Centralized Generation / 1882-1900s
Large scale power generation delivered electricity using direct current (DC) which sparked the beginning of the industrial world and removing the requirement for industry to be located directly on waterways.
Stages of Evolution
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Transportation
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Communications
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Energy
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Computers
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Banking
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Feet & Hooves / 1 million BC
Walking or riding animals was the only form of transportation for millions of years.
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Invention of the Wheel / 8,000 BC
The wheel helped humans transport goods and build early structures.
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Horse Drawn Carriage / 3,000 BC
With horses connected to carriages, people could travel farther, faster and in more comfort. And could also transport goods farther.
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Invention of the Steam Engine / 1780's
The steam engine helped bring about the industrial revolution. Trains and steam ships greatly speed up transportation of people and goods.
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Invention of the Automobile / 1886
The automobile changed the way people traveled and commuted. Cars and buses allowed people to live further from factories and offices, leading to the development of suburbs.
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Hybrid Car / 1997
Due to concerns over increasing fuel costs and climate change, hybrid vehicles were developed to use less fuel.
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Electric Car / 2008
Advances in battery technologies opened the possibility of cars that rely on the power grid.
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Smart Vehicle / Tomorrow
Advanced electric vehicles allow consumers to be smart about when they recharge with the ability to be able to program the start time for charging, the rate they want to pay, and the time needed to complete charging.
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Grafitti on Stones / 3000 BC
Egyptians perfect hieroglyphics ushering in the general idea of expressing words of a language in writing.
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Common Languages / 1500 BC
Semites devise the alphabet paving the way for common written script.
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Paper / 60 BC
Acta Diurna [Day’s Events] debuts, forerunner of the newspaper.
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Long Distance Communications / 1750s-1800
Invention of the telegraph enables first transatlantic cable freeing communication from the constraints of space and time.
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Two-Way Communications / 1870-1900
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone in 1876 and Guglielmo Marconi invents the radio in 1894.
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Digital Communications / 1990s
Digital technology and fiber optics enables the digital revolution allowing messages to travel at the "speed of light" in e-mails.
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Mobile Communications / 1993-2000s
The cord has been cut on the phone. The wireless phone enables greater mobility and convenience with reliable networks.
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Smart Communications / Tomorrow
By 2017, your smart phone will make your life easier making recommendations like a personal shopper or assistant.
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Fire / 400,000 BC-1900s
Fire brought comfort and protection with the ability to cook food, stay warm throughout the day and extend waking hours into the night.
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Hydropower / 4,000 BC-2000s
Hydro-power brought the convenience of irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices like watermills.
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Electricity / 1750s-1880s
Shifting from intellectual curiosity to rapid progress, electricity became an essential tool for modern life leading to increased productivity and efficiency at home and work.
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Centralized Generation / 1882-1900s
Large scale power generation delivered electricity using direct current (DC) which sparked the beginning of the industrial world and removing the requirement for industry to be located directly on waterways.
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Current Electrical Grid / 1890s-1950s
The advancement of alternating current (AC) allowed for power generation stations to be located much further from consumers. Large transmission lines were built to carry electricity to substations then to distribution lines before entering a home or business.
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Energy Efficiency Programs / 1970s-2000+
Energy supply shortages during the 1970's led to efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce electricity usage.
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Renewable Energy / 1970s-2000+
Renewable energy is the generation of electricity from a source that is always available, such as wind, sun or water. Environmental concerns and climate change prompted the introduction of subsidies for renewable energy technology. Renewable energy in the home or business can reduce power costs and supply power back to the utility.
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Smart Grid / Tomorrow
Steps to modernize the transmission infrastructure so that electricity generated anywhere in America can power homes and businesses across the nation. A unified national smart grid would form the entire skeleton of a modern electricity system, allowing us to efficiently carry large amounts of electricity over long distances in a network that is integrated, continuously monitored, and resistant to failure.
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Abacus / 2700–2300 BC
Basic device helps with computing numerals.
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Advanced Computations / 1500s-1900s
Discovery of modern mathematics.
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Slide Rule / 1650s
Discovery of modern mathematics. Computations are manual, relational algorithms don't exist.
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Machine-Based Computations / 1833-1906
Big centralized computers come to life, complete with mainframes to store information and automate computations, and dumb terminals like the card punch and printer.
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Microchips / 1971
More memory, faster speeds, parallel processes, automated computations.
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Personal Computer / 1980s
Compact, affordable and networked for file sharing and messaging.
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World Wide Web / 1989
Cloud computing, information at your fingertips opening new markets.
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Wireless Devices / Tomorrow
Access to information anywhere, real-time data collection, instant diagnostics.
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Bartering / 6000 BC
For basic survival including needs of food and shelter.
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Invention of Money / 3000 BC
Notes of value called "money" replaced trading of hard goods creating a "market".
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Piggy Bank / 1400s
Notes of value to be stored, "saving for later" and budgeting.
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Banks / 1695
Money to be stored securely, a service provided across a larger group of customers.
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Credit Cards / 1938-1958
Credit cards were invented and widely accepted to allow consumers to pay for goods without physical currency.
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ATMs / 1960s
Provides convenient access through a secured network. Instant record of a transaction.
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Personalized Banking / 1990s
Personal financial management in the comfort of customers' homes enabled by personal computers.
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Mobile Banking / Tomorrow
Transactions can be made automatically or instantly through smart phones.
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Sunlight / 1 million BC
The first humans had only the sun to light their dwellings.
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Candle Light / 400,000 BC-1900s
Candles, whale oil, kerosene and eventually natural gas were used for lighting homes.
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Light Bulb / 1870s-1900
The use of electricity and the invention of the first commercially viable light bulb drastically improved consumers' quality of life.
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Electricity to the Home / 1920s-1940s
Due to the high cost, at first only the wealthy were able to retrofit their homes with electricity. In the early 1900's, competition reduced the cost of electricity allowing more homes to be electrified.
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Electrical Appliances / 1940s-1970s
New appliances were being invented to use electricity including fans, toasters, vacuums, air conditioners, etc.
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Central Air Conditioning / 1970s
The development of a whole house air conditioning system helped to expand suburbs in hot climates.
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Advanced Thermostats / 1970s-2000s
Programmable and now smart learning thermostats are transforming the way consumers control their heating and cooling needs.
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Smart Home / Tomorrow
The integration of a smart meter along with Wi-Fi enabled appliances, lighting and other devices conveniently changes the way a family interacts with its home and optimizes home energy consumption.
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