What Was the Greatest Era for Innovation?

[Locutus]

We’re in the golden age of innovation, an era in which digital technology is transforming the underpinnings of human existence. Or so a techno-optimist might argue.

We’re in a depressing era in which innovation has slowed and living standards are barely rising. That’s what some skeptical economists believe.

The truth is, this isn’t a debate that can be settled objectively. Which was a more important innovation: indoor plumbing, jet air travel or mobile phones? You could argue for any of them, and data can tell plenty of different stories depending on how you look at it.

Productivity statistics or information on inflation-adjusted incomes is helpful, but can’t really tell you whether the advent of air-conditioning or the Internet did more to improve humanity’s quality of life.

We thought a better way to understand the significance of technological change would be to walk through how Americans lived, ate, traveled, and clothed and entertained themselves in 1870, 1920, 1970 and the present. This tour is both inspired by and reliant on Robert J. Gordon’s authoritative examination of innovation through the ages, “The Rise and Fall of American Growth,” published this year. These are portraits of each point in time, culled from Mr. Gordon’s research; you can decide for yourself which era is truly most transformative.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/u...-american-innovation-a-brief-guided-tour.html

 

[Walter]

2016

 

[Blackleaf]

Maybe the European Age of Enlightenment on the 18th Century.

 

[Curious Cdn]

We're working on it.

 

[taxslave]

Maybe the European Age of Enlightenment on the 18th Century.

That in which so many Europeans managed to escape to North America.

 

[Blackleaf]

That in which so many Europeans managed to escape to North America.

Now many was that?

The Age of Enlightenment was when Europeans - those people (743 million of them now) who invented modern civilisation - came up with ideas on authority, democracy, philosophy and science.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Now many was that?

The Age of Enlightenment was when Europeans - those people (743 million of them now) who invented modern civilisation - came up with ideas on authority, democracy, philosophy and science.

Your culture is surprisingly North American, now. Enjoy your coffee. Somewhere in the last few decades you figured out how to make the stuff.

 

[Ludlow]

Who the fluk knows.

 

[darkbeaver]

Now many was that?

The Age of Enlightenment was when Europeans - those people (743 million of them now) who invented modern civilisation - came up with ideas on authority, democracy, philosophy and science.

Will you admit to inventing modern civilization in court? Or will you have to be racked for a bit?

 

[Curious Cdn]

One of my grandfathers, born in 1880 was a great fancier of horses and had a number of them. He used to race his team around so fast that he got in trouble with the law for "Street racing" . He lived to be 94, died in 1974 after watching the moon landings, Skylab, supersonic aircraft at air shows, the massive technological revolution that occurred because of the wars, even the onset and dominance of the automobile, atomic energy. All of this in one life time. There has been lots of change in my lifetime but nothing like that pace. The two world wars drove unprecedented change to the human condition, all around ... every aspect of it.

 

[petros]

If Edison wore tights, would he have had a military title like Cpt Light Bulb?

Origins of the light infantry?

 

[tay]

Every new and clever innovation seems to win the praise of being “the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Have you ever wondered, how long has it actually been since sliced bread was first sliced?


A Brief History of Sliced Bread | Mental Floss

 

[darkbeaver]

It's is an impossible question to answer since we don't know what happened 100 years ago let alone times further back than 1500.
I would say agriculture gunpowder or the wonderful thread forms. But when were they?

Every new and clever innovation seems to win the praise of being “the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Have you ever wondered, how long has it actually been since sliced bread was first sliced?
A Brief History of Sliced Bread | Mental Floss

An interesting question. Bread was made into slices in the beginning and then evolved into loaves eventually requireing the reinvention of the slab or slice.

 

[skookumchuck]

In North America how many native peoples created civilization as we know it now? What was their written language? How many middle Easterners were also responsible? You know, the ones we are giving everything to for free.

 

[Curious Cdn]

In North America how many native peoples created civilization as we know it now? What was their written language? How many middle Easterners were also responsible? You know, the ones we are giving everything to for free.

Well, they left us all of those bizarre religious texts and everything was just peachy, afterwards. We've been SAVED.

 

[darkbeaver]

In North America how many native peoples created civilization as we know it now? What was their written language? How many middle Easterners were also responsible? You know, the ones we are giving everything to for free.

While civilizations may aquire tricks like written languages and concrete it is certainly not a measure of civilization crafty savages invented math and card tricks and booze and writing and concrete. What will civilized humans invent?

 

[Curious Cdn]

While civilizations may aquire tricks like written languages and concrete it is certainly not a measure of civilization crafty savages invented math and card tricks and booze and writing and concrete. What will civilized humans invent?

My own Briton ancestors built a major civilization going right back into the Neolithic age. They left thousands of complex structures behind them (there are 400 known Henges alone. They did not, however, develop a system of writing. That alone tells you that they developed this civilization separate!y from those of the Near East and without much contact with them. They would have snatched up writing if they had. This was a civilization that was a couple of thousand years old when the Ancient Greeks began to develop.

When the Romans invaded, they totally erased that oral history, thousands of years old and systematically murdered the entire caste that apparently was responsible for the continuity of that ancient culture. There is tons of amazing archaeology and now a genetic trace of these (my) people but the rest of it is wild conjecture. There are complex structures built of megaliths (thus requiring serious engineering) that are dating as 6-7000 years old. That is a couple of thousand years older than the pyramids.

 

[darkbeaver]

My own Briton ancestors built a major civilization going right back into the Neolithic age. They left thousands on complex structures behind them ( there are 400 known Henge's alone. They did not, however, develop a system of writing. That alonectelks you that the developed this civilization separate!y from those of the Near East and without much contact with them. They would have snatched up writing if they had.this was a civilization that was a couple of thousand years old when the Ancient Greeks began to develop.

When the Romans invaded, they totally erased that oral history, thousands of years old and systematically murdered the entire caste that apparently was responsible for the continuity of that ancient culture. There is tons of amazing archaeology and now a genetic trace of these (my) people but the rest of it is wild conjecture. There are complex structures built of megaliths (thus requiring serious engineering) that are dating as 6-7000 years old. That is a couple of thousand years older than the pyramids.

I have the same heritage I guess. The Arthurian legends still cling to the land. The lost tribe is thought to have lost itself in Briton by some, with convincing evidence as well, linquistice connection etc, the Welsh are interesting. The british Isles was burned to a crisp at one time by a comet, all the vitrification, I can't remember the exact year I'll will though, later on in the week.

The header for this thread could have been better by asking the reader the question What do you think ,was the whatever.
I ;ll take a stab though. The greatest era thus far was the one where french fries were invented, it's still vwery hard to beat the light bulb, cigarret lighter, wheel nuts, iron nails,countertop hot air popcorn maakers, shoe polish, waste disposaal, chemical imbalance enhancers

The questions scope is imperious

Vitamine fortified beer. Another good idea givin away on the intercobweb.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I have the same heritage I guess. The Arthurian legends still cling to the land. The lost tribe is thought to have lost itself in Briton by some, with convincing evidence as well, linquistice connection etc, the Welsh are interesting. The british Isles was burned to a crisp at one time by a comet, all the vitrification, I can't remember the exact year I'll will though, later on in the week.

The header for this thread could have been better by asking the reader the question What do you think ,was the whatever.
I ;ll take a stab though. The greatest era thus far was the one where french fries were invented, it's still vwery hard to beat the light bulb, cigarret lighter, wheel nuts, iron nails,countertop hot air popcorn maakers, shoe polish, waste disposaal, chemical imbalance enhancers

The questions scope is imperious

Vitamine fortified beer. Another good idea givin away on the intercobweb.

The Arthurian legend dates from well after the destruction of the Briton civilization and is a post-Roman one.
The "lost tribe" nonsense also post-dates a lot of this. The Jewish civilization is only 3,500 years old and dates from the Bronze age. Double that age back and you get to the period when henges were stating to appear. The Lost Tribe would have encountered ruins thousands of years old. Carbon 14 dating has put these structures as being far older than anyone guessed. It also trashes the theory that civilization travelled from the Near East westerly to Britain when the British one is now shown to be clearly older.

The genomes from the north corner of Wales where my grandmother came from are continuous going back 10,000-12,000 years. They are the aboriginal people of Europe and they've been treated like one, too.

 

[darkbeaver]

You got all that from text books commisioned in the XIV centrury bt the Wholely roamin Empire, history books s not reliable, I was really there.

The Arthurian legend dates from well after the destruction of the Briton civilization and is a post-Roman one.
The "lost tribe" nonsense also post-dates a lot of this. The Jewish civilization is only 3,500 years old and dates from the Bronze age. Double that age back and you get to the period when henges were stating to appear. The Lost Tribe would have encountered ruins thousands of years old. Carbon 14 dating has put these structures as being far older than anyone guessed. It also trashes the theory that civilization travelled from the Near East westerly to Britain when the British one is now shown to be clearly older.

The genomes from the north corner of Wales where my grandmother came from are continuous going back 10,000-12,000 years. They are the aboriginal people of Europe and they've been treated like one, too.

And just how is that date plucked out of the past?

There are no fukkin aboriginal genes on this planet, the build at base has been beamed here where the soil would support generation of a civilization bud, lot's of billions of them are planyed every minute very few rise to tax thier bretheren. Thye are usually circumvented by good natural progression. Seeding planets, by EB Eaver, $19.99 EEEEHBAY