The Technology-Society Interaction Cycle or The Global Technology Laboratory

The Russian economist Kondratjev (1926) suggested looking at the different technologies of these past 200 years in terms of a sequence of waves or cycles. These waves start on a small scale triggered by some new scientific discovery. Suddenly this discovery becomes visible in the shape of new technology in response to some new need or expectation in society. Subsequently the waves develop into movements which grow across the whole of society through their wide application and acceptance. Thus they define the ruling technology for decades but they start loosing influence when the next wave of new technology emerges. The original sequence of such waves was suggested by Kondratjev about 80 years ago.