Also education, printed books (Martin Luther), non clerical academia, new foods and farming methods (potatoes!), trade wealth. The invention of the company. Colonialism.

We feel a need to put a sort of narrative on these things, but thing develop as a mesh. There is a lot focus on labour replacement technologies this year. But, it could easily be that the technologies historian look back on will be communication technologies. The formation of a global human culture interacting more intimately with each other than Illinois was with Louisiana when the Beatles first said all you need is love.

Who knows what the future brings. Maybe it brings peace and brotherhood.