We live dizzying times, of continuous innovations and technological changes that influence the lives of billions of people who live in networks even if they sometimes ignore it, and do not know that a decision made thousands of kilometers can affect for good or for bad their lives.
One, two, three, the Internet arrived!
This process began with the first industrial revolution, which took place at the end of the 18th century with the development of the textile industry and the appearance of the steam engine.
These machines generated prosperity, favored and, thanks to the railroad, shortened the distances, but also stimulated the exodus from the countryside to the cities and the formation of large areas of misery.
The second industrial revolution took place at the beginning of the 20th century and had as its main protagonist and symbol to Henry Ford, promoter of mass production, where appropriate with the famous model T.
This second revolution promoted long-term improvements in living conditions almost everywhere in the world, but it also generated great social conflicts and between nations, being one of the causes of the two world wars of the twentieth century.
The third revolution began to take shape during the second half of the last century and is result mainly-although not exclusively-of three great technical advances: computer science, robotics and internet.
How could this" third wave "affect you?
In fact, it is already affecting us: presence of computers or computers in our vehicles, telephones and some domestic appliances (refrigerators that warn you that missing products, lights and heating that are regulated according to users, pioneers of the next “smart” house), the daily use of GPS, and the Mass transit movement in cities managed by computers.
Internet, on the other hand, in addition to significantly modifying our personal relationships, has created a new type of independent worker, who can perform their activities from home or anywhere that has WiFi.
Robotization began in the seventies and eighties and, as always, one of the pioneer industries was the automotive industry, which in the United States led to the mass dismissal of workers Although it wouldn't have to be like that. Nissan , for example, within a period of In ten years, I automate its factory in Sunderland, England, increasing its production by 70% and without firing a single worker, although this is not usually the rule.
Industries 4.0
Currently, countries such as Germany, China and the United States are developing plans for what has been called “industries 4.0”, which consists in using the different internet applications both in the products and in the production processes.The products will carry sensors that They will inform both the client and the distributor of their performance, through microcomputers that would work in a network.
Imagine mattresses that conform to their owners, pipes or wiring that warn of failures, equipment that reports their conditions, or the condition of their users.
We are not talking about science fiction.In the medical industry A pacemaker has already been developed that informs the holder about its operation, and that can be regulated by the doctor from his office.
These equipment can provide information to other equipment (in English M2M," Machine to Machine ") and will allow to correct errors and improve the quality of products.
One possible way it could affect you is that it might become a threat to your privacy, or another good subject for science fiction movies that plays with machine rebellion.
In any case, it is something that is here to stay.It is up to us to learn to live in the best possible way.What do you think?
Images: UrPic2 , Maria Reyes-McDavis , Mike Licht , Saginaw Future Inc., Jon's pics , kuknauf , Reyhan Dhuny
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