Mythology of the Machine. The History of Mechanisms That Both Scare and Enchant Us

Daniel Strassberg examines the relationship between humans and machines through a historical-psychological lens and shows where our modern fears of technology originate. At the dawn of technological development, the soaring deities of ancient theater, the flautist, and Jacques de Vaucanson's duck primarily served to amaze the public.

However, mechanisms inherently provoke a mix of admiration and anxiety in humans; Strassberg refers to these complex emotions as affects. Interesting curiosities of the cabinet of curiosities symbolized that God is an omnipotent creator. 

The invention of the clock mechanism paved the way for a mechanistic understanding of the state and nature.

The steam engine measured the labor of the worker and inspired the prophets of industrial capitalism. But our desire to use technology is met with a fear of divine punishment, an age-old trait of European culture.