BusinessWeek has an article and slideshow featuring a list of what the author estimates to be the 15 historical innovations that have created the greatest improvements to human life. Not all the innovations are technological or scientific - some are financial, politcal, and legal.
Rather than debate the candidates or the ranking, what leapt out at me is something that most people overlook, but something I have nearly made the primary theme of this blog :
Notice that of the 15 innovations, 11-12 emerged in the last 200 years, and only achieved wide participation/ownership in the last 60-80 years. The 5000 years preceding the 19th century had only 3-4 of these 15 innovations reach maturity. Even a major dispute with the list will inevitably lead to a different list that is similarly weighted very heavily to the recent past.
Accelerating change is visible in this list, even if the concept is not mentioned (if noticed at all) by the author. This also tells us that the next 30 years will have several new innovations disruptive enough to earn a place on such a list.
What will the next great innovations be, under this methodology? I think nanotechnology is one, and virtual reality is another that could make this list by 2020. Time will tell, but the most important thing to internalize is that the interval between each major transformative leap continues to shorten.
Hello,
If you do not mind, could you add your blog to www.feedblitz.com ???
This will make it possible for me to subscribe easily to ur interesting blog.
Thank you,
Robert
Posted by: Robert | February 22, 2007 at 08:59 AM
It seems their first version failed to mention that zero was invented in India. Their revised version mentions that Hindus in India "were the first to embrace and actively use" zero. But fails to mentions that Indians invented the damned thing. And a lot earlier than the Babylonians and Ptolemy.
Posted by: Tushar D | February 22, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Robert,
Done. Let me know if it works.
Posted by: GK | February 22, 2007 at 07:32 PM
One very powerful idea which hasn't been understood by more than a few geeks is "open source".
It is a powerful new concept which builds on the fact the digital technology makes the transmission/reproduction of ideas essentially so cheap that we can treat them as free. Typically shared resources suffer from the tragedy of the commons, in that they get used up, worn out, and/or over used to the point of uselessness. But the digital world allows for a shared resource (software or content) to be replicated infinitely without any of the problems experienced in the physical world. Now we have the benefits of collaboration without the tragedy of the commons.
I predict this will have powerful effects on society. In essence open source becomes a huge new pool of capital that will drastically lower the bar for new ventures and existing companies.
For example, consider the comparative costs of these old verses new pairs:
* blogs/newspapers
* Youtube/TV station
* University/internet courses
* LexusNexus/ google search
* USPS / email
Posted by: | February 24, 2007 at 06:42 PM
To skip railroads?...
Heat engines?...
Mass production?...
NOT a serious or informed analysis.
Trite.
Posted by: blert | February 27, 2007 at 09:09 PM