Material Culture

Instead of investigating artifacts from the past, I propose investigating artifacts in the present. We are in a privileged position; we can see these artifacts in use. For example, say that scholars in future years find an old iPhone. If we assume they can get it to work, they'll find a phone, an iPod, camera, digital recorder and probaby hundreds of ancient apps. But (we hope) people will have stopped walking and driving around with their hands held up to their ears. Only today, could we see the actual impact of the cellphone. In cities, anyway, an alien visitor would probably assume that all North Americans (research note: check use in rural areas) have at least one hand permanently affixed to their ear. It's really too bad Kurt Vonnegut is dead.