How we transformed production and energy
4 key moments across 3 eras
Britain
Steam power and mechanization. Textiles, iron, steam engines. Factories replaced cottage industry. Cities grew explosively. Nature became raw material.
"Steam turned muscle work into machine work - transforming production and society."
USA & Germany
Electricity, oil, and mass production. Assembly lines, corporations, and scientific management. Taylor and Ford transformed work into measurable tasks.
"Electricity brought power everywhere - and scientific management brought control."
Global
Computers and automation. Digital technology enables information processing at scale. Manufacturing declines in wealthy nations. Service economy rises.
"Computers automated mental routines - beginning the shift from making things to processing information."
Global
AI, IoT, robotics, biotech converge. Physical and digital blur. Machines that learn. Unprecedented automation of cognitive work. Who benefits?
"For the first time, machines can learn - transforming the nature of human value."