Will we Supplant the Steam Engine?
Please follow the link and respond to the poll at the end of the post after reading the context below.
To transform is to make a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance, or character. Society has transformed several times, but what was the most transformative period in all of history? The folks at MIT set out to answer that question. Through their research and analysis, they determined that the invention of the steam engine ushered in the most transformative period in history. This visual is part of MIT’s initiative on the digital economy and shows the impact of the steam engine on social development:
Over two centuries later, we are likely on the verge of supplanting that transformative period. Unlike the industrial revolutions, when a period of stabilization allowed companies to retrench and exploit the disruptors of the day, this coming period promises no such period. Several key drivers have positioned the next several decades to deliver a staggering — perhaps unprecedented — amount of change. That leads to a question regarding the intensity of the coming transformative period. Please take the poll and add your voice to the discussion.
Originally published at frankdiana.wordpress.com on January 26, 2015.
