Historical Perspective on Technological Progress

Throughout history, technological progress has been characterized by a series of

transformative breakthroughs and innovations that have reshaped societies and propelled human
civilization forward. From ancient times to the present day, humanity has continuously sought
ways to overcome challenges, improve efficiency, and enhance quality of life through the
application of technology.
One of the earliest examples of technological innovation can be found in the agricultural
revolution, which occurred around 10,000 years ago. This period marked the transition from
nomadic hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities, enabling humans to
produce food more efficiently and sustain larger populations.
The subsequent centuries saw advancements in various fields, including transportation,
communication, and manufacturing. The invention of the wheel, around 3500 BCE,
revolutionized transportation and trade, allowing goods and ideas to be exchanged over longer
distances. The development of writing systems, such as cuneiform in Mesopotamia and
hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt, facilitated record-keeping, administration, and the spread of
knowledge.
However, it was during the Industrial Revolution, known as Industrial revolution 1.0,
which began in the late 18th century, that technological progress accelerated dramatically. The
harnessing of steam power, the invention of the spinning jenny and power loom in textiles, and
the mechanization of agriculture transformed economies and societies. Factories emerged as
centers of production, and urbanization accelerated as people migrated from rural areas to cities
in search of employment.
The 20th century witnessed even more rapid advancements in technology, particularly in
the fields of transportation, communication, and computing. The invention of the automobile
revolutionized personal transportation, while the development of the airplane enabled faster and
more efficient travel over long distances. The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham
Bell and the subsequent expansion of telecommunications networks connected people across the
globe, shrinking the world and facilitating the exchange of information.
The latter half of the 20th century saw the rise of the digital age, characterized by the
invention of the transistor, the development of integrated circuits, and the advent of the personal
computer. These breakthroughs laid the groundwork for the Information Age, marked by the
proliferation of the internet, mobile devices, and digital technologies. The digital revolution has
transformed virtually every aspect of modern life, from communication and entertainment to
commerce and healthcare.
Today we are observing the development of Industrial revolution 4.0 which is developed around
the paradigm of replacing the human work with automatic systems. This revolution can provide
various economic benefits for businesses and firms. It is a relatively new trend that is still
developing and people have established already the main resources and instruments that are
creating the revolution.[1]
 Figure 1. List and definitions of various 4.0 industry technology
In order to highlight the frequency of innovations across the time Bunch and Alexander
Hellemans, a science and technology writers and editors, have put on a timeline 8,583 most
significant advancements in science and technology since Dark ages till 2005 when their work
have been published.[2]
Figure 2. Rate of innovation since the end of the Dark Ages. Points are an average over 10
years with the last point covering period from 1990 to 1999. The smooth curve is least
squares fit of a modified Gaussian distribution to the data.
As we see this graph constructs a Gaussian distribution, where the number of new
technological advancements is in decline even if we still have a positive rate. The peak decades
are places between 1840-1905. Since then, we are pushing against multiple limits, whatever their
origins are. This is why industry 4.0 can be treated as a result of inertial force remained after the
technological boom of 20th century and another one can be seen only after few decades.

References:
[1] Cowen, Tyler and Southwood, Ben, Is the Rate of Scientific Progress Slowing Down?
(August 5, 2019). GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 21-13, Available at
SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3822691 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3822691
[2] Chunguang Bai, Patrick Dallasega, Guido Orzes, Joseph Sarkis,Industry 4.0 technologies
assessment: A sustainability perspective,International Journal of Production Economics,Volume
229,2020