WAVES OF

TECHNOLOGY
• The development of certain technologies
throughout human history has had such a
profound impact that it has altered
people's way of life. And it takes ages for
them to wear off. Waves end and begin
when new realities present new demands.
Agricultural
Revolution
• Time: The Agricultural Revolution
occurred around 10,000 years ago
(around 8000 BC), marking a shift from
nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to
settled agricultural communities.
Main Activities
During this period, the main activities included
hunting, gathering, and foraging, which shifted to
complement agriculture as it became more
central to food production.
 Technology
Technological advancements primarily consisted
of hand tools and simple mechanical devices
powered by human muscle, which improved
agricultural practices.
 Valuables
Valuables included physical strength for labor,
access to land for food production, age and
experience for passing down knowledge,
shaping early societies.
 Taxation
Taxation involved paying a portion of crops or
yield to local strongmen in exchange for
protection and resources, supporting their
rule and community endeavors.
 Production
People were “prosumers,” consuming what
they produced, and communities comprised
versatile generalists capable of various tasks,
ensuring self-sufficiency and adaptability.
 Medium of
Exchange
The primary medium of exchange was barter,
where goods and services were directly
traded, though it faced challenges leading to
eventual transition to currency.
 Information
Information was transmitted through verbal
narratives, preserving cultural practices and
knowledge through storytelling and oral
tradition.
 Transition
The transition involved a shift from nomadic
to settled agricultural communities, resulting
in conflicts over land and water sources,
alongside increased demand for more
efficient farming tools.
 Industrial
Revolution • This process began in Britain in the 1650 to
1750 (300 years ago) until 1914 and from
there spread to other parts of the world.
• The Industrial Revolution changed human life
drastically
• New energy sources were developed to
power the new machinery – water, steam,
electricity, oil (gas, kerosene)
• Increased use of metals and minerals
 Production
People either become consumer or
producer (specialists)

Transportation
i.Ships improved
ii.Wooden ships → Iron ships → Steel ships
iii.Wind-powered sails → Steam-powered
boilers
iv.Trains
v.Automobiles
 Communication Improved
i.Telegraph
ii.Telephone
iii.Radio

Medium of Exchange
No more barter, but cash money
 Information
Analog info; information was stored in
analog media, including books,
photographs, and audio recordings.

Transition
• Need for information increased, particularly Result: automated manufacturing leading to loss
military data. of manual jobs and closure of industries that
could not sustain cost of manual labor
• Mental power becomes more valuable than
muscle power
 Digital
Revolution
• Analogous to the Agricultural Revolution
and Industrial Revolution, the Digital
Revolution marked the beginning of the
Information Age.

• The digital revolution converted technology

that previously was analog into a digital
format
Digital Revolution

•3G phones, whose social penetration grew exponentially

in the 2000s, also played a very large role in the digital
revolution as they simultaneously provide ubiquitous
entertainment, communications, and online connectivity.
 Production
Mass customized for individual tastes
(direct interaction)

Medium of
Exchange
Credit card instead of money
 Information
Digital info; telephone network,
computers, internet, mobile phones

Transition
Fossil fuel supply is declining. Fossil-fuel based
industrial activities are destroying the
environment. There is a demand for innovative
ways to solve multiple problems brought by
technology itself.
Long Waves

•The agricultural, industrial and information waves are considered long

waves.
•The time as to when the waves start or end is not absolute.
•The waves overlap during transitions and the progress in one help the
next one grow within one economic environment.
 Fourth Industrial
Revolution
•The nations of the world are in various waves as well.
Some countries are about to embark on the next
wave, which they refer to as the Fourth Industrial
Revolution.

•A new era starting in the 21st century when digital,

biological and physical innovations converge. It is the
age of nanotechnology, 3-D printing and bio-
engineering.
 How do we know that we are
transitioning to a new wave?

According to Šmihula, the demand for innovations to develop is typically

increased by economic crisis and technological standstill. When does one
period end and the other begin, however, is not actually definite. Countries
are progressing through the waves on their own pace and not altogether.
Summary
1.After the hunting-gathering era, humans began to form villages and engaged in farming
during the First Wave or the Agricultural Revolution up until a time when resources were
limited and improved technologies were required to boost production.

2.The Second Wave, a new era of mass production, began. While the printing press's
development at that time significantly enhanced the way information was recorded and
disseminated, it eventually proved insufficient in the face of new demands to gather more
information to advance not only manufacturing processes.

3.The third wave's development of the telephone had the greatest impact on world
history. There are overlaps and events in earlier waves help propel the next.