The Second Machine Age - an industrial revolution powered by digital technolo...
iCity-Magazine-Introduction
1. SIMPLY CONNECTING THE DOTS
Short introduction to our online magazine, capturing
the state and impact of technological innovation on
business, economy, society and people.
2. Turbulent Times
Well-known economists, like Nikolai Kondratieff, Joseph
Schumpeter, Carlota Perez and Jeremy Rifkin, have all fore-
casted the depressive state of our economy based on their
respective notion of a long wave theory.
Long Waves
Most long wave theories cover a period of 50-60 years in
duration. Arguably, Kondratieff’s K-wave puts us right at the
bottom of the long cycle. Kondratieff based his theory on the
value of commodities, which some believe make his projec-
tions somewhat less accurate in our industrial age.
However, the Economic Confidence Model of economist
Martin Armstrong, which was partially founded on the K-wave
theory, is following the flow of capital. The ECM is based on
51.6 years. Armstrong believes we should expect further
economic decline up to the year 2020.
DISRUPTION IS
NOT AN OPTION
IT IS MANDATORY
Software is about to eat the world, according to Marc
Andreessen. Meanwhile, disruptive innovation by start-
ups is causing havoc amongst industry leaders.
According to Heraclitus, a self-taught Greek philosopher and
a pioneer of wisdom (535-475 BCE), change is constant. It is
like breathing: if you stop, you die. But although change is
constant, the pace of change varies over time.
Ray Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns indicates that
technological progress has grown and will further grow expo-
nentially. As creatures of habits, and linear thinkers, not only
do we underestimate the speed of change: we have a strong
tendency to resist it. Fortunately, the technological singularity
is still far beyond our horizon.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or
present are certain to miss the future.” ~ John F. Kennedy
3. Past, Present and Future
Previous cycles showed that economies recover rapidly
following an extended period of collaboration between public
and private bodies in the pursuit of new materials, methods,
methodologies and technologies, from which new products,
business models and markets are derived.
Although inventions, such as the automobile and the tran-
sistor, made existing technology obsolete, the growth of new
businesses outgrew the loss. Schumpeter named this process
creative destruction. Today it is referred to as disruptive inno-
vation (Clayton Christensen).
Hindsight it is easy to pinpoint which technology ignited
growth. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, believed: “We can
only connect the dots looking backwards”. Moving on by
stating that, by looking forward “.. you have to trust that the
dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust
in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever”.
Connecting the Dots
Most people lack the knowledge or insights to connect the
dots looking backwards, let alone looking forward. They need
to rely on guides to help them understand the implications of
innovations and the change it is likely to bring.
Our mission is to create the most comprehensive on-
line magazine that truly captures the state and impact
of technological innovation, globally.
In co-creation with futurists, trend watchers, technologists,
researchers, economists, strategists, innovators, venture capi-
talists, professors, data analysts, scientists, and so on.
Inspiration
Wired Magazine, a full-color monthly magazine on the impact
of technology, inspired us. Founded in 1998, Wired featured
editorials from industry leaders. With visionaries like Nicholas
Negroponte (MIT Media Lab) and Kevin Kelly as contributors.
