Will there ever be another 'Industrial Revolution'?

Question

We don't seem to bothered on cause and effect.
Just, "I'm gonna make money!" by whatever is the best deal at the time.
Ie we develop computers to cut workers and to do their jobs more effectively. That works for a bit till the economy adjusts. Should we be developing so much technology?

Substitute computers for machines.

eg We ship jobs abroad to save money (ie cheaper wages etc) which then in the long run means less people able to buy.

Answer 1

Yes, we're in the middle of one right now!

This 'industrial revolution' would, however, best be defined as the 'technology revolution' and future historians will look back at this period and deem that it started in the late 1960s.

Its main drivers are developments in computer technology and this technology has impacted on every area of our lives and has seen unprecedented economic growth in the western world and the far east.

When is it likely to end? Impossible to say, but at present there is no end in sight. Indeed many informed observers believe that technological progress is likely to become even more pronounced in the future.

This is likely to have an impact not only on our physical wealth but also in other important areas. For example, there has been a steady decrease in the importance of religions in the developed countries over the past several decades as people become more educated and science explains more of the mysteries of the universe. This gradual erosion of society's reliance on primitive faith beliefs is likely to continue into the future.

Answer 2

I doubt it will be called an industrial revolution... But we are currently going through a major information revolution as the costs of communication are dropping. The idea of "Im gonna make money!" is actually very efficient. It breads competition, which will bring about innovation and lower prices. The use of computers also isn't that bad, it forces the labor force into higher skilled and educated jobs. Also, many companies maintain their competitive advantage through information systems and technology. Yea, we should develop technology. Its the way forward and can also provide jobs. If someone decides not to do it, someone else usually will and deciding not to go forward while others do will make you a whole lot worse off.

Take a look at the United States unemployment rate. Its one of the front runners in this and their unemployment rate has been fine.

Answer 3

Not only willl we, its bearing down on us like a freight train. The core is a new set of energy technologies that are going to make more energy availabel--cheaper and cleanly. It will take time--but by mid-century alternative energy will end the dominance of oil/coal--they will be declining industries. And this is only a part of other an fundamentally new technologies--biotechnology and materials technology in particular.

Answer 4

Most likely. Global warming is really moving in, and if some one doesn't figure out a way to end it soon, then we will have to develop new ways of living, such as synthetic foods, etc.