The scientific and technological process of the New Age (hereinafter referred to as the NTP) is a rapid development of technology that began in the 18th century and continues to this day. The importance of technological innovations cannot be overestimated in their impact on European civilization. And on the whole planet.
Industrial Revolution
The first stage of scientific and technical progress is the so-called industrial revolution, which began in England in the middle of the 18th century and continued until the beginning of the 20th century. This stage of scientific and technological progress was characterized mainly by the mechanization of labor, which was previously manual.
British island pioneers
Traditionally, NTP is the brainchild of this particular country. It is here that already from the 1760s the most important changes were achieved in some areas of both light and heavy industry. For example, the invention of the machine for yarn led to the dominance of England in European as well as American fabric markets. The appearance of the first steam engine in this country led to the replacement of the English fleet with ships of a new type - high-speed and ergonomic. This further consolidated the traditional advantage of the English fleet over other Europeans.
Achievements of scientific and technical progress were manifested in
infrastructure development. An example is the emergence of steam locomotives, as a result of which the country was very soon entangled in a whole network of railways that facilitated communication between different regions of the country, trade between them, and so on. Important transformations have occurred in heavy industry. For example, the invention of the
milling machine led to a significant leap in the development of mechanical engineering.
Industrial revolution in Europe
Of course, the first stage of scientific and technical progress is a phenomenon that is characteristic not only for England. In this country, it all began, but very soon progressive trends were adopted on the continent. Here appeared its own giants of light and heavy industry. For example, Germany, still a backward agrarian country in the middle of the 19th century, managed to significantly increase its military and technological potential by the beginning of the 20th century. In some areas - chemical, for example, she even became a leader.
NTP in economics and society
At the same time, these processes were not limited to the technological, commercial and military confrontation of competing states. The results of progress lay much deeper. The development of technology and the transition to machine labor literally destroyed the old agrarian-feudal relations and stimulated the development of bourgeois-capitalist relations based on trade and free competition. Along with the transformations of the economic system, the very nature of society changed: its new classes arose (primarily the workers and the bourgeoisie), the growth of cities accelerated, new socio-economic ideas arose that would significantly transform the world’s face.
The scientific and technological revolution in our everyday life
Today we are all witnesses of the second stage of scientific and technological progress. By
According to researchers, it began around the middle of the 20th century and is expressed in space exploration, mass computerization (the first IBM developments date back to 1940) and the internetization of world space. Moreover, an unprecedented earlier development of technology invariably leads to social transformation. For example, complex automation of the production sector made it possible to free billions of workers for other areas of activity. For the first time in the history of the planet, a significant part of its population is not engaged in the production of food and basic necessities. Knowledge-intensive industries, the field of marketing specializations, and so on, are increasing, leading to the emergence of what we today call a
post -
industrial society.