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
  • @Decq
    link
    31 day ago

    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