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 human history, 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
I dont know what study it is or how they define general purpose technologies. But i do miss a few world changing discoveries in that list. Like modern medicine/vaccines and radio/telecommunications. Although that last one might fall under electricity? Though I feel like it should be it’s own thing.
It kinda feels like a subjective arbitrary list
I wouldn’t be surprised if this list turned out to be generated by AI.
It’s terrible. 3 mast ships but no boats?
Steam engine turns up 3 times as steam engine, railways, and steam ship.
Mass production isn’t even a technology, it’s a process. Biotechnology is a field not a technology.
