-owned RAI and commercial Mediaset
  • TV industry is considered to be overly politicized, and the majority of people find online sources more reliable than television news
  • Similarly to the USA, there are the typical dvd recordings, broadcasts, live performances, classic channels, and streaming networks
  • (+++) - entertainment source, career opportunities, medium of information, facilitates unity and creativity
  • (- - -) - too much vulgarity/violence, linked to some health hazards, affects social interactions
• Vaccinations 💉 💊
  • The Italian government has made 10 vaccines mandatory for children if they wish to enroll in state-owned schools
  • The consensus was that vaccines are important, but the debate is over whether they should be compulsory — the government wants to be proactive, which is supported by Italian scientific societies
  • (+++) - can save children's lives, protect the majority, preserve time + money, has eradicated entire diseases, economic benefits
  • (- - -) - sometimes dangerous effects, not gov choice (goes against people's rights)
• High-speed Trains
  • Trenitalia Frecciarossa
  • First introduced in 2007 and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h
  • It connects major cities such as Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice.

image courtesy of trainline

Italian Inventions

• Jeans👖 newspapers 🗞️ Jacuzzis 🛀🏽, telephone ☎️, radio 📻, battery🔋 piano 🎹 banks 🏦, espresso machine ☕