That seems a very subjective standard. Personally I find modern computer power a lot more impressive than any dang highway, however cheap. The Romans had highways. And before you accuse me of cherry-picking, they had steam engines too, and railroads. Drawn by elephants because it didn’t occur to anyone to make a steam engine do it.
Yes, it is difficult to make these comparisons, but let me try. Most of Silas’s examples were telecommunications. I think the incremental improvements in telegraphs 1850-1900 trump computers in changing the world. The incremental improvements in radio and telephones 1900-1950 probably don’t. I don’t expect to convince you of those comparisons, but they are swamped by a lot of other things 1850-1950, in contrast to practically nothing else 1950-2000.
I’m not sure what your point is about the Romans. I guess by the standards of “fundamental breakthroughs” steam engines get credited to them, but by Silas’s standard, they largely get credited to the first half of the 19th century. Railroads to the second half, and that’s what I’m talking about.
Honestly, I’m astounded. I agree that 1950-2000 has nothing comparable to telecommunications, while 1850-1900 and 1900-1950 did, but I think its obvious that telecommunications/computation effects from 1950-2000 swamp 1900-1950 which crushingly swamps 1850-1900. A tiny number of telegraph lines surely had very great impact given what they were, but WTF?!? Also, it seems to me that the telecommunications of 1900-1950 remain the single biggest element of tech change during that time for all the impact of everything else.
A major question regarding the rate of change is “for whom”. Things have changed less for elites than for the masses, as much tech consists of inferior goods, substitutes for things that elites accomplished via human labor or via the ability to pay high rents. For a Chinese commoner, things have changed more in the last 40 years than since the first cities. For ordinary non-intellectual Americans, the last 40 years have seen little significant change and what change has happened may actually be dominated by the improvement in food quality!
Yes, it is difficult to make these comparisons, but let me try. Most of Silas’s examples were telecommunications. I think the incremental improvements in telegraphs 1850-1900 trump computers in changing the world. The incremental improvements in radio and telephones 1900-1950 probably don’t. I don’t expect to convince you of those comparisons, but they are swamped by a lot of other things 1850-1950, in contrast to practically nothing else 1950-2000.
I’m not sure what your point is about the Romans. I guess by the standards of “fundamental breakthroughs” steam engines get credited to them, but by Silas’s standard, they largely get credited to the first half of the 19th century. Railroads to the second half, and that’s what I’m talking about.
Honestly, I’m astounded. I agree that 1950-2000 has nothing comparable to telecommunications, while 1850-1900 and 1900-1950 did, but I think its obvious that telecommunications/computation effects from 1950-2000 swamp 1900-1950 which crushingly swamps 1850-1900. A tiny number of telegraph lines surely had very great impact given what they were, but WTF?!?
Also, it seems to me that the telecommunications of 1900-1950 remain the single biggest element of tech change during that time for all the impact of everything else.
A major question regarding the rate of change is “for whom”. Things have changed less for elites than for the masses, as much tech consists of inferior goods, substitutes for things that elites accomplished via human labor or via the ability to pay high rents. For a Chinese commoner, things have changed more in the last 40 years than since the first cities. For ordinary non-intellectual Americans, the last 40 years have seen little significant change and what change has happened may actually be dominated by the improvement in food quality!
“Changing the world” seems like a rather poorly quantified metric.
It’s hard to disagree with you when it’s not very clear what you are saying.