Shock of the New was both interesting and informative. Firstly, I like the way it started out. “The world has changed less since the time of Jesus Christ than it has in the last thirty years.” The chapter clearly states that “only very exceptional sights, like a rocket launch, can give us anything resembling the emotion with which our ancestors in the 1880s contemplated heavy machinery.” The changes during that time, whether it was machinery or the development in art were unheard of before, they were foreign concepts. However, our generation is used to change, so even if something new comes out, it’s not such a big deal for us.

It seems like everything has been done already. Shock of the New mentions numerous inventions that were life-changing and some changes that brought a new meaning to art. So, is there still opportunity for huge change and evolvement or are we so jaded when it comes to new ideas that there can be no such thing anymore as a “shock of the new”?