Getting Better All the TimeDespite the turmoil of world events, the Global North continues to benefit from a thoroughly digitized economy. This ranges from fly-by-wire airliners to cars that drive themselves, and earbuds that allow phoning while jogging. Few Americans are eager to return to the old analog world, even if they are now subject to scams, hacks, robotic telemarketing calls and wildly hysterical social media rampages. The picture quality is still excellent. We now take our 'devices' for granted, even when they offer less-than-perfect automated guidance. They make navigating a complex world relatively simple. You just follow the prompts, then click 'OK.' All the while, our reliance upon gadgets and services leaves us increasingly dependent upon algorithms developed by ethically-challenged corporations. Few Americans are willing to fight back against the downside for the planet. |
| ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||
Fully Mature By 2010, the internet is standard everywhere on the planet, except the darkest corners of the Global south. Like almost all of Africa. The two charts above track the development of the most powerful internet companies, showing how each one starts with a small core business, but then acquires a string of smaller startup companies (in GRAY-GREEN). These additions allow them to acquire the talent of the most innovative new developers, enabling growth into new market sectors. The charts show acquisitions to 2010, but each company has since continued to gobble up promising technology. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Shipping is Still Important The map shows traffic on the world's shipping lanes, which continues to grow, even as business increasingly favors technologies that just move electrons around. The world still desires tangible stuff, which includes autos, steel and food, plus an immense volume of clothing, athletic shoes and cute little plastic toys. Shipping is responsible for most of the transfer of currency between nations, which is now purely digital. The BLUE circles represent exports, which bring money into the country, while RED and GRAY circles represent imports of goods and oil, both of which drain money out. The arrows represent the net flow of money. The US and Europe have net outflows, while China has a large inflow. To maintain balance, China accepts IOUs in the form of bonds. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Bad Karma There are two forms of spending on arms. The GREEN circles above are proportional to the money spent on national defense (domestic). The tiny size of this circle in Russia indicates that it has virtually stopped defense spending, while the US continues to spend lavishly on submarines, aircraft, and advanced weaponry. All this is for national defense. In addition, non-government contracts in both the US and Russia also produce a steady flow of arms, which are shipped out of the country. These are depicted here as BLUE and RED dot streams. Note that, while the Soviet Union is gone, the flow of arms from Russia is still substantial. The export of military hardware serves the dual purpose of bringing in extra income, and arming allies. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Spreading the Load This map shows that many countries have built nuclear plants to produce electricity without relying on expensive imported oil. Plants shown in GRAY have been shut down, due to concerns about nuclear accidents, and the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The large number of plants in the US reflects the fact that the US is still a net importer of oil, a condition that is no longer true today. Note that central Europe, which is heavily dependent upon imported oil and gas, has many nuclear plants. Britain is developing substantial oil production from North Sea oil rigs, which is reducing its need for imported oil. Most plants under construction are located in China and India. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Eye Candy These photos come from America's Hubble Space Telescope, which operates from earth orbit, to improve clarity. They are another benefit of digital technology. More recent photos, with improved image enhancement, are even more striking. | |||||||||