14 February 2014

Welcome to the Age of Demystification

14 February 2014

This blog is going to attempt to connect the Industrial Revolution to the Technological Age. I wanted to research the changing dynamics of our current economic times as it is clear that the old fundamentals which got us here are not going to be able to get us into the next century. This is evidenced by how much social media has taken control of our society in North America and around the world. Facebook and Twitter would not have survived 50 years ago mainly because information was controlled by the ruling class and since knowledge is power the way to maintain control of the population was through the careful dissemination of information from the right party at the right time. Today if you have a smart phone and Google then you are a genius. The speed in which we can access information has moved our world ahead in leaps and bounds.

The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power. Harvard University calls itself “the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States” and this claim is rarely challenged. Before the 1900’s there was not much by the way of formal education, however, with the growth of industries came the need for skilled workers who were trained to do specific jobs once they graduated school. It began in Great Britain and within a few decades had spread to Western Europe and the United States. Today things are just a bit different.

Globalization which 20 years was just a buzz word today has become standard business practice. “Can we get this done cheaper if we outsourced it?” This has become the new reality on a global scale and while it is great for developing countries and emerging markets it wreaks havoc on established markets as it dismantles companies from the bottom up. Simplest example I can think of is the auto industry this is exactly what is happening to almost every other industry in the world and the only answer that seems to be constant is to be innovative and “lean in”. Today through technology we have information at our finger tips all the time. Everyone can access information which just 40 years ago was just for a select few to make use of.

Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of others, but may also be auto didactic. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.

The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in history; almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. In particular, average income and population began to exhibit unprecedented sustained growth. We are now entering the Technological Age. Different industry, however, the same rules such as a much faster rate of development and change on a global scale.

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
― Mark Twain

“Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.”
― G.K. Chesterton