Curio Lists
5 Revolutions That Will Change the World
The world is changing so quickly it's almost impossible to keep up with it. Over the past 200 to 300 years mankind has completely changed the environment, how we survive, and how we interact with each other. The advances in technology, medicine, and science of the past 200 years brought humanity to a new level of sophistication.
How does one change the world? It begins with small things. A simple decision to do something differently. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a small mechanical box tha made it easier to separate cotton fibers from seeds. If he had not done that, slavery might not have become so economically important in the United States. But because of the cotton gin, northern textile mills were able to compete with British textile mills that relied on wool.
Many other small innovations also brought about change, even revolution, over time. The invention of the steam engine in the 1700s - first used to extract water from mines - eventually led to steamboats, railroads, and great ocean liners. Even warships relied on steam power for many years.
This article on Club Clipper, titled "Revolutions in Business, Travel, and Hospitality", recaps the history of some of the small innovations that changed the world. People set out to build a small business, thinking only that they have a new idea. But their ideas change entire industries.
But what happens to the companies that use older technology? They often go out of business. Or they are bought by new companies that slowly retire their products. Henry Ford bought a carriage manufacturer to produce bench seats for his automobiles. This article on Forbes, titled "Why Industry 4.0 Is The Next Revolution In Business", explains how modern companies can evolve by quickly adapting new technologies. Old factories don't have to close forever. They can retool and participate in the next phase of industrial technology.
The hospitality industry is one of the most ancient trades known to man. Thousands of years ago travelers across Asia stayed in caravanserais - basically desert inns. The traditional European inn traces its roots to Greek and Roman way stations. And modern hotel chains were founded by entrepreneurs who followed the railroads. This article on Social Hospitality, titled, "Hospitality 4.0: What It Is and Why You Should Embrace It", projects where the hospitality industry will go next. Experts believe that personal service will soon be provided by robots and computers, and hotel guests may never see a human employee of a hotel again.
The field of medicine experiences sudden advances in science and technology every few generations. Things weren't always so quick to change. The ancient Egyptians had the first known doctors, and they may have found effective treatments for diseases that trouble mankind today. Hippocrates is considered the father of modern medicine, but truth be told doctors were not very safe for over 2,000 years. It wasn't until doctors began practicing good hygiene in the 1800s and learned to use anesthetics that modern medicine truly began to take shape.
This article from Health Catalyst, titled "The Rising Healthcare Revolution: The Future Is Already Here", explains how medicine is once again evolving. Doctors and scientists are collecting and using data to study diseases and find effective drugs and treatments. Experts now hope we'll soon find cures or vaccines for cancer, HIV, and other deadly diseases.
Shipping and delivering the goods and raw materials that modern civilization needs is as important as manufacturing. The logistics industry has evolved into a full-fledged technological field, utilizing computers and robots to plan and control the shipment, warehousing, and delivery of everything society needs to function. This article from D.C. Velocity, titled "The new revolution in logistics: robotic intelligence and 3D vision", explains how technology is turning warehouses and logistics planning into an advanced science.
We don't know where the world will pivot next. Maybe augmented reality - the technology that combines computer imagery with eyeglasses - will turn our world into a cyberscape of vast complexity. Maybe we'll see our friends and family right beside us even though they are thousands of miles away. Or perhaps space travel will become so inexpensive and safe over the next 20 years that millions of people will migrate from the Earth to the Moon, Mars, the asteroids, Venus, and space habitats orbiting the sun.
We can be sure that the future holds exciting promise. And there will be unforeseen innovations that allow future generations to leave behind the quaint habits we see as vital to managing modern life.