Kimberly Luu

Professor Semih Eser

EGEE101H

15 March 2022

An Epochal Shift

An epochal shift comprises of “times or events that are very important because they

involve new developments and great change” (Epochal). In Smil’s Energy: A Beginner’s Guide,

he mentions how the Industrial Revolution was wrongly used to describe the epochal shift that

“began in Western Europe during the eighteenth century but was only totally accomplished

throughout the entire continent and in North America by the middle of the twentieth” (Smil 54).

The Industrial Revolution is known to be the shift of inventions and manufacturing progress

throughout Europe and the United States and how it spread its influence across the entire world

over a course of a few centuries in phases (Brooks). However, Smil was describing the transition

from “animate to inanimate prime movers” that has led to the developments of today. This didn’t

only include the industrialization of countries, but also the simple machines that came before it.

As Smil mentions in his book, most of our ancestors had to live “relying on their somatic

energy (muscles) and … on their reasoning” (Smil 54). Before we had simple machines that

assisted us in our daily lives, we mainly had to survive by foraging and hunting because there

weren’t any permanent shelters available. To survive, humans had to gather strength and they got

mainly got these from what they ate. Carbohydrates are the main source of human dietary needs

that consists of fiber, starches, and sugars that are turned into glucose, which gives the energy

needed to function (Carbohydrates: Types & Health Benefits.). Before our ancestors had tools to
hunt down large animals for protein, they ingested their nutrients through seeds, nuts and berries,

and fruits. They preferred seeds and nuts to animals for protein because it didn’t take much effort

to harvest the seeds as it did to hunt down a small animal. However, humans found larger

animals to be worth the hunt for their body mass once they were able to procure the weapons and

tools needed to do so (Smil 64).

The discovery of fire changed everything for humanity, and this was the start of the

epochal shift. The first use of fire was recorded to be more than 1.5 million years ago as

historians discovered many traces of campfires across Africa (How did Stone Age Man Make

Fire? - Discovery, Importance & Facts). Fire was used for daily necessities such as temperature

control, preparation of food (by killing bacteria and allowing them to cook), and protection

against wild animals (How did Stone Age Man Make Fire? - Discovery, Importance & Facts).

This sparked “human inventiveness and adaptability”. After about a million years, the first signs

of tools were also found. The oldest bows and arrows are found to be no more than 25,000 years

old and fishing nets are no more than 12,500 years old (Smil 54). In addition, following stone

artifacts, clubs and dowels were carved from wood, and spears and tools were carved from bone

(Smil 54). The discovery of human weapons and tools and fire “magnified the limited capacities

of human muscle,” and showed how human productivity could improve in daily life (Smil 54).

The amount of work being put in was less than before and it yielded more products, so humans

began to evolve as part of the epochal shift.

A prime mover describes any machine that can convert energy into work (Rao). And

before machines took over the world, it was mainly animal muscle that assisted humans in

laborious tasks. Human capabilities were extended when they domesticated large animals for

farming use. They were drafted to pull carts, wagons, and wooden plows - the physically
exhausting aspects of agriculture (Smil 55). However, this changes with the introduction of the

internal combustion engine. Simple machines began to replace daily tasks and animal labor. The

waterwheels were the first example of prime movers as they worked to convert “the power of

flowing water into rotary motion” (Smil 55). This evolved into the invention of windmills and

sailing ships. These contraptions can conserve human energy and produce more work for less

effort. This shift from animal muscle to the reliance on simple prime movers became part of the

epochal shift that manifested humanity. However, there were still some parts around the world

that viewed human and animal muscle as indispensable (Smil 55).

From the discovery of fire to industrialized machines, it is truly a wonder how

humankind has been able to develop itself over 1.5 million years. Through each discovery,

human strength has been less relied on by utilizing contraptions that go beyond human

capabilities. First, humans found more energy in specific diets, before they discovered fire. Fire

allowed humans to contribute more to their diet than just seeds and nuts through means of

cooking and the creation of tools. They equipped these tools on themselves as well as large

animals. Although their labor went beyond human capacity, they find themselves gradually being

replaced by machines and prime movers. Therefore, given time, human strength was able to

build up society as it is now through many phases and transitions that contribute to the epochal

shift.

Works Cited

Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. “Industrial Revolution Timeline.” History of Massachusetts Blog, 13

Sept. 2020, https://historyofmassachusetts.org/industrial-revolution-timeline/.

“Carbohydrates: Types & Health Benefits.” Cleveland Clinic, 8 Feb. 2021,

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates.

“Epochal.” Cambridge English Dictionary,

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/epochal.

"How did Stone Age Man Make Fire? - Discovery, Importance & Facts." Study.com, 9 July

2018, study.com/academy/lesson/how-did-stone-age-man-make-fire-discovery-

importance-facts.html

Rao, Ashok. “Prime Movers.” Wiley Online Library, 22 Apr. 2015,

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119064190.ch6.

Smil, Vaclav. Energy a Beginner's Guide. Oneworld, 2006.