GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS
Simply put, to date, there were 4 industrial revolutions, when production and economy experienced a change in gears: the first ignited by the invention of steam power, the second by electricity, the third by the internet, and the fourth by tech such as big data, AI, cloud computing and friends. 5.0, they say, is happening now.
I liked to learn as a child, but some topics I just could not grasp.
"Dear Adult, could you please tell me simply what an industrial revolution is? Pretty please!" would say my 10-year-old self. I didn't know how to ask back then. I thought there is no simple explanation.
It turns out there is!
First, let me explain it as if I was speaking to my child self:
"When we talk about industrial revolutions, there is usually a turning point in history, when mankind invented a new type of technology that made life more efficient, more advanced, easier. Imagine cutting a piece of paper into two equal pieces. You could tear it with your hand and try to tear it so precisely that you have two equal pieces, or, you could use a pair of scissors for the same exercise. Imagine that there is a land called, "paperland", where all people are working with paper, crafting beautiful creations by folding, tearing, painting paper. They are doing great and are happy with their results, they might not even be able to imagine there is such things called scissors. Until one day, a bright member of their population invents the scissors. Everyone sees how easy it is to use this new tool, and that it takes their work to the next level: they can finish their creations faster, meaning more time to spend with relaxing and their loved ones, and new types of creations are also imaginable using this shiny new, weird looking but pretty lovable tool. This is Paperland's industrial revolution. Paperland people suddenly experiences a boost in their work and a change in overall life as they know it."
I hope that gives adult some ideas how to explain this to their kids.
As from adult to adult, or older child, the simple explanation may go like this:
Industry 1.0 (late 1700s): The steam power was invented that sparked the first industrial revolution. Production, work, and many aspects of life was previously much more reliant on having waterways nearby. With steam power, living didn't necessarily need to be located around rivers and other waterways. Towns started to be built around factories and steam engines took a central role in the lives of the people.
Industry 2.o (late 1800s): Inventions in electrical and mechanical technologies, like electricity, automobiles and telecommunications came about. Electricity allowed factories to work for longer hours and produce more goods. Besides the overall boost in manufacturing and productivity, the everyday lives of people rose to an entirely new level, thanks to electricity.
Industry 3.0 (mid 1900s): It is the so called information age that was brought by the invention of computers, electronics and automation. Thanks to these advancements, millions of new jobs were created, efficiency in productivity and manufacturing boosted the economy immensely and countries worldwide progressed towards larger wealth.
Industry 4.0 (around 2000): Tech inventions such as Big Data, AI and cloud computing established the digital sphere as key ignitor of the economy. The essence of these digital technologies is the ability to collect and process real-time or precise historical data points and analyse them to adjust planning right away, therefore gaining competitive advantage, better products and services, higher personalisation and customer satisfaction.
Industry 5.0 (today): Building on Industry 4.0 and its advancements, we are now moving towards a revolution in which the aim is to achieve joint innovations between human intelligence and machines' artificial intelligence. It is a co-creative vision to maximise the impact of tech advancements together with the integration of pure human creativity of thought to date, simply cannot be calculated.
Each industrial revolution brought about an immense boost in our lives. Not to forget however, the impact they had on the environment, which was not taken into account sufficiently while profiting from these advancements. That'll be the topic of another blog, climate change simply explained.
Giselle
Always supported by a legit source: Concept paper by Ziatdinov et al. (2024); Article by Huang et al. (2022)