Greatest Century of Change?

[Jagshund]

Watching Twilight Zone Ep. "100 Years Over the Rim" where a man from 1847 (wagon train) lands in 1961 while looking for supplies. Makes me wonder if 1847-1960 or 1900-2000 would be more of a shock to someone displaced from their own era.

My money is on the latter but it's the only time I've lived in so far! Still counting on eventually building myself a time machine.

[look 171]

I think they are both equally shocking. Think about a horse drawn wagon compare to a rocket or a plane that can travel the earth within a 24 hour period. To me it would have to be 1847 to 1960

[porwolf]

Well, if you look at other game changing events rather than srictly technology, the century that changed the Western World the most could be from 1450 to 1550: Fall of the Moore's empire in Spain; Fall of East Rome's capital Konstantinople to the Turks: Columbus' voyage to the "Indies"; Luther's break with the Catholic Church; and last not least Henry VIII's break from Rome.

[RWebb]

greatest rate of change is assuredly right now

but, you've phrased the question a bit differently: we really need to know about expectations of some one 100 years before time T

e.g. if someone 100 years ago (T = 2012, so they would be living in 1912) expected change as compared with, say, a Victorian or Elizabethan or a serf from 1012 A.D. then you have a different kettle of fish to fry

[oldE]

My father (1903 -97) was amazed by the changes in his lifetime.

He witnessed homes going from oil lamps to computers.
Communications from letters and telegraph to telephone, radio, cell phones and email,
Transportation from steam trains and horse and buggy to automobiles, diesel trains, and aircraft to the Concorde. He watched space flight and moon shots on his TV.
He saw the end of the ocean liner.
He saw people go off to two world wars, read about the atomic bombs in his newspaper, as well as the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain and the rise of the Middle East as the war zone of choice.

Once he walked behind a horse to plow a field. He told me once he always felt sorry for the horses, who never had a choice. He was glad to get his first tractor. In his last years he climbed into the cab of a tractor with over 100 horsepower and was protected by the climate control as he harrowed more acres in an afternoon than he had ever had under cultivation in his working career.

These days, we tend to change details, but it seems there have been fewer physical changes recently.

Best
Les

[IROC]

I was thinking about this just the other day. I think the greatest change has to be the last 100 years. The people in the 1960s dreamed of flying cars, etc., in the future (which never really materialized) but the folks in 1912 weren't even able to envision something like that. Hand someone from 1912 an iPhone and their minds would be blown. Arthur C Clarke once said: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.". iPhones would be magic to someone from 1912.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

1900 ice is delivered by horse and cart

2000 space shuttle

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by oldE

My father (1903 -97) was amazed by the changes in his lifetime.

He witnessed homes going from oil lamps to computers.
Communications from letters and telegraph to telephone, radio, cell phones and email,
Transportation from steam trains and horse and buggy to automobiles, diesel trains, and aircraft to the Concorde. He watched space flight and moon shots on his TV.
He saw the end of the ocean liner.
He saw people go off to two world wars, read about the atomic bombs in his newspaper, as well as the rise and fall of the Iron Curtain and the rise of the Middle East as the war zone of choice.

Once he walked behind a horse to plow a field. He told me once he always felt sorry for the horses, who never had a choice. He was glad to get his first tractor. In his last years he climbed into the cab of a tractor with over 100 horsepower and was protected by the climate control as he harrowed more acres in an afternoon than he had ever had under cultivation in his working career.

These days, we tend to change details, but it seems there have been fewer physical changes recently.

Best
Les

My grandfather was similar. He was born in 1890 and died in 1980. Cars didn't exist when he was born. Airplanes were science fiction. Tractors did exist, but they were modified train steam engines, worth more than a man could make in a lifetime. Rockets and Nuclear power, pure fantasy!

His father bought one of the first power tractors in North Texas. In addition to their own fields, they ran a plowing service to help the other farmers around them.

My father's farm didn't have electricty until he was in high school or college (1940's). They used kerosene lamps, gasoline powered washing machines, etc.

By 1980, there were:

Cars everwhere
Planes
Satellites
Computers
Radio
Television
Electricty
Refrigeration
Penicillian
Telephones everywhere

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by porwolf

Well, if you look at other game changing events rather than srictly technology, the century that changed the Western World the most could be from 1450 to 1550: Fall of the Moore's empire in Spain; Fall of East Rome's capital Konstantinople to the Turks: Columbus' voyage to the "Indies"; Luther's break with the Catholic Church; and last not least Henry VIII's break from Rome.

I would add 1155 to 1255: The Century of Khan

From Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in twenty years than the Romans did in four hundred. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization. Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

[Jagshund]

Originally Posted by RWebb

greatest rate of change is assuredly right now

but, you've phrased the question a bit differently: we really need to know about expectations of some one 100 years before time T

e.g. if someone 100 years ago (T = 2012, so they would be living in 1912) expected change as compared with, say, a Victorian or Elizabethan or a serf from 1012 A.D. then you have a different kettle of fish to fry

Variables? Variables?! Why, I oughtta . . .

I know there were advances in earlier centuries but it seems like they all started coming to fruition around 1890s-1900. I mean, what kind of world was this when one had to resort to water instead of Coke?

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I would add 1155 to 1255: The Century of Khan

From Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in twenty years than the Romans did in four hundred. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization. Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

That sure was a amazing feat! The Mongol empire stretched from Europe to the Pacific. And at the same time the Catholic church refused to recognize the existence China and tried to have Marco Polo recant his travel log!

[Zeke]

1960 might be a little short for that period. Add a few more years and that's my vote. Of course speaking only of technology, the last 20 years has seen the most change, IMO.

[70SATMan]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

1900 ice is delivered by horse and cart

2000 space shuttle

Exactly...

My wife's Grandmother was born up in the Quicksilver mining camps of New Almaden in 1900. She lived to be 101 and lived on her own in the Sunset of San Fran till she was 96. They were Cornish Tin Miners. Her father being one of five brothers who immigrated to the US.

She and I had some of the most interesting conversations when she was in her late eighties. She was rescued by the Marines during the Mexican mining revolts of 1905, lived through the 1906 quake in San Jose.

We have pictures of her as a one year old on the porch of their cabin up in New Almaden. It was a full days ride by wagon to come down the mountain in a wagon to go into San Jose for supplies and a full day to get back. She was a full blown Hot! Flapper in the 20's in the City, went to the World's Fair at Treasure Island....I could go on and on.

When I think of the changes she saw from 1900-2001, it pales with what I have seen to date. Unless we meet aliens before I'm gone, I can't imagine larger leaps in technology. I certainly don't think in my lifetime. Maybe in my childrens or my grandchildrens lifetimes.

[red-beard]

Look at the development of the Steam Engine. It took 100 years of use before they were turned into something that was small enough and efficient enough to be useful. Then 100 years where that technology was a serious game changer! Now it is almost abandoned, except for steam turbines.

I think we're seeing the same thing in computers. The computer age today is about 1850 for steam engines. It will be interesting to see if the computers of today hit a wall, like the steam engine, and are left behind for some new technology (organic computers?). Electronic computers might still be used for some things, just like steam turbines are still used for ships and some power production.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by porwolf

Well, if you look at other game changing events rather than srictly technology, the century that changed the Western World the most could be from 1450 to 1550: Fall of the Moore's empire in Spain; Fall of East Rome's capital Konstantinople to the Turks: Columbus' voyage to the "Indies"; Luther's break with the Catholic Church; and last not least Henry VIII's break from Rome.

I tend to agree that some of the major historical changes have had more real impact than the 20th century's engineering/techno breakout.

Seahawk's Genghis proposal also has merit. And going back further, the plague century (the 1300's) could also be argued. A 30-50% depopulation of the earth was pretty significant & had many ramifications.

Ian