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is the nation’s grand tech boom
REALLY AN INNOVATION FUNK?
In a world with self-driving cars, holographic gaming,
drone-delivered pizza, AI computers, hoverboards
(ones that actually hover), 24/7 connectivity to every
corner of the world, heck, even one-hour grocery
deliveries, it’s diffi cult to comprehend the thought that
we’re in a downcycle of technological achievement.
The stuff of science fi ction truly has become
reality: we’re wearing watches that allow
us to make video calls; we’re running
our businesses and lives from robust, handheld
computers; we’re using deep data and connectivity
to reinvent business models; we’re powering
our homes, offi ces, and cars with wind, solar,
geothermal, and battery sources; we’re programming
robots to clean our houses, assemble our
products, construct our buildings, even cook
our food; we’re conducting advanced surgical
procedures remotely, and in a fraction of the time.
The list goes on and on.
But is all this stuff—the gadgets, the apps,
the micro-computers, the entertainment and
media—actually enriching the nation’s standard
of living? Is it igniting the economy to benefi t
the greater good? Does it make us happier and
more fulfi lled as a nation?
By and large, no, argues American economist
and Northwestern University social sciences
professor Robert J. Gordon, in his new book,
“The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S.
Standard of Living Since the Civil War” (http://
amzn.to/1qOPVr2).
Gordon asserts that, despite popular belief,
the country is not in a great age of technological
and digital innovation. Actually, it’s quite the
contrary—we’re in the midst of a tech innovation
downturn, at least when compared to the last
great innovation era: 1870 to 1970.
During that time, writes Gordon, medical
breakthroughs raised the average life expectancy
from 45 to 72; transportation advanced from
horse and buggy to car to plane (to spaceship!);
communication progressed from paper to radio
to television (email was invented two years later,
in 1972). Homeownership skyrocketed (especially
after WWII), and houses featured modern
luxuries like electric lighting, indoor plumbing,
and home appliances.
Gordon contends that the century-long period
following the Civil War is unlike anything we are
ever going to see again. He posits that some
inventions are more important than others, and
that the post-Civil War era just happened to
produce a multitude of game changers across
nearly every major industry. The light bulb, internal-combustion
engine, mason jar, condensed
milk, refrigerator, elevator, anesthetics, X-ray,
antibiotics, antiseptic surgery, waterworks, assembly
line (and the 40-hour work week)—add
them up and then consider your iPhone. Not so
impressive, is it?
In his recent review of Gordon’s book, BD+C
Associate Editor David Malone suggests that
Gordon’s modern tech slowdown could actually
be the calm before the storm. The apps,
the data, the gadgets, the evermore-powerful
computers, the infi nitely connected world, the
nanosciences—they’re in their infancy. The
world’s brightest minds (human and synthetic;
think IBM’s Watson) need time to invent, solve,
ideate, collaborate, innovate, improve, perfect.
I don’t know about you, but I choose to
believe that we’re on the cusp of the next great
era of innovation. The question remains: Will the
results improve or diminish our quality of life?
David Barista, Editorial Director
dbarista@sgcmail.com
www.BDCuniversity.com BUILDING DESIGN+CONSTRUCTION MAY 2016 9