It has struck me lately, in reading and viewing and just in musing, what a similar pattern emerges when you look at the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
In each case, there are similarities in developments generally and events that occurred.
During the second part largely of each century, in each case there were huge scientific/engineering advances that either launched whole new industries or dramatically changed existing industries so as to increase productivity.
In the first half of each century there were widespread wars between European countries followed by peace in the second half.
The second half of each century was characterised, given their respective stages of development, by a virtual explosion in the communication industries, be that via newspapers & books or in the last century by electronics & technology.
Similarly I would say that in the second half of each century we saw a dramatic increase, in terms of their capacities, in the availability of increased or mass transport.
It strikes me that it is just too coincidental for all these changes to come about in a very similar flow pattern for there not to be some common influence at play but I just don't know what that could be.
