ABSTRACT
Throughout the last 120 centuries of human history, a mere handful of civilizations have emerged to dominate the social order and to define the human condition in the world (Figure 20. 1). These unique cultures generally emerged as a result of certain converging societal parameters which included evolving politics, religion, social order, or major military/scientific paradigm shifts. Historical patterns will show, however, that the ultimate magnitude and duration of the civilizations were inextricably connected to their investment in certain key emerging technologies. These broad technologies not only underpinned these cultures but also defined the cutting edge of human knowledge at that time in history. These advancements are referred to as technology ages or periods (Figure 20.1).
