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Are there more than 25 General purpose technologies? (x.com)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Chrononaut@futurology.today to c/futurology@futurology.today
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I am reading The New Wave, the last book from Microsoft AI CEO Suleyman. He mentioned that a massive study pegged down the General Purpose Technologies to be only 24 in the last 10000 years (so fire is not included for example), but I can’t find the study. Does anybody know the study? This is the list btw:

Domestication of plants Domestication of animals Smelting of ore Money Wheel Writing Bronze Iron Water wheel Three-masted sailing ship Printing Factory system Steam Engine Railways Steamship Internal combustion engine Electricity Automobile Airplane Mass production Computer Lean production Internet Biotechnology

EDIT: I found the source https://www.amazon.com/Economic-Transformations-General-Purpose-Technologies/dp/019929089X

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[-] Espiritdescali@futurology.today 4 points 1 month ago

For those that don't want to click the X link:

General purpose technologies are the closest thing we have to magic.

Each has given us more with less - and propelled civilization forward. Check out this list of 24 over the last 10,000 years

  • Domestication of plants
  • Domestication of animals
  • Smelting of ore
  • Money
  • Wheel
  • Writing
  • Bronze
  • Iron
  • Water wheel
  • Three-masted sailing ship
  • Printing
  • Factory system
  • Steam Engine
  • Railways
  • Steamship
  • Internal combustion engine
  • Electricity
  • Automobile
  • Airplane
  • Mass production
  • Computer
  • Lean production
  • Internet
  • Biotechnology

AND we have AI, the ultimate meta-technology...

the real question is how many further general-purpose technologies it can unlock in turn.

this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024
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