Internet,

obviously

cell phones,

newish, but there were radio phones in ww2

GPS, night vision googles,

Not fundamental, there was low light photography back in the 1930s

orbital telescopes, nonlethal weapons like tasers,

The taser tech was available to edison, and described as a weapon by Mark Twain

genetic engineering,

totally new

nuclear power,

Actually developed during WWII

personal computers and their killer aps like word processing and spread sheets,

yes, the software apps are exactly the sort of new invention that is totally new, nothing like that before

video games, CD Players, MP3 players,

agreed

AI,

Not yet

microwave ovens,

just an application of the microwave generator, from WW2

artificial fibers like nylon,

1938

I would also say that there are probably dozens of chemistry inventions, especially in drugs, that are totally new.

There’s not a huge amount compared to what you’d think though.

It gets back to my theory that the greatest rate of change was in the 60 years from 1890 to 1950. That was much faster than what we’ve experienced since then.

Internet, cell phones, GPS, night vision googles, orbital telescopes, nonlethal weapons like tasers, genetic engineering, nuclear power, personal computers and their killer aps like word processing and spread sheets, video games, CD Players, MP3 players, AI, microwave ovens, artificial fibers like nylon, and lasers.

So, obviously I disagree with “M.” But, I understand where this thinking is coming from. Back when Phil was launching The Speculist, he had an exercise called “The Seven Questions.” The last question was:

Why is it that in the year 2003 I still don’t have a flying car? When do you think I’ll be able to get one?

My answer was “2006.”

Just kidding. This was my answer:

“While we’ve made remarkable strides in small scale technology – circuitry, the human genome, nanotech, it seems like we’ve lost ground with the big macho stuff. We haven’t been to the Moon in 30 years; we can’t buy tickets to fly supersonic anymore.

“While we’re discovering inner space and creating cyberspace, we’ve done so little with outer space. Maybe this is a necessary retreat – a pause to let technology catch up with our aspirations. But I’m inclined to believe rather that its a lack of aspiration…”

The small-scale stuff often just gets incorporated in the the big stuff that we already had. But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact our lives. I’m reminded of those commercials for BASF:

“We don’t make a lot of the products you buy; we make a lot of the products you buy better!”

How about the pacemaker? The artificial heart?

Jet packs, of course.

Coming soon: the Space Elevator, utility fog, and (not that they will matter all that much once we have utility fog) flying cars.

The fast Fourier transform algorithm (or FFT) used on computers,

Quantum computing, theory and so far vastly limited application.

The Black-Scholes financial valuation model for stock derivatives and similar securities.

Fabbers: the tool that can make any other tool, including (just over the horizon), itself. I doubt we’ve had that since we used stone hand axes to make more hand axes.

Evolutionary Algorithms: okay, so you could make the case that technically nature designed this before humans, but almost anything could be disqualified on those grounds. What is not new and revolutionary about building systems that can design other systems (mechanical, logistical…) with almost no human oversight?

Satellites: did not exist before WWII, and really are game changing in a number of ways. For the first time, it becomes possible to see everything that happens, everywhere around the world.