Artificial God
Douglas Adams gave a speech he titled 'Artifificial God' in which he talks about quite a few subjects. Among them is the idea that human history can be broken down in four ages of sand, each heralded in by a new application for sand.
- First Age of Sand - Telescopic lenses. Using telescopes we learned humans are small.
- Second Age of Sand - Microscopic lenses. Using microscopes we learned there's much more than meets the eye.
- Third Age of Sand - Silicon chip. Using silicon chips humans became capable of building mathematical models that help us understand life itself.
- Fourth Age of Sand - Fiber optic cables. Using fiber optics we can mass-communicate like never before. Each person now becomes capable of broadcasting their own thoughts rather than being doomed to be bombarded by millions of one-way messages. And with each personal broadcast, one is making an impact on a world that was largely inaccessible before this fourth, and current, age of sand.