scholarly journals Rise of the war machines: Charting the evolution of military technologies from the Neolithic to the Industrial Revolution

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258161
Author(s):  
Peter Turchin ◽  
Daniel Hoyer ◽  
Andrey Korotayev ◽  
Nikolay Kradin ◽  
Sergey Nefedov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
State Level ◽  
World Population ◽  
Technological Evolution ◽  
Military Technology ◽  
Horse Riding ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Innovation And Diffusion ◽  
Industrial Societies ◽  
And Diffusion

What have been the causes and consequences of technological evolution in world history? In particular, what propels innovation and diffusion of military technologies, details of which are comparatively well preserved and which are often seen as drivers of broad socio-cultural processes? Here we analyze the evolution of key military technologies in a sample of pre-industrial societies world-wide covering almost 10,000 years of history using Seshat: Global History Databank. We empirically test previously speculative theories that proposed world population size, connectivity between geographical areas of innovation and adoption, and critical enabling technological advances, such as iron metallurgy and horse riding, as central drivers of military technological evolution. We find that all of these factors are strong predictors of change in military technology, whereas state-level factors such as polity population, territorial size, or governance sophistication play no major role. We discuss how our approach can be extended to explore technological change more generally, and how our results carry important ramifications for understanding major drivers of evolution of social complexity.

scholarly journals Rise of the War Machines: Charting the Evolution of Military Technologies from the Neolithic to the Industrial Revolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Turchin ◽  
Daniel Hoyer ◽  
Andrey Korotayev ◽  
Nikolay Kradin ◽  
Sergei Nefedov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
World History ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
World Population ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Military Innovation ◽  
Military Technology ◽  
Horse Riding ◽  
Stratified Sample

The causes and consequences of technological evolution in world history have been much debated. Of particular importance in many of the theoretical and empirical studies on this topic is innovation in military technologies, details of which are comparatively well preserved in the archaeology and historical record and which are often seen as drivers of broad socio-cultural processes. Here we analyze data on the evolution of key military technologies in a stratified sample of the world’s political systems from the Neolithic to the industrial revolution using Seshat: Global History Databank. Empirically testing a series of previously speculative theories reveals that world population size (as proxy for the potential numbers of innovators), the connectivity between areas of innovation and adoption, and major past innovations such as iron metallurgy and horse riding, all serve as strong predictors of change in military technology. We discuss how the approach showcased here could be extended not only to explain more of the causes and consequences of military innovation but of technological change more generally, with important ramifications for our understanding of the drivers of world history and of the evolution of social complexity.

Innovation and Diffusion of Medical Treatment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barton Hamilton ◽  
Andrés Hincapié ◽  
Robert Miller ◽  
Nicholas Papageorge
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Innovation And Diffusion ◽  
And Diffusion

Rediseñando las Organizaciones del Futuro. El impacto de la transformación digital en el mundo del trabajo

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-226
Author(s):  
Ricardo M. Piñeyro Prins ◽  
Guadalupe E. Estrada Narvaez
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The People ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
The Way

We are witnessing how new technologies are radically changing the design of organizations, the way in which they produce and manage both their objectives and their strategies, and -above all- how digital transformation impacts the people who are part of it. Even today in our country, many organizations think that digitalizing is having a presence on social networks, a web page or venturing into cases of success in corporate social intranet. Others begin to invest a large part of their budget in training their teams and adapting them to the digital age. But given this current scenario, do we know exactly what the digital transformation of organizations means? It is necessary? Implying? Is there a roadmap to follow that leads to the success of this process? How are organizations that have been born 100% digital from their business conception to the way of producing services through the use of platforms? What role does the organizational culture play in this scenario? The challenge of the digital transformation of businesses and organizations, which is part of the paradigm of the industrial revolution 4.0, is happening here and now in all types of organizations, whether are they private, public or third sector. The challenge to take into account in this process is to identify the digital competences that each worker must face in order to accompany these changes and not be left out of it. In this sense, the present work seeks to analyze the main characteristics of the current technological advances that make up the digital transformation of organizations and how they must be accompanied by a digital culture and skills that allow their successful development. In order to approach this project, we will carry out an exploratory research, collecting data from the sector of new actors in the world of work such as employment platforms in its various areas (gastronomy, delivery, transportation, recreation, domestic service, etc) and an analysis of the main technological changes that impact on the digital transformation of organizations in Argentina.

Human Rights and 21st Century Challenges

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
First Century ◽  
World Population ◽  
Security Environment ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Relative Share ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The World ◽  
Twenty First Century

The world faces significant and interrelated challenges in the twenty-first century which threaten human rights in a number of ways. This book examines the relationship between human rights and three of the largest challenges of the twenty-first century: conflict and security, environment, and poverty. Technological advances in fighting wars have led to the introduction of new weapons which threaten to transform the very nature of conflict. In addition, states confront threats to security which arise from a new set of international actors not clearly defined and which operate globally. Climate change, with its potentially catastrophic impacts, features a combination of characteristics which are novel for humanity. The problem is caused by the sum of innumerable individual actions across the globe and over time, and similarly involves risks that are geographically and temporally diffuse. In recent decades, the challenges involved in addressing global and national poverty have also changed. For example, the relative share of the poor in the world population has decreased significantly while the relative share of the poor who live in countries with significant domestic capacity has increased strongly. Overcoming these global and interlocking threats constitutes this century’s core political and moral task. This book examines how these challenges may be addressed using a human rights framework. It considers how these challenges threaten human rights and seeks to reassess our understanding of human rights in the light of these challenges. The analysis considers both foundational and applied questions. The approach is multidisciplinary and contributors include some of the most prominent lawyers, philosophers, and political theorists in the debate. The authors not only include leading academics but also those who have played important roles in shaping the policy debates on these questions. Each Part includes contributions by those who have served as Special Rapporteurs within the United Nations human rights system on the challenges under consideration.

scholarly journals Ensuring Agricultural Sustainability through Remote Sensing in the Era of Agriculture 5.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 5911
Author(s):  
Vanesa Martos ◽  
Ali Ahmad ◽  
Pedro Cartujo ◽  
Javier Ordoñez
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
World Population ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
Zero Hunger

Timely and reliable information about crop management, production, and yield is considered of great utility by stakeholders (e.g., national and international authorities, farmers, commercial units, etc.) to ensure food safety and security. By 2050, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates, around 70% more production of agricultural products will be needed to fulfil the demands of the world population. Likewise, to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the second goal of “zero hunger”, potential technologies like remote sensing (RS) need to be efficiently integrated into agriculture. The application of RS is indispensable today for a highly productive and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the present study draws a general overview of RS technology with a special focus on the principal platforms of this technology, i.e., satellites and remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs), and the sensors used, in relation to the 5th industrial revolution. Nevertheless, since 1957, RS technology has found applications, through the use of satellite imagery, in agriculture, which was later enriched by the incorporation of remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs), which is further pushing the boundaries of proficiency through the upgrading of sensors capable of higher spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions. More prominently, wireless sensor technologies (WST) have streamlined real time information acquisition and programming for respective measures. Improved algorithms and sensors can, not only add significant value to crop data acquisition, but can also devise simulations on yield, harvesting and irrigation periods, metrological data, etc., by making use of cloud computing. The RS technology generates huge sets of data that necessitate the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to extract useful products, thereby augmenting the adeptness and efficiency of agriculture to ensure its sustainability. These technologies have made the orientation of current research towards the estimation of plant physiological traits rather than the structural parameters possible. Futuristic approaches for benefiting from these cutting-edge technologies are discussed in this study. This study can be helpful for researchers, academics, and young students aspiring to play a role in the achievement of sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals CO2 Valorization and Its Subsequent Valorization

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Juan Antonio Cecilia ◽  
Daniel Ballesteros Plata ◽  
Enrique Vilarrasa García
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
World Population ◽  
Anthropogenic Co2 ◽  
The World ◽  
Co2 Valorization

After the industrial revolution, the increase in the world population and the consumption of fossil fuels has led to an increase in anthropogenic CO2 emissions [...]

China’s Science-Based Innovation and Technology Transfer in the Global Context

2021 ◽  
pp. 314-336
Author(s):  
Jizhen Li ◽  
Ximing Yin ◽  
Subrina Shen
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Innovation And Technology ◽  
The University ◽  
University Industry ◽  
Critical Overview ◽  
And Diffusion ◽  
University Industry Linkages

Science-based innovation in universities and diffusion through university-industry linkages are the keys to strengthening national innovation capability, especially for emerging markets. This chapter provides a critical overview of China’s innovation and technology transfer between the university and industry in the context of globalization and the new industrial revolution. By doing this, the chapter attempts to provide critical insights for relevant stakeholders—whether they be researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, government officials, investors, or international organizations—in China’s development, innovation, and technology transfer. The chapter illustrates three aspects related to China’s innovation and technology transfer in comparison with other major players in the field. Then it further analyzes the drivers and challenges of China’s science-based innovation and university technology transfer for understanding the future of China’s innovation and technology transfer.

Interpreting the industry 4.0 future: technology, business, society and people

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Schiele ◽  
Anna Bos-Nehles ◽  
Vincent Delke ◽  
Peter Stegmaier ◽  
Robbert-Jan Torn
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Tool Set ◽  
Strategy Design

Purpose Industrial revolutions have been induced by technological advances, but fundamentally changed business and society. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the fourth industrial revolution (I4.0) and derive guidelines for business strategy, it is, therefore, necessary to explore it as a multi-facet phenomenon. Most literature on I4.0, however, takes up a predominantly technical view. This paper aims to report on a project discussing a holistic view on I4.0 and its implications, covering technology, business, society and people. Design/methodology/approach Two consecutive group discussions in form of academic world cafés have been conducted. The first workshop gathered multi-disciplinary experts from academia, whose results were further validated in a subsequent workshop including industry representatives. A voting procedure was used to capture participants perspectives. Findings The paper develops a holistic I4.0 vision, focusing on five core technologies, their business potential, societal requests and people implications. Based on the model a checklist has been developed, which firms can use a tool to analyze their firm’s situation and draft their industry 4.0 business strategy. Originality/value Rather than focusing on technology alone – which by itself is unlikely to make up for a revolution – this research integrates the entire system. In this way, a tool-set for strategy design results.

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