We so often presume that thousands of technologies need to change in order for society to change.  And yet our technical advancement may be far less complex.  Man’s technological transformation is tied to a change in the General Purpose Technologies in six sectors.  

• Communication
• Transportation
• Energy 
• Money
• Information
• Materials

Remarkably, each sector has changed but four times throughout our grand history.  Astonishingly, all it took for Man to go from caveman to would be God King is 4 leaps in technology in six sectors.   

Our examination of history reveals the following:  We have lived through 5 paradigms distinct.  To know them is to know our history. 

The Communication Sector:  What was once strictly an oral phenomenon became written text placed on tablets and papers before being turned into digital signals that could travel at the speed of light. 

The Transportation Sector: We once could only use our feet to get anywhere.  We then realized that we could use the legs of beasts such as horses and camels that were much more adept at swiftly traveling longer distances faster.  Eventually, we encased ourselves in materials and built engines that could travel faster than any biological creature.  

The Energy Sector: Human existence was originally powered by food and the calories derived thereof.  We then discovered energy sources that were far more dense, sources such as timber, dung and fossil fuels.

The Money Sector:  1st Man had no use for money since all transactions took place amongst family.  We then turned to barter, IOU’s and commodity currencies.  Paper money was eventually used as a store of information.  Now, digital currencies facilitate global trade.

The Information Sector: Originally, we could only store information in our analog brain.  Eventually, we learned how to store information on materials that could be copied and shared, allowing all of humanity to access individual discovery, taking us to a point in time wherein a leap forward for one meant a leap forward for all.  

Materials:  Natural materials such as wood and mud have given way to materials with distinct building properties which have allowed us to build both larger and smaller items.  

ENERGY AND SPEED:
THE LINES THAT DIVIDE

It is not race or religion or ethnicity but instead it is Paradigms created by General Purpose Technologies that are the true dividing lines between men.  On each side of a paradigm resides a man distinct in his relationship with nature and his fellow man.  New General Purpose Technologies allow Man to access more energy and gadgetry with advanced speed as he moves forward through history.  In fact, Paradigms can be characterized by energy and speed.  

Energy and information are the prime variables of life – see our God Kings series for more details.  Notably, each and every Paradigm contains an exponential gain in both Energy and the speed at which Information can propagate throughout the network.  Additionally, the rate at which we are discovering exponentially magnified sources of energy and information are increasing.  Mankind is not only acquiring more energy and information, but he is doing so at an exponentially faster rate.  He will not only have more in the future, but the future of tomorrow will arrive faster than the future of yesteryear.  

Paradigms are the builders of new civilizations, ones completely distinct from their predecessors.  Change them and you will indeed change everything.    

How amazing is it to see the transformation between one paradigm to another occur throughout our history.  And yet, it is far more intoxicating to know that the next big transformational wave has already begun to take place.

We are standing at the doorstep of Paradigm 6, on the verge of saying hello to Decentralized Man…